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The Caulfield Autumn Classic is a Group 2 race for 3YOs held on Blue Diamond Day as a potential lead-up to Sydney's ATC Derby.
Caulfield Autumn Classic News
The Caulfield Autumn Classic, often called simply the Autumn Classic, is a Group 2 race run over 1800m at set weights for horses aged three years old. Held at Melbourne’s Caulfield Racecourse during February, the Autumn Classic is worth $300,000 in prize money.
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Results
Stay tuned for the official 2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic results and finishing order on Saturday February 21, 2026 and to see what runners have the Australian Derby in Sydney in sight.
- 1st: No. 4 Single Choice ($4.20F)
- 2nd: No. 1 Arcora
- 3rd: No. 8 Itazura
Winning Margin: 0.25 lengths
Winning Time: 1:50.22
Single Choice ($4.20F) shot into Group 1 Australian Derby contention with a barnstorming victory for the punters in the 2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic results on Saturday. Matt Cumani’s progressive gelding was given a peach of a ride by Damian Lane, settling back as the front runners went hard out before storming home down the outside late to salute by a quarter-length. He has now firmed in from $101 to $26 to win the Australian Derby in Sydney on April 4 through Ladbrokes.com.au.
Click here for the full story.
| 4. Single Choice (11) J: Damian Lane57kg 153×2T: Matt Cumani | ||
| 1. Arcora (10) J: John Allen57kg 052×9T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | ||
| 8. Itazura (9) J: Zac Spain57kg x3183T: Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | ||
| 9. Kaye Jay (7) J: Jamie Mott57kg 21T: Clayton Douglas | ||
| 2. Deal Done Fast (8) J: Daniel Stackhouse57kg 2443xT: Matt Cumani | ||
| 11. Mr Epozino (1) J: Thomas Stockdale57kg 13T: Simon Zahra | ||
| 3. Our Chief (6) J: Michael Dee57kg x3213T: Danny O’brien | ||
| 10. Lucky Lucky Boom (12) J: Lachlan Neindorf57kg x5711T: Danny O’brien | ||
| 7. Crocodile (3) J: Ben Allen57kg 19×17T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 12. The Better Husband (4) J: Linda Meech57kg x44x1T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
The Autumn Classic is held on Blue Diamond Stakes Day which features the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m), and the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.
Many Caulfield Autumn Classic horses may head to The Valley next race for the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) the following month, a double most recently achieved by Global Exchange (2019) and Shanwah (2025) with the latter also going on to run third in that year’s ATC Derby results.
Looking further ahead, Sydney’s Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) may be on the cards for three-year-olds out of the Autumn Classic and Don Edurado (2002) was the last to do the double.
The 2022 Caulfield Autumn Classic form was franked with the third placed filly El Patroness going on to win that year’s Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) in Sydney.
The Autumn Classic 2023 winner Pericles franked the form with a second next-up in Sydney’s Rosehill Guineas. He also returned for a good spring headlined by his $10 million Golden Eagle second.
The Autumn Classic 2026 took place on Saturday February 21, 2026 on Blue Diamond Stakes Day as an early Australian Derby lead-up and saw the Matt Cumani-trained Single Choice ($4.20F) charge home late to salute for the punters.
| 2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Info: | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday February 21, 2026 |
| Track: | Caulfield Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1800m |
| Race Type: | 3YO Open Set Weights |
| Status: | Group 2 |
| Prize Money: | $300,000 |
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Betting
The official Caulfield Autumn Classic 2026 betting odds will be available from Ladbrokes.com.au and updated here at Races.com.au the week of the race.
The latest favourites in Caulfield Autumn Classic betting to win were Adelaide Ace ($2.50 in 2020), Pericles ($3.50 in 2023) and Single Choice ($4.20 in 2026).
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 AUTUMN CLASSIC FORM GUIDE
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Caulfield Autumn Classic 2026 Tips this Blue Diamond Day in Melbourne.
To Win: No. 3 Our Chief
OUR CHIEF (7) looks terrific value in the Autumn Classic to bounce back from a last start third here on Jan 31 in a BM70 and return to winning form. The consistent Danny O’Brien-trained Tagaloa gelding rises in grade facing his acid test in Saturday’s Group 2 but looks a huge chance to break through at this level for mine. Two back he won a 3YO handicap over 2000m at HQ before dropping back to 1800m at his latest to only go down a half-length. Same track and trip now, presents fit and looks well-weighted back from 59.5kg to 57kg at set weights now. Michael Dee sticks in the saddle, blinkers go on to help sharpen him up, and while there’s a few that present as a threat to run down the likely pacesetter, I’m keen to stick with him to box on well again and salute.
|
3. Our Chief (6)
J: Michael Dee57kg
x3213T: Danny O’brien
|
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Field
The final Autumn Classic field is traditionally released on the Wednesday prior to the race and features a host of smart three-year-old staying types heading towards a possible back-up run in the Australian Guineas over the Flemington mile the week after or the Australian Cup (2000m) a fortnight later against the older horses.
