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The 2026 Underwood Stakes results at Caulfield delivered a major spring statement from Chris Waller‘s Irish import Birdman, who powered to a dominant victory in Saturday’s Group 1 feature and immediately surged into contention for next month’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate.
Fresh off a strong first-up effort in the Memsie Stakes, the son of Free Eagle took another significant step forward under Ben Melham, producing a powerful finishing burst to defeat Cosmic Crusader ($2.25 favourite) by 1.75 lengths, with veteran galloper Attrition ($101) a further 2.25 lengths away in third in this year’s Group 1 $1 million Underwood Stakes (1800m).
The victory was Birdman’s second elite-level success following his Doomben Cup triumph earlier this year and took his career earnings beyond $2.4 million, further enhancing his reputation as one of Australia’s premier middle-distance performers.
Melham Delivers Perfect Ride
Birdman enjoyed a dream run throughout after Melham, who celebrated his first Underwood Stakes win since Homesman in 2018, elected to follow favourite Cosmic Crusader into the race before peeling out at the right time approaching the home turn.
When asked for his effort, the six-year-old quickly put the contest beyond doubt, accelerating past the favourite and opening up a winning margin that flattered his rivals.
Melham was full of praise for the gelding after the race, believing the performance confirmed Birdman is thriving this campaign.
“It was very good. He’s been a revelation this horse. He really found his niche last time in,” Melham told Racing Victoria.
“He had a beautiful trail. We came off a little bit before the corner when the sprint came on and I gave him a squeeze just to pick him up and he picked up quickly.
“He got there too soon and had a good look around. He won with a bit in hand, so I think he’s a very good 2000 metre horse.”
Melham also highlighted the horse’s professionalism and racing manners.
“He’s an old gentleman; he’s a lovely horse to ride. Makes my job easy when you’ve got an old gentleman to ride like this,” he added.
Waller Camp Confirms Ladbrokes Cox Plate Mission
Speaking on behalf of Waller, assistant trainer Darren Beadman credited the master horseman’s timing and placement for another Group 1 success.
“Chris just gets the timing right perfectly when it comes to placing these horses and knowing when to put the acid on them,” he said.
“He ran in a nice lead-up race in the Memsie into this and stood up to be counted today.”
Importantly, Beadman confirmed a Group 1 $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) campaign is now firmly on the agenda, with Birdman set to head straight towards the weight-for-age championship at Flemington on October 24.
“Two thousand metres at Flemington looks made to order in a sense,” Beadman added.
“I think he’s a better mile-and-a-quarter horse than he is a 2400 metre horse. Keep the freshness in his legs and he’s got that acceleration.”
The comments reinforced the stable’s confidence that Birdman’s potent turn of foot is ideally suited to the Cox Plate distance.
Waller has an incredible Cox Plate record and will be chasing his seventh victory and third on the trot following the historic Winx four-peat (2015-18) and back-to-back wins by Via Sistina (2024-25).
Ladbrokes Reacts to Group 1 Victory
Bookmakers wasted little time updating their spring carnival markets following Birdman’s impressive performance.
After his authoritative Underwood Stakes triumph, race sponsor Ladbrokes slashed Birdman’s 2026 Cox Plate odds from $26 into $9, elevating him among the leading contenders for the Group 1 feature.
Ladbrokes Cox Plate 2026 Odds
| 1. Sir Delius | ||
| 2. Aeliana | ||
| 3. Autumn Boy | ||
| 4. Sheza Alibi | ||
| 5. Birdman |
The market move came as no surprise given the manner of Saturday’s victory, with the Waller-trained gelding showing exactly the type of acceleration and tactical versatility required to win Australia’s premier weight-for-age contest.
With seven career victories now to his name, two Group 1 wins on the board, and a confirmed Cox Plate assignment ahead, Birdman has announced himself as one of the major players of the 2026 spring carnival.
If his Underwood Stakes demolition is any guide, the talented Irish import will take plenty of beating when he returns to Victoria for his next elite-level assignment on October 24.
