The spring features ramp up in Sydney on Saturday with a newly upgraded Group 2 sprint feature set to steal the show as the potential The Everest horses start their path towards the world’s richest turf race, and Races.com.au are here with our insider Concorde Stakes 2026 field preview, tips and best bets on the $1 million Randwick clash.

A class line-up of short-distance specialists face off in this year’s Concorde Stakes field with a fast 1000m dash set to sort the genuine spring contenders from the second-tier pretenders on Chelmsford Stakes Day.

We have a red-hot favourite sitting odds-on in the latest Concorde Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes with last year’s boom The Everest second-placed filly, Tempted, making her much awaited four-year-old debut.

The Ciaron Maher-trained daughter of Street Boss pays $1.85 at time of publish to kick off her spring in style and this Godolphin-raced beauty will be hard to deny fresh oozing class and an unbeaten first-up record.

All eyes will be on a standout chestnut who built a formidable résumé last season and now resumes with enormous interest.

After a breakout three-year-old campaign, she returns to Randwick with a record that already places her among the most accomplished short-course performers of her generation — and her trial work suggests she’s ready to pick up right where she left off.

Tempted has won seven of her 12 starts, including a flawless three-run streak last preparation that showcased her versatility, toughness and ability to handle high-pressure races.

She announced herself early as a juvenile, finishing third in the Golden Slipper before claiming the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes from the outside gate, a performance that hinted at the elite talent to come.

A stable switch to Maher only accelerated her rise, and she produced a superb spring highlighted by a Run to the Rose victory and a brave third in the Golden Rose, finishing behind Beiwacht — who has since franked the form with a dominant Memsie Stakes win last weekend.

Her spring concluded on the world stage in The Everest, where she exceeded expectations at big odds to finish second behind Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising, confirming her ability to match motors with the best sprinters anywhere.

She returned in the autumn to secure her maiden Group 1 in the Surround Stakes, followed by another high-class win in the Arrowfield Sprint, cementing her status as one of Australia’s premier mares.

Ahead of her Concorde Stakes return, she has trialled strongly and appears forward enough to produce a competitive first-up run.

While the 1000m trip may be shorter than her ideal distance, her Randwick record is exceptional (6:5-1-0), and she has previously won over the short course as a two-year-old.

With Chad Schofield back aboard — a jockey unbeaten on her to date — she shapes as one of the major drawcards in a race that traditionally launches Sydney’s early spring sprinting stars.

The danger on the second line of betting at $4.40 and firming is the defending Matthew Smith-trained champion Headwall looking to go back-to-back in the event for the first time since the Redzel three-peat (2017-19).

Zac Lloyd partners the now seven-year-old gelding who races for the first time since his victory in this event 12 months ago.

He’s been off the scene for some time but has looked the goods in his lead-up trials, is two-from-two at the track and trip and is the standout 1000m specialist in this line-up.

He’ll be settling back but the set up looks ideal for him to swamp them late as he did last year.

A further two runners are under double figure Concorde Stakes odds for the win with Roselyn’s Star ($7.50) and the Michael Freedman-trained Marhoona ($9).

Roselyn’s Star has the fitness edge over the returning stars having won the July Sprint (1100m) by a runaway margin in the winter on Heavy going and he’s been kept ticking over with a subsequent trial win at Rosehill.

He’s up in grade facing his acid test now but deserves his shot at them and shouldn’t disgrace himself.

Marhoona meanwhile is another first-up runner with genuine claims with the four-year-old Snitzel mare already a proven Group 1 winning sprinter in the autumn’s The Galaxy.

She was no match for Tempted in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint at her latest when two lengths back fourth, but she’s looked the goods at the trials and finally gets a good alley (4) for Rachel King to steer her from as she looks to break her Randwick hoodoo.

Further down the markets out to add value to the exotics are the likes of Anthony & Sam Freedman‘s rails-drawn Beskar ($18), a multiple Black-Type winner looking to go to the next level with maestro hoop James McDonald riding, and the Joe Pride-trained King’s Secret ($23) drawn one his outside having last been seen finishing a devastatingly close second to Mazu in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes here back in April.

The 2026 Concorde Stakes is scheduled as Randwick Race 8 at 3:55pm (AEST) on Saturday’s 10-race card.

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