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The road towards the Caulfield Cup shortens on Saturday with a major lead-up into the mile and a half classic running on Guineas Day, and Races.com.au have our insider 2026 Herbert Power Stakes betting preview, predictions and best bets on the Group 2 feature right here.
Run over the same track and trip as the world-famous Group 1 $6.54 million Caulfield Cup the following weekend, the Group 2 $400,000 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) also offers a ballot free ride into the opening leg of the coveted Spring Cups double to the winner.
Master O’Reilly (2007) was the last stayer to complete the Herbert Power – Caulfield Cup double, and the 2026 field features a host of topline gallopers out to be the next.
Current Herbert Power Stakes betting at Ladbrokes is firmly led by the progressive Chris Waller-trained Pinhole at $3.60 and firming having opened at $5 earlier in the week.
Waller is yet to prepare a Herbert Power Stakes winner, but the money is coming for the master horseman to break the drought with the UK import tipped to secure back-to-back wins.
The Frankel five-year-old was a narrow Benchmark 88 winner over 1900m at Rosehill with 57kg on September 26 and is now tipped to relish a rise in distance and trip south where he’ll see the Melbourne way of racing for the first time.
The booking of star hoop James McDonald has the punters rallying around the up-and-comer despite Pinhole being far from the best weighted in the field.
Pinhole is currently rated a $34 chance in futures Caulfield Cup betting, a quote that will firm dramatically should he win his way into the field via saluting for the punters on Saturday.
Waller also saddles-up Soulcombe ($14) from wide out with the fellow Frankel gelding to be ridden by Craig Williams third-up off unplaced runs in the Heatherlie (14th) and Naturalism (11th).
The extra metres could make all the difference for the 2023 Melbourne Cup runner-up who is out to recapture his form after spending three years on the sidelines.
Shockletz presents as the major danger at $5 on the second line of betting with the daughter of former Melbourne Cup hero Shocking having impressed with her lead-up win in the Group 3 Lexus Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on September 12.
She had two lengths to spare over Think Giant in the Lexus and is already confirmed for the Melbourne Cup on November 3.
The other runners at single figure Herbert Power Stakes odds this season are fellow Melbourne Cup qualified Zakouma ($6.50), Future History ($7) and the rails-drawn Knight’s Choice ($9.50).
Grahame Begg‘s Andrew Ramsden winner from the winter Zakouma was sixth in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes at his latest over 2000m in a true blanket finish only 1.6 lengths beaten with improvement pending moving deeper into his prep over further on Saturday.
Willie Pike stays aboard but the six-year-old does go up from 54kg to 57kg so will need to be improving.
Future History in gate three meanwhile has the flying Ben Melham booked for the ride with the evergreen nine-year-old still showing a zest for racing coming off two good lead-up runs this prep.
The veteran stayer ran third fresh over 1700m carrying a huge weight at Flemington on September 12 and shocked plenty with his game effort as a 50/1 outsider.
He went on with the task second-up in the Group 3 JRA Cup (2000m) here at Caulfield carting 59.5kg to finish second behind Royal Supremacy in another close finish and is one of the better weighted chances now on 57kg in an ideal gate three draw and better map this weekend.
Knights Choice won the Melbourne Cup at a blowout price back in 2024 but is winless since so looks a risk from the inside alley.
Of the longer priced Herbert Power contenders a few have genuine claims for an upset including Lindsay Park‘s Naturalism Stakes fourth placed Machine Gun Gracie ($10) and the Nick Ryan-trained Suntora ($19) whose only other 2400m appearance produced a tough Mornington Cup third back in April.
The 2026 Herbert Power Stakes is set to run as Caulfield Race 4 at 2:00pm (AEDT) on the 10-race Caulfield Guineas Day card.
Herbert Power Stakes 2026 Best Bets
Favourite: No. 12 Pinhole
| 12. Pinhole (8) J: James McDonald 56kg 12×31 T: Chris Waller | |||
| Third-up today and won third-up previously. Resuming 3rd of 11 in a Bm94 at Randwick on September 5 over 1600m, 1.4 len behind The Mona Lisa with 52.5kg at $21. Second-up won by a nose in a Bm88 at Rosehill on September 26 over 1900m defeating Starzintheireyes carrying 57kg at $12. Has upside and intent with McDonald booked. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 14 Shockletz
Best Roughie: No. 15 Suntora
2026 Herbert Power Stakes Same Race Multi Selections
$7.25 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- Top 3 – No. 12 Pinhole
- Top 4 – No. 14 Shockletz
- Top 6 – No. 15 Suntora
