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Flemington hosts a cracking line-up of spring stayers in the Melbourne feature race of the weekend, and Races.com.au have you covered with our expert 2026 Turnbull Stakes field preview, tips and best bets on the key Spring Cups’ lead-up.
The Group 1 $750,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) has long served as a key lead-up to the spring majors throughout history and has been won by plenty of top-line gallopers including subsequent Caulfield Cup hero Incentivise (2021), the Melbourne Cup champ Gold Trip (2023) and Chris Waller’s next-up eight-length Cox Plate champion Via Sistina (2024) in recent years.
The 2026 Turnbull Stakes field is another star-studded affair with the likes of last spring’s Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup hero Half Yours revving up his prep and this year’s hot Cox Plate early favourite Sir Delius who sits top of the markets at $3.20 through Ladbrokes.
Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott‘s six-year-old Frankel entire, Sir Delius, races second-up on Saturday out to defend his title and become the first back-to-back Turnbull Stakes winner since the mighty Winx (2017-18) and the punters are coming for him to do so.
He resumed at HQ on September 12 and caught the eye with a strong fourth behind quality mare Sheza Alibi in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).
Presenting fitter for the run with an impressive second-up record he’s out to add to on the weekend, Sir Delius will relish getting up to his pet 2000m trip now (4:3-0-1) and is deserving favourite from barrier nine with Craig Williams continuing associations.
Following closely in Turnbull Stakes 2026 betting at $3.90 for six-time winning trainer Chris Waller is class mare Aeliana who returned to close to her best last time out when second behind her star stablemate Autumn Glow in Sydney’s Group 2 Seven Stakes over the Randwick mile at big odds.
She is another genuine spring contender who will appreciate the extra distance in the Turnbull having won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes / Tancred Stakes double in the autumn.
The consistent five-year-old mare races outside of Sydney for the first time since her Cox Plate sixth last year, prior to which she ran fifth to Sir Delius in the 2025 Turnbull results.
Looking to have come back in great order, she’ll get every chance in the race again from barrier two with Damian Lane coming aboard for the ride.
Outside of the dominant duo in Turnbull Stakes betting there is just one other single figure hope with Andrea Leek‘s highly competitive Perth expat Cosmic Crusader paying $5.50 at time of publish to return to winning form.
The Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) champ in WA from last prep has been outstanding in Melbourne all campaign and is the fit horse in the field with four lead-up runs under his belt.
He did the Bletchingly Stakes – PB Lawrence double first and second-up for his new stable before running a brave third in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) behind Beiwacht and Mr Brightside.
At his latest he was in the money again when runner-up to Birdman in Caulfield’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), which has been a strong Turnbull form race over the years.
Saturday marks his first look at Flemington and the Maurice gelding’s first attempt at further than 1800m, but he is flying high and deserves his chance from gate four with Willie Pike sticking with.
Looking further down the Turnbull Stakes odds the others considered the most likely at an upset according to the bookies are the aforementioned reigning Cups’ champ Half Yours ($16) who’ll only improve on whatever he does second-up here over more distance, Ciaron Maher‘s rails-drawn Zahrann ($14) coming off an impressive Group 3 Naturalism Stakes win over the same distance at Caulfield, Grahame Begg’s early market mover She’s A Hustler ($21 into $14) and Saint George ($14).
Saint George shapes up as outstanding value for the Turnbull Stakes exotics with Maher’s Roaring Lion grey having carted a heft 61.5kg to a fresh win in late August over this distance at Caulfield before running out of his skin for a last start Naturalism Stakes second.
He gave away all the weight to the winner in the Naturalism carrying 58.5kg from barrier 16 of 16 compared to his winning stablemate Zahrann (55kg, barrier 6) which Saint George a potentially overrated roughie for their rematch this weekend.
The 2026 Turnbull Stakes is set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 4:25pm (AEST) on the 10-race Flemington card for Saturday.
2026 Turnbull Stakes Best Bets
Favourite: No. 2 Sir Delius
| 2. Sir Delius (9) J: Craig Williams 59kg 331×4 T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |||
| Second-up. First-up after five months 4th of 10 in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at this track on September 12 over 1600m, 4 len behind Sheza Alibi carrying 59kg at $5. Previously second-up eased back early on 3rd in a small field in the G1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on March 21 over 2000m, slow going 1.1 len behind Aeliana with 59kg at $3. Did more than enough fresh, he’ll improve again but his best would win. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 5 Aeliana
Best Roughie: No. 13 Saint George
2026 Turnbull Stakes Same Race Multi Selections
$10.50 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- Top 3 – No. 2 Sir Delius
- Top 3 – No. 5 Aeliana
- Top 4 – No. 13 Saint George
