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One of Melbourne’s second-tier sprint races takes place on Caulfield Guineas Day, and the Races.com.au team have our expert Schillaci Stakes 2026 preview, tips and best bets for the Group 2 showdown right here.
A bumper 10-race card at Caulfield features a host of excellent feature races but one of the major support acts on the card is the Group 2 $300,000 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) for the short-distance specialists.
Resuming and chasing his incredible eighth straight turf triumph is Jigsaw who sits top of the latest Schillaci Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.
He’s the hot favourite to extend the picket fence fresh, but the Cindy Alderson-trained super sprinter remains at a backable quote of $2.40 at time of publish.
Drawn the rails with apprentice Logan Bates continuing associations with the gun Manhattan Rain gelding, Jigsaw may be eight now, but he showed he wasn’t ready to start giving away wins just yet with to blistering trial victories ahead of his highly anticipated return.
The latest at Cranbourne in mid-September over 1000m saw him beat Jenni The Fox by three lengths and he looks to be biting at the bit to get back.
Closed out his stellar autumn campaign with a win from wide out in Perth’s $5 million The Quokka over fellow Schillaci hopeful Rey Magnerio.
Prior to that he beat Angel Capital home by a half-length here in the Group 1 William Reid, also drawn the carpark that day, and he’s finally been gifted with an inside draw on the weekend.
He’ll jump from barrier one in a compact nine-horse field, is a genuine first-up specialist with four wins from nine runs at this stage of a prep in the past and the 1100m to get things underway is ideal.
So tough, he handles everything thrown his way from east to west and across the Tasman, continues to deliver at elite level and lands a very winnable race to kick off his spring and keep the turf triumphs coming.
The danger following in the Schillaci Stakes odds at $4.20 is the early market mover and aforementioned The Quokka runner-up Rey Magnerio.
The Robbie Griffiths-trained Magnus seven-year-old is a specialist at the distance (10:5-0-3) and also kicks off his spring on Saturday looking to add to his imposing first-up record.
Was narrowly denied the big prize in WA by Jigsaw and meets under the same conditions this weekend in what is likely to be another tight finish.
The ‘Wizard of the West’, William Pike, has been on fire in Melbourne this season and takes the mount here having partnered Rey Magnerio throughout his Perth campaign including his win over last weekend’s Turnbull Stakes winner Cosmic Crusader in The Gold Rush.
He has form around some very good sprinters and will make things interesting.
Rounding out the single figure hopes at $5.50 is Flying For Fun in gate four with the Bryce Heys-trained Speith mare benefiting from the booking of big-name hoop James McDonald.
Saturday marks her first go at Caulfield, but her 1100m record is strong and the jockey in the saddle could make a big difference.
She was unlucky not to finish top three in Adelaide’s Group 1 Robert Sangster when beaten a pimple in a genuine blanket finish behind Geegees Mistruth back in April, and her The Goodwood ninth was better than it reads as she was only two lengths off them in that elite level sprint.
First-up she ran a close seventh at a huge price behind Mazu in the Group 2 The Shorts over this distance in a messily run affair, and she’ll take great benefit from that heading south second-up and fitter for the run.
Next best include the consistent Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Inkaruna ($12), the Team Hawkes-trained Grand Larceny ($13) and Blue Diamond winner Streisand ($14) who trainer Clinton McDonald has been singing praises all week.
Inkaruna is third-up on Saturday coming via too nice lead-up runs when fourth at this track and trip behind Oliveanotherday in the Group 3 The Heath 1100 which has been a solid form race already and then third at her latest in the Group 3 How Now behind Point Barrow.
She was only a length away in that at a big price up to six furlongs and dropping back to her pet trip now looks ideal.
Zoustar gelding Grand Larceny meanwhile remains lightly raced for his age and has been very consistent all along including two wins first-up in the past.
He enjoyed a successful trip to Adelaide over the autumn winning the Group 3 Hawkes Stakes (1100m) before rounding out The Goodwood trifecta only a half-length off Desert Lightning when doing it tough from a wide draw.
His lead-up Flemington jump outs have been excellent, he has form around some good sprinters, and the airborne Ben Melham knows him well.
McDonald remains bullish about Streisand’s chances in Schillaci Stakes, declaring his filly has “come on big time” since her excellent first-up effort in the Group 3 Cap D’Antibes, where she finished strongly after being ridden quietly.
While pleased she gets in with just 51kg, McDonald admitted barrier eight of nine was a setback.
“We’d have loved to draw in, camp there with no weight, and just be stalking Jigsaw,” he told Racing.com.
“She’s there to run well, but you can’t help the barriers, they’re out of your control.
“We’re not going to cook her in trying to burn across and take up the lead.
“I think she’s the forgotten horse of all the three-year-olds, to be honest.”
The 2026 Schillaci Stakes is set to run as Caulfield Race 6 at 3:15pm (AEDT).
2026 Schillaci Stakes Best Bets
Favourite: No. 1 Jigsaw
| 1. Jigsaw (1) J: Logan Bates 58.5kg 1111x T: Cindy Alderson | |||
| Has won previously first-up and resumes here after a break of six months. Finished off last preparation won by long-neck Ascot Quokka April 18 over 1200m slow track defeating Rey Magnerio carrying 58.5kg at $4. Previous preparation first-up favourite; won by 0.8 len Ellerslie G1 Sistema Railway January 24 over 1200m slow track defeating Arkansaw Kid carrying 57kg at $7.90. Was a revelation last time in and will be very hard to run down. | |||
Each Way Danger: No. 2 Rey Magnerio
Best Roughie: No. 6 Grand Larceny
Schillaci Stakes 2026 Same Race Multi Selections
$10.50 (at time of publish) through Ladbrokes
- To Win – No. 1 Jigsaw
- Top 3 – No. 2 Rey Magnerio
- Top 4 – No. 6 Grand Larceny
