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Punters are treated to a triple shot of elite racing action in Sydney on Saturday including a key lead-up to the Spring Cups, and Races.com.au are here to sort the staying contenders from the Randwick pretenders with our full 2026 The Metropolitan field preview, predictions and betting odds below.
A race won by plenty of topline stayers over the years, the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) has drawn another competitive field in 2026 with 13 gallopers in the mix as a potential lead-up to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups further south later this spring carnival.
We have a red-hot favourite in The Metropolitan betting at Ladbrokes with Matthew Smith‘s airborne Newcastle Gold Cup champ Aethelwulf paying a short $2.25 at time of publish to extend his winning streak to five on the trot.
The Newcastle Cup produced last year’s The Metropolitan quinella with Royal Supremacy (2nd) turning the tables on Soul Of Spain who won the Newcastle race before a second in the Group 1 at Randwick.
This season the money is coming for progressive Saxon Warrior four-year-old Aethelwulf to do the double after he easily accounted for his rivals with a 2.47 length win over the 2300m on September 18 with 54kg.
He’ll have no issues up to the mile and a half now rock-hard fit and ready for his Group 1 test with the in-form Zac Lloyd continuing associations from a favourable barrier four draw and only going up a kilo to 55kg.
While the form around the top elect looks strong, historically there are a few things working against Aethelwulf this weekend including the fact that favourites have a poor recent record in The Metropolitan results with only four saluting from 2006-2025.
Since Railings (2005) the only The Metropolitan winner younger than five-years-old was Montefilia (4YO mare in 2021), so there could be value looking a little further down this year’s markets.
His biggest rival looking at the latest The Metropolitan odds is the exciting Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained import The Euphrates ($4.80) who gives all the weight away carrying the 59kg topweight.
The heavy impost is against him historically speaking with the light weights having dominated The Metrop results over the past few decades, however there’s no denying his class.
He definitely hails from the right stable with co-trainer Waterhouse boasting a record nine The Metropolitan winners, most recently Just Fine (2023) with Bott.
Tim Clark stays in the saddle of the progressive Frankel six-year-old who has his third Australian start this weekend and will relish getting up in trip as a dour type with winning form in Europe up to 3419m.
After a first-up fourth in the Chelmsford at big odds over the mile here, The Euphrates improved to win the Group 2 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) by three-quarters of a length on September 19.
Carrying 55kg to victory that day he’s beaten a few of these same rivals now but will need to improve with the extra kilos on his back.
The only other runner currently under $10 The Metropolitan odds this season is the Ciaron Maher-trained Juja Kibo ($8.50) who is out to turn the tables on The Euphrates after his Kingston Town Stakes second.
While yet to win at Randwick in seven starts, Juja Kibo has finished top three here on four occasions and is another crying out for the 2400m now boasting a solid record over the trip (5:1-1-2) including a third in last year’s The Metropolitan trifecta.
He only had 50kg last year and is up to 56.5kg 12 months on, but he has been ultra-competitive if not somewhat frustrating for the stable running well without winning so gets his chance now.
Others being kept safe by the bookies with genuine claims for exotics include the Chris Waller-trained 2025 runner-up Soul Of Spain ($10) coming off a Kingston Town third, the stable’s early The Metropolitan market mover Pinhole ($12) in on just 53kg, the Phillip & Tommy Stokes-trained Deakin ($13) and last season’s ATC Derby hero Green Spaces ($13) for Bjorn Baker.
Green Spaces has been out of the money in all four of his runs this time in but the four-year-old Street Boss entire is a proven Group 1 winner at the track and trip having dominated the Derby here by over three lengths in the autumn.
He was found out in the Kingston Town with 58kg running a distant 11th, but up in distance and down to 56.5kg he presents as a genuine smokey who could improve out of sight fit and ready for the extra metres.
The fellow Baker-trained Thebudgiesmugla meanwhile at $19 presents as a top roughie to consider based on their consistent prep.
A back-to-back winner of the Winter Cup and Caloundra Cup earlier this year, the Redwood six-year-old has run gamely for fourth in his two most recent performances including behind So You Are in the Listed Tatt’s Cup (2400m) here with 59kg on September 5.
The Metropolitan 2026 is scheduled as Randwick Race 7 at 3:35pm (AEST) on Saturday’s 10-race Epsom Handicap Day card.
The Metropolitan 2026 Best Bets
Favourite: No. 7 Aethelwulf
| 7. Aethelwulf (4) J: Zac Lloyd 55kg 51111 T: Matthew Smith | |||
| Dual acceptor. On a four run winning streak. At the latest run favourite; came from midfield and won by 2.5 len in the G3 Newcastle Cup on September 18 over 2300m defeating Steel Blaze carrying 54kg at $1.20. Before that favourite; tracked the speed and boxed on steadily; won by 2.25 len in a Bm78 at Rosehill on August 29 over 2000m defeating Anthracite carrying 58kg at $1.35. Well placed. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 5 Juja Kibo
Best Roughie: No. 8 Thebudgiesmugla
2026 The Metropolitan Same Race Multi Selections
$9.25 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- Top 3 – No. 7 Aethelwulf
- Top 3 – No. 5 Juja Kibo
- Top 5 – No. 8 Thebudgiesmugla