Super Cool (2013) was the last three-year-old to do the Caulfield Autumn Classic – Australian Cup double.
Many three-year-olds in the Autumn Classic field have had a previous lead-up in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) a fortnight earlier. Adelaide Ace (3rd in 2020) and Pericles (4th in 2023) are the last Caulfield Autumn Classic winners to come off a lead-up run in the Autumn Stakes.
The 2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Final Field & Barrier Draw will be available below on the Wednesday of race week.
The Autumn Classic 2026 final field features a bumper line-up of young stayers including the spring’s VRC Derby runner-up Arcora and the Danny O’Brien-trained Spirit Of Boom gelding Lucky Lucky Boom chasing a hat-trick.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x2310052x9 | ARCORA | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | John Allen | 12 | 57kg | 90 | ||
| 2 | 2443x | DEAL DONE FAST | Matt Cumani | Daniel Stackhouse | 10 | 57kg | 84 | ||
| 3 | 215×3213 | OUR CHIEF | Danny O’Brien | Michael Dee | 7 | 57kg | 69 | ||
| 4 | 2x51153x2 | SINGLE CHOICE | Matt Cumani | Damian Lane | 13 | 57kg | 72 | ||
| 5 | 23142×44 | BAYOU MUSIC | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Craig Williams | 8 | 57kg | 66 | ||
| 6 | 5x8x116x8 | MASTER OF THE AIR | Chris Waller | Ethan Brown | 6 | 57kg | 67 | ||
| 7 | 519×17 | CROCODILE | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Ben Allen | 4 | 57kg | 66 | ||
| 8 | 3×3183 | ITAZURA | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Zac Spain | 11 | 57kg | 61 | ||
| 9 | 21 | KAYE JAY | Clayton Douglas | Jamie Mott | 9 | 57kg | 64 | ||
| 10 | 0x5711 | LUCKY LUCKY BOOM | Danny O’Brien | Lachlan Neindorf | 14 | 57kg | 65 | ||
| 11 | 13 | MR EPOZINO (NZ) | Simon Zahra | Thomas Stockdale | 1 | 57kg | 63 | ||
| 12 | 64x44x1 | THE BETTER HUSBAND | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Ms Linda Meech | 5 | 57kg | 61 | ||
| 13 | 4x9x1 | ABRAFO (NZ) | Mark Walker | Ben Melham | 2 | 57kg | 62 | ||
| 14 | 71 | SIXTY GRAND (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Jordan Childs | 3 | 57kg | 62 | ||
| 15 | 44211 | MISS MARANDA | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Luke Cartwright (a) | 15 | 55kg | 69 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic Nominations
The 2026 Autumn Classic nominations will be provided below on the Monday leading up to Blue Diamond Stakes Day.
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4x9x1 | ABRAFO (NZ) | G | 3 | Mark Walker | 62 |
| 2 | 2214 | ADMIRE FLUKE | G | 3 | Matt Laurie | 61 |
| 3 | x2310052x9 | ARCORA | C | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 90 |
| 4 | 23142×44 | BAYOU MUSIC | G | 3 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 66 |
| 5 | 1 | BERLEMONT | G | 3 | Michael Kent | 64 |
| 6 | 519×17 | CROCODILE | G | 3 | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | 66 |
| 7 | 2443x | DEAL DONE FAST | C | 3 | Matt Cumani | 84 |
| 8 | 536 | FLYING KHAN | G | 3 | Andrew Bobbin | |
| 9 | 7×5 | HE’S ON SONG | G | 3 | Andrew Bobbin | |
| 10 | 1 | HOTEI SENSHI | G | 3 | Luke Oliver | 63 |
| 11 | 3×3183 | ITAZURA | G | 3 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 61 |
| 12 | 21 | KAYE JAY | G | 3 | Clayton Douglas | 64 |
| 13 | 0x5711 | LUCKY LUCKY BOOM | G | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 65 |
| 14 | 5x8x116x8 | MASTER OF THE AIR | C | 3 | Chris Waller | 67 |
| 15 | 44211 | MISS MARANDA | F | 3 | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | 69 |
| 16 | 13 | MR EPOZINO (NZ) | G | 3 | Simon Zahra | 63 |
| 17 | 215×3213 | OUR CHIEF | G | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 69 |
| 18 | 221 | OUR PIERRO | F | 3 | Mitchell Freedman | 62 |
| 19 | 6×482 | PRINCESS OF SOL | F | 3 | Mark & Levi Kavanagh | 59 |
| 20 | 7 | SHOTARO | G | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | |
| 21 | 2x51153x2 | SINGLE CHOICE | G | 3 | Matt Cumani | 72 |
| 22 | 71 | SIXTY GRAND (NZ) | G | 3 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | 62 |
| 23 | 64x44x1 | THE BETTER HUSBAND | G | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 61 |
| 24 | 13×5 | TOP REWARD | C | 3 | Clayton Douglas | 68 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
Caulfield Autumn Classic History
First won by Lord Gavin in 1957, the Caulfield Autumn Classic has been an 1800m event since 1987. Starting out as a Principal race until 1978, the event became a Listed race in 1979 until 1989 when it was elevated to Group 3 status. In 1991 the Autumn Classic finally became a Group 2 race.
