The spring’s Princess Series gets underway in earnest at Royal Randwick on Saturday with a host of classy three-year-old fillies lining up in the opening leg, the Silver Shadow Stakes 2026 serving as one of the key support acts on a stacked Winx Stakes Day card.

While the focus of this weekend’s racing action centres around the return of the WFA stars headlined by brilliant mare Autumn Glow in the Group 1 Winx Stakes, there’s plenty to get excited about elsewhere on the program including the Group 2 $300,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).

A terrific campaign kick-off for last season’s juvenile fillies who are hitting their 3YO era with an eye on the grand prize – the Group 1 Flight Stakes on Epsom Handicap Day in early October – the Silver Shadow field for 2026 features a typically exciting bunch of up-and-comers ready to put their hand up as the next great mare.

Won by a host of subsequent superstars including the likes of Samantha Miss, Libertini and Zougotcha, this year’s edition of the set weights plus penalties sprint shapes up as another intriguing and open affair.

Currently sitting top of the Silver Shadow Stakes odds at a still generous $4.80 quote through Ladbrokes is the untapped Agrarian Girl from the Waterhouse/Bott yard.

The bonny daughter of Tassort has just her third start on the weekend resuming off a solid two-year-old prep that included a Black-Type winning debut in the Listed Lonhro Stakes at 30/1 over subsequent Group 2 winner Spicy Miss.

At her latest she raced over the track and trip she sees fresh on Saturday when second, but well beaten by the winner Chayan, in the Group 2 Reisling back in March.

The stable sent her to the paddock after to mature, and based on her recent, slick, Sydney trials that was the right call.

Her Reisling hoop, Timmy Clark, reunites here and is riding in flying form which is a big tick.

From gate seven, she’s expected to bounce out, hit the lead and she’ll take some beating despite coming off a lengthy break.

It is a really tight betting race with plenty of fillies hot on her tail in the markets including, wait, a co-favourite!

That’s right, at time of publish Striking Alibi has been heavily backed into equal favouritism at $4.80 with the Perth expat ready to make her mark for her new stable.

Formerly unknown in WA with Luke Fernie, this girl has obviously impressed somebody as she’s moved to the powerhouse Waller team and makes her interstate debut off two eye-catching Randwick lead-up trials.

Will the early money be justified?

She was a runaway three-length winner at Ascot last April on debut at blowout odds before finding the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate too hard when 12th in a disappointing run.

Saturday sees her return as a more mature filly, Tommy Berry comes aboard and she’ll get all the favours from gate three to try and bring her hot trial form to the big race day.

Just behind them at Silver Shadow Stakes odds of $5 is a smart little Queensland danger, Pembrey, who trainer Tony Gollan has locked in record-breaking hoop James McDonald to partner.

Nothing screams confidence like a J-Mac booking, and she’ll need it with gate 10 to overcome.

The Prague filly from the Sunshine State has won two of her four starts to date and lines-up as one of the better tried in the field.

Her standout run came at Rosehill back in March when claiming a Group 3 Magic Night victory over the six furlongs, but she’s after atonement after her Golden Slipper flop crossing well down the finishing order 14th to Guest House.

This is a much easier assignment to get her confidence back, and she was strong in a recent winning trial at Deagon.

A further two Silver Shadow Stakes contenders are under double figures for the win with the ultra-consistent Annabel & Rob Archibald-trained topweight Cherry Bomshell ($6) and David Payne‘s Bangkok Hottie ($9.50) drawn opposite ends of the field in gates two and eleven respectively.

There’s lots to like about the fast-to-improve Cherry Bomshell who has won three-from-four so far including her impressive Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes victory at a big price over this course and distance during The Championships.

Yes, she gives a little weight away and might need the run, but she was excellent taking on older rivals in her lead-up trials and boasts the class edge here.

Ben Thompson knows her well and there’s a lot to like about them finishing over the top of this field late stages at a good price.

Bangkok Hottie meanwhile is a nicely bred daughter of Too Darn Hot who already has a new season run under her belt.

Thrown in the deep end on debut when fifth to Blue Door, runner-up in last weekend’s The Rosebud, in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes, she went on to win back-to-back Sydney races in lower grade.

Over 1100m here on ANZAC Day she easily accounted for her rivals running off for a 2.17 length win and then resumed on August 8 in a Midway BM72 to cross third from the outside alley as the beaten odds-on favourite.

She travelled wide throughout first-up, should take enormous benefit fitness-wise out of the run and deserves a shot back up in grade now; benefitting from the booking of Kerrin McEvoy.

The 2026 Silver Shadow Stakes is scheduled as Randwick Race 7 at 3:15pm (AEST) on the 10-race card for Saturday.

Silver Shadow Stakes 2026 Tips & Best Bets

2026 Silver Shadow Stakes Odds

2026 Silver Shadow Stakes Big Bets