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A top-class field of three-year-old sprinters face off in a key Coolmore Stud Stakes lead-up race down the famous Flemington straight on Saturday, and Races.com.au have our full 2026 Danehill Stakes predictions, preview and betting tips on the all-important showdown right here.
Run down the iconic straight at HQ, the Group 2 $300,000 Danehill Stakes (1100m) has a strong history of producing subsequent elite level sprinters including Giga Kick in 2021 who would go on to win the world’s richest turf race – Sydney’s The Everest – during his three-year-old season that spring.
It is of course the leading form race for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) back at the track on Derby Day over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, with the mighty Sepoy the last to do the double in 2011.
Plenty of punters then will be paying close attention to this year’s key Danehill Stakes contenders and results with an eye on the bigger sprint races of the spring.
Current Danehill Stakes 2026 betting at Ladbrokes are led by Tony & Calvin McEvoy‘s class young filly Natural Fling down in grade and back against her own age after a tough Group 1 test last time out.
Stretan Angel (2023) was the last Danehill Stakes winning filly and there’s plenty of money coming for the McEvoy’s nicely bred daughter of Home Affairs, Natural Fling, to be the next.
She sits top of the markets at $2.30 with Damian Lane coming back aboard after guiding her to an emphatic four-length Group 3 Quezette Stakes win fresh over the 1100m at Caulfield.
At her latest, Natural Fling was thrown in the deep end for the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Sandown where she lost few admirers running a brave third a length off My Gladiola as the beaten favourite.
A winning Flemington jump out in the meantime has kept her ticking over and in great order to return to her best third-up and fit with the speedy filly set to take up front running and looking hard to deny as she’ll look to go all-the-way.
Dalasan ($2.60 in 2019), Giga Kick ($1.95 in 2022), and First Settler ($4 in 2024) are the latest favourites in Danehill Stakes betting to get the job done for the punters giving the punters’ pick a good recent record in the event.
The danger on the second line of Danehill betting at $3.30 and firming is the resuming Ciaron Maher-trained The Next Episode.
While the class Snitzel colt gives away the fitness edge to the favourite, he’s getting plenty of support from the punters to kick off where he left off having won back-to-back races in Queensland to see out his juvenile campaign.
He saluted on a Heavy (8) at Eagle Farm to claim the Listed Dalrello Stakes before a Gold Coast win in the winter, and being proven in the wet is a big advantage looking at the current Flemington track conditions for Turnbull Stakes Day.
A colt with a bit of X-factor about him, he is one of the best in futures Coolmore Stud Stakes betting at $7 – Natural Fling is at $5 – and there could be a major market shift should he come out and beat the highly spruiked filly on the weekend.
If successful, it would be the second time on the trot The Next Episode beat Natural Fling to the post after he got the better of her by 1.5 lengths in the Magic Millions National 2YO Classic on the Glitter Strip, but he’ll need to be good fresh to stop her turning the tables.
Outside of the dominant duo the next best in the Danehill Stakes odds online paying $6 at time of publish and the only other single figure fancy is the lightly raced Over Excited for Anthony & Sam Freedman.
Having just her third start on Saturday, the Zoustar filly has enjoyed a rapid rise through the grades.
She only debuted at Geelong in late August saluting in an impressive effort from a wide draw before her last start second to Satono Glow at Group 3 level at this track and trip on September 12.
The fillies ran quick time in that event, faster than the boys in their equivalent event on the day, and that bodes well for an improved effort from the runner-up who has all the upside here from gate four with Ethan Brown booked for the ride.
Looking further down the markets for value in the exotics are a host of smart up-and-comers looking to prove their potential including the Lloyd Kennwell-trained Rubick colt Mbube ($11) coming off a Group 3 Poseidon Stakes second at the track and trip on September 12 looking to go one better and smart Bivouac colt Big Sky ($14) from the Price/Kent Jnr yard.
A winner of his opening two career starts last time in including the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield by a runaway margin back in January, Big Sky resumed off a lengthy break to finish third in the Poseidon Stakes and presents as the most likely improver having shaken off the cobwebs.
At blowout odds adding potential value to Danehill Stakes exotics meanwhile are the likes of Buggsy ($26) who ran a credible fourth in the Poseidon Stakes but benefits from a Heavy track this weekend and even the rank 80/1 outsider Zambales for the Freedmans who could prove to be one of the most overlooked runners of the weekend after the well-tried colt finally broke his maiden status at his ninth start at Bendigo last time out.
While that looks a weak form race for the Danehill, punters should not forget Zambales was tested four times in Group 1 company over the autumn when with James Cummings including close fourth place efforts in the Blue Diamond and Sydney’s Champagne Stakes making him one to watch at a juicy price.
The 2026 Danehill Stakes is set to run as Flemington Race 6 at 3:15pm (AEST) on the bumper 10-race Turnbull Stakes Day card.
2026 Danehill Stakes Bets Bets
Favourite: No. 10 Natural Fling
| 10. Natural Fling (10) J: Damian Lane 56.5kg 12×13 T: Tony & Calvin Mcevoy | |||
| Third-up today. First-up favourite; won by 4 len in the G3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield on August 15 over 1100m on a soft track defeating Scintillation with 56kg at $2.40. Second run from a spell sat on the speed and boxed on steadily 3rd of 13 in the G1 Moir Stakes at Sandown-Hillside on September 5 over 1000m, slow going 1.1 len behind My Gladiola with 50kg at $3. Very hard to catch back to own age group. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 3 The Next Episode
Best Roughie: No. 6 Buggsy
Danehill Stakes 2026 Same Race Multi Selections
$12.50 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- To Win – No. 10 Natural Fling
- Top 3 – No. 3 The Next Episode
- Top 4 – No. 6 Buggsy