The race has also had several name changes starting with the Stanley Plate and then becoming the Caulfield Autumn Classic, Tattersalls Classic, AAMI Classic, Shannons Classic, Pol Roger Stakes, and The Yalumba 160. However, it is generally still referred to as the Autumn Classic.
In 2023 the event ran at Ladbrokes Park (Sandown).
Recent Caulfield Autumn Classic Winners
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Single Choice | 1 minute 50.22 seconds |
| 2nd | Arcora | ||
| 3rd | Itazura | ||
| 2025 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Shanwah | 1 minute 49.79 seconds |
| 2nd | Confetti Garden | ||
| 3rd | Imperialist | ||
| 2024 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Immediacy | 1 minute 49.61 seconds |
| 2nd | Caracas | ||
| 3rd | Our Couver | ||
| 2023 Caulfield Autumn Classic(Held at Ladbrokes Park, Sandown) | 1st | Pericles | 1 minute 49.42 seconds |
| 2nd | Mr Maestro | ||
| 3rd | Ausbred Rising Sun | ||
| 2022 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Castlereagh Kid | 1 minute 50.55 seconds |
| 2nd | Lucky Decision | ||
| 3rd | El Patroness | ||
| 2021 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Parure | 1 minute 49.42 seconds |
| 2nd | Butter Chicken | ||
| 3rd | Khoekhoe | ||
| 2020 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Adelaide Ace | 1 minute 48.96 seconds |
| 2nd | Nonconformist | ||
| 3rd | Legion Of Merit | ||
| 2019 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Global Exchange | 1 minute 48.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Cossetot | ||
| 3rd | Aramayo | ||
| 2018 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Valiant Spirit | 1 minute 49.43 seconds |
| 2nd | Astoria | ||
| 3rd | Mr So And So | ||
| 2017 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Farson | 1 minute 49.49 seconds |
| 2nd | Cliff Hanger | ||
| 3rd | Captain Rhett | ||
| 2016 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Tally | 1 minute 49.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Flying Light | ||
| 3rd | Top Ravine | ||
| 2015 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Alpine Eagle | 1 minute 48.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Minnesinger | ||
| 3rd | Firehouse Rock | ||
| 2014 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Vilanova | 1 minute 51.02 seconds |
| 2nd | Countersnip | ||
| 3rd | Alpha Beat | ||
| 2013 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Super Cool | 1 minute 49.8 seconds |
| 2nd | Fiveandahalfstar | ||
| 3rd | Subiaso | ||
| 2012 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Upbeat | 1 minute 50.0 seconds |
| 2nd | Flashy Fella | ||
| 3rd | Ethiopia | ||
| 2011 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Folding Gear | 1 minute 48.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Elusive King | ||
| 3rd | Almindoro | ||
| 2010 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Extra Zero | 1 minute 50.69 seconds |
| 2nd | Absolute Faith | ||
| 3rd | Money Rocks | ||
| 2009 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Stokehouse | 1 minute 11.2 seconds |
| 2nd | Excelltastic | ||
| 3rd | Zapurple | ||
| 2008 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Brom Brom | 1 minute 51.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Allanthus | ||
| 3rd | Buca Di Bacco | ||
| 2007 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Ambitious General | 1 minute 48.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Danever | ||
| 3rd | Furio | ||
| 2006 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Spinney | 1 minute 48.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Silver Ninja | ||
| 3rd | Cinderella Man | ||
| 2005 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Renewable | 1 minute 50.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Stella Grande | ||
| 3rd | Dizelle | ||
| 2004 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Elvstroem | 1 minute 49.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Delzao | ||
| 3rd | Strafed | ||
| 2003 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Natural Blitz | 1 minute 49.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Glefti | ||
| 3rd | Gallic | ||
| 2002 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Don Eduardo | 1 minute 49.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Royal Code | ||
| 3rd | All Courage | ||
| 2001 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Fubu | 1 minute 47.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Neptunes Journey | ||
| 3rd | Inspire | ||
| 2000 Caulfield Autumn Classic | 1st | Pins | 1 minute 50.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Oval Office | ||
| 3rd | Crawl | ||
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