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The countdown towards the ‘race that stops a nation’ creeps ever closer with a crucial Melbourne Cup lead-up running on Wednesday, and Races.com.au are here with our expert Ladbrokes Geelong Cup 2026 tips, preview and best bets.
A key form reference for the Group 1 $10.2 million two-mile classic at Flemington on November 3, the Geelong Cup – Melbourne Cup double has been completed by a number of top-class stayers over the years including Media Puzzle (2002), Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011).
As of last year, the Geelong Cup winner gains a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup field, further adding to the importance of this time-honored event.
This year’s Group 3 $500,000 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m) line-up features plenty of livewire Melbourne Cup hopes from both here and internationally with a couple of potentially underrated raiders looking to add to the strong recent record of visitors in the mile and a half showdown.
Sitting top of the latest Geelong Cup 2026 odds online at race sponsor Ladbrokes is the progressive Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained import The Euphrates ($3.50) rock-hard fit fourth-up and ready to make an impact in Melbourne after a couple of eye-catching Sydney runs including a Group 1 The Metropolitan third at his latest.
The six-year-old son of boom sire Frankel won the Group 2 Kingston Town Stakes second-up at Randwick in slick time before the horse he beat home in that, Juja Kibo, turned the tables in The Metrop when getting the favourable weight swing.
After missing out on a run in the Caulfield Cup, The Euphrates looks a huge chance now to bounce back and return to the winner’s stall further south over the same trip and back a half-kilo to 58.5kg with Blake Shinn coming aboard.
The blinkers go on and Shinn is likely to take him forward and attempt to go all-the-way, a feat the Geelong Cup favourite might be more than capable of doing considering he’s got winning form up to 3419m overseas.
He is a $26 shot in futures Melbourne Cup betting, a price sure to firm notably should he race his way in with victory for the midweek punters at Ladbrokes Geelong.
Waterhouse & Bott also saddle-up this year’s Geelong Cup topweight with Vauban (60.5kg) who runs for the first time since his Doomben Cup third in the winter and pays $15.
A three-time Melbourne Cup performer including his best effort for sixth last spring, Vauban kicks off his nine-year-old campaign and is a noted first-up performer including his Group 3 Sky High win fresh in the autumn.
He’s got the talent and is used to a strong class of rivals, but the weight over the 2400m makes it tough.
The early Geelong Cup betting market mover into $5 hails from the flying Ciaron Maher yard with lightly raced Frankel four-year-old Point Of Law getting plenty of love for his Australian race debut despite a wide gate 17 draw.
The smart young entire has won two of his four starts to date including, most recently, the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy over 2600m at Newmarket back in July and with 55kg he’s well-weighted to show the punters in Victoria what he’s capable of only needing luck from the gate.
Other gallopers around the same quote in a tight top-half of the markets include the rails-drawn Dundeel mare Litzdeel ($5) for former Melbourne Cup winning trainer Danny O’Brien, and the best fancied of the European raiders with gun hurdler and dour stayer Small Fry ($5.50) kept safe for Ireland’s Joesph O’Brien who is a familiar name for Aussie punters each Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
Litzdeel will be ridden by Jamie Melham before her four-meeting careless riding ban from The Everest starts on Sunday.
The mare hasn’t won since November last year, but she’s been strong of late including an eye-catching second in the Group 3 The Bart Cummings in the mud at Flemington behind Mr Monaco and she’ll got conditions to suit.
O’Brien meanwhile will also be represented in the Geelong Cup 2026 field by the progressive Omni Man who brings some strong form lines to town from back home including around Ethical Diamond.
The Invincible Spirit gelding resumes after two-month letup and is another who has shown the ability to perform fresh.
He was last seen finishing towards the rear in the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh in August, while his first-up run earlier this year produced a midfield finish in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes over a similar trip.
His European form reads inconsistently, but he brings solid staying credentials and with 54kg he’ll get his chance with Beau Mertens to ride.
The Ladbrokes Geelong Cup 2026 is scheduled as Race 7 at 4:10pm (AEDT) on Wednesday.
Geelong Cup 2026 Best Bets
Favourie: No. 2 The Euphrates
| 2. The Euphrates (7) J: Blake Shinn 58.5kg 7×413 T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |||
| Recent form sound. At the latest run set the pace for much of the race 3rd of 9 in a G2 The Metropolitan at Randwick on October 3 over 2400m, slow going 3.5 len behind Juja Kibo with 59kg at $4.20. The run before that won by 0.9 len in the G2 Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick on September 19 over 2000m defeating Juja Kibo with 55kg at $5. Rolls along on speed here and will take catching. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 11 Litzdeel
Best Roughie: No. 13 Omni Man
2026 Geelong Cup Same Race Multi Selections
$9.75 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- Top 3 – No. 2 The Euphrates
- Top 4 – No. 11 Litzdeel
- Top 5 – No. 13 Omni Man
