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Another star-studded edition of one of Randwick’s time-honoured mile features headlines the Sydney racing action on Saturday, and the form analysts at Races.com.au have our full 2026 Epsom Handicap field, betting tips and predictions on the $1.5 million classic right here.
A race won by a host of turf greats over the years, the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) has attracted just under a capacity field in 2026 with 19 final acceptors led in betting by the talented Chris Waller-trained Autumn Boy back in Sydney.
The rails-drawn son of The Autumn Sun is out to hand Waller his seventh Epsom Handicap victory since 2012 and third in four years following the stable’s recent victories with Rediener (2023) and super mare Autumn Glow (2025).
Four-year-old Autumn Boy has been sitting top of the Epsom Handicap betting markets at $3.80 through Ladbrokes since final acceptance stage on Tuesday presenting fit third-up and returning north after two Melbourne runs this prep.
Winner of the Caulfield Guineas – Rosehill Guineas as a three-year-old last season, he improved on a first-up eighth to Beiwacht in the Memsie to finish a brave but distant second at Flemington in the Makybe Diva Stakes behind gun mare Sheza Alibi.
Having shaken off the cobwebs he looks a big chance to return to winning form at the track and trip he finished second in both the Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile over the autumn, and James McDonald reunites.
Ceolwulf ($4 in 2024) and Autumn Glow ($1.75 in 2025) are the latest Epsom Handicap favourites to win and there’s money for Autumn Boy to make it three wins on the trot for the punters this weekend.
Waller has a typically strong Epsom contingent outside the top fancy with a further six from the stable lining-up in the weekend’s feature including Mr Miller ($12) and Lady Shenandoah ($10).
The progressive Mr Miller is in on the 50kg minimum with Tyler Schiller in the saddle drawn well in gate five as the Kiwi-bred four-year-old faces his acid test.
A winner of three of his six starts to date and yet to finish out of the money, the up-and-comer rises notably in grade here having only had his first Group status test last start.
He went around the odds-on favourite in Newcastle’s Group 3 Cameron Handicap with 54kg finishing third to Fully Lit but will be airborne right back in the kilos and back up to 1600m.
Lady Shenandoah meanwhile has suffered an early blow drawing wide out in gate 16 for Tommy Berry with the triple Group 1 winner chasing her first victory since completing the Surround Stakes – Coolmore Classic double as a filly back in March last year.
A former Flight Stakes winner at this course and distance on Epsom Day 2024, she’s been competitive in all she’s been thrown in over the past year without winning including her back-to-back fourths this prep in the Winx Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke but will need luck from the draw.
The big early Epsom Handicap market mover now challenging Autumn Boy for favouritism also into $3.80 through Ladbrokes at time of publish is the undefeated Kiwi raider Well Written.
Stephen Marsh‘s ultra-consistent four-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon travels down under with a flawless seven-from-seven record she’s out to extend on Saturday from a favourable barrier three draw with the flying Zac Lloyd booked for the ride.
The classy chestnut has been oh so competitive back home across the Tasman including a 2.5 length Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas win over the mile at Riccarton last November and her famous The Kiwi victory at even money by a tight margin when starting at $1!
After claiming New Zealand’s richest race in a thriller back on March 7, Well Written continued to prove herself saluting at Ellerslie at the start of the month in the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m) in the ideal lead-up to her raid on the spring riches in Australia.
Despite the size of this year’s Epsom Handicap field, the only other contender under double figures for the win at time of publish is the Joe Pride-trained Attica ($9.50).
Winner of last October’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, the now four-year-old son of Lonhro was third in the Randwick Guineas last prep and looks to have come on well this campaign.
He kicked things off right down in grade when second in a strong form race behind Althoff in Rosehill’s Spring Preview in mid-August before a last start third here on September 5 in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes with improvement expected as he gets back up in trip and right down in weight from 58kg to just 51.5kg on the weekend.
Others being kept safe in the markets include Pride’s 59kg topweight Ceolwulf ($12) after his second Epsom victory after success in 2024, the Bjorn Baker-trained El Roca mare Perfumist ($16) coming off an emphatic Group 3 Tibbie Stakes win in Newcastle, Idle Flyer ($19) with a nasty gate 18 draw but previous Group 1 winning form here over Lady Shenandoah, Waller’s Declichy Boulevard ($20) coming off a huge win at the track and trip with a massive weight, and Fully Lit ($26).
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Hellbent gelding Fully Lit was runner-up to Autumn Glow in last year’s Epsom quinella, is rock-hard fit fourth-up for his second attempt at the title and brings in winning form from the Cameron Handicap making him potential value for the exotics.
The 2026 Epsom Handicap is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:10pm (AEST) on Saturday’s 10-race card.
2026 Epsom Handicap Best Bets
Favourite: No. 3 Autumn Boy
| 3. Autumn Boy (1) J: James McDonald 55.5kg 12×82 T: Chris Waller |
Each Way Danger: No. 6 Well Written
Best Roughie: No. 17 Declichy Boulevard
2026 Epsom Handicap Same Race Multi Selections
$12.50 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- Top 3 – No. 3 Autumn Boy
- Top 3 – No. 6 Well Written
- Top 5 – No. 17 Declichy Boulevard
