A line-up of classy three-year-olds take to the Eagle Farm track on Saturday in the Queensland Guineas 2026 field where the big money is rolling in for the consistent Chris & Corey Munce-trained local Brave Monarch to continue his winning form.

One of two Group 2 early Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival lead-ups on the weekend’s Queensland race card, the $350,000 Queensland Guineas (1600m) features a competitive field of young miler / staying types.

The event serves as a key lead-up to the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) later at the carnival and Kovalica (2023) was the last horse to complete the double.

Sitting top of the Queensland Guineas odds at a short $2 is ultra-consistent Brave Smash gelding Brave Monarch chasing his fifth win at start number seven.

Progressing quickly through the grades, he presents fit third-up in the Guineas drawn a dream in gate three with Martin Harley continuing his successful association with the talented up-and-comer.

Last time out Brave Monarch secured his maiden Black-Type success with a commanding two-length romp home here in the Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes (1400m) having parked midfield before unleashing a sharp turn of foot to put the race away with ease.

Looking every bit like he’ll eat up a mile now, he shapes as the one to beat despite the fact he hasn’t seen genuinely wet ground, but nothing in his profile suggests he won’t handle either challenge.

Three other acceptors are also under $10 Queensland Guineas odds to win including the early market mover, Snitzel Dancer, backed in from $7 to $5.50 to beat home the boys.

She heads to Brisbane chasing a hat-trick, and the progressive filly looks perfectly placed to take the next step against the colts and geldings.

The Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained daughter of Snitzel has been one of the real improvers of the autumn, and her recent form says she’s ready for this rise in grade.

Two starts ago she monstered a Hawkesbury Class 1, carting 59kg through Soft conditions and putting a decisive 2.43 lengths on Agent Zero in a win that suggests she’s now ready for the mile.

She then made the leap to stakes company at Randwick on April 18 and didn’t just measure up — she impressed, storming home to knock off the heavily backed Plaintiff in the Group 3 James HB Carr over 1400m.

That Sydney win came in faster time than Brave Monarch’s Listed Daybreak Lover victory on the same surface in Brisbane, a tidy form pointer as they clash this weekend.

She’s drawn to get every favour again, continues to lift with each run, and her upward trajectory is impossible to ignore.

With confidence high and the map in her favour, she shapes as a genuine winning hope and a filly firmly on the rise.

Rounding out the single figure fancies are the local Tony Gollan-trained perennial placegetter Spanish Treasure ($7.50) coming off three straight third place finishes and Bevan Laming‘s widely drawn Call Da Vinci ($8.50).

A son of Pierata, Spanish Treasure has had six runs at the Eagle Farm circuit and finished out of the money just once (6:0-2-3).

While he had no answers for Brave Monarch’s burst of speed last start, he’s far from a spent force.

The gelding gets a key gear tweak with winkers going on, and that alone could sharpen him up enough to close the gap.

He’s shown glimpses of real talent this prep, and with a more focused racing pattern expected in the Guineas, a much-improved showing is well within reach.

Hailing from the Gold Coast, Call Da Vinci is another in-form young gun out to break his string of placings and return to winning form.

He’s been tested interstate against some quality rivals and followed Brave Monarch over the line fresh in the Daybreak Lover with improvement pending second-up.

Plenty about his pattern suggests the rise to 1600m is exactly what he’s been crying out for, he’s hit the line strongly in both runs this prep, closing off like a horse searching for more ground.

With a genuine tempo likely and the mile now on offer, he finally gets conditions to suit and looks ready to produce his best run of the preparation.

Of the longer priced contenders chasing an upset those presenting potential value include The Autumn Sun colt Autumn King ($13) and the Chris Waller-trained Kilman ($15) coming off a devastatingly close second in Group 3 company at Randwick at a big price.

The 2026 Queensland Guineas is set to run as Eagle Farm Race 7 at 3:33pm (AEST) on the nine-race program.

2026 Queensland Guineas Field & Odds

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