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The 2026 Lexus Archer Stakes ran on Saturday, September 12, 2026 as an early lead-up into the Melbourne Cup with the ballot exemption going to the impressive 2.25 length winning Ciaron Maher-trained mare Shockletz ($2.90F). 

The Lexus Stakes 2026 is one of the most influential staying races of the Melbourne Spring Carnival, giving punters a crucial chance to look at the stayers fighting for a spot in Australia’s greatest race. Run over 2500m at Flemington, the Group 3 Lexus Stakes traditionally serves as a gateway into the Melbourne Cup, attracting seasoned European stayers, emerging local talents and proven spring performers chasing that coveted ballot exemption. With high-pressure conditions, genuine staying tests and form lines that regularly stack up on the first Tuesday of November, the Lexus Stakes is a must-watch event for punters wanting to understand how the Cup field is shaping. Races.com.au keeps readers ahead with Lexus Stakes betting updates, market movers, trends and expert analysis as the staying ranks tighten heading into Cup Week.

2026 Lexus Archer Stakes Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 Lexus Archer Stakes results and finishing order including the performances of horses potentially heading into the Melbourne Cup field.

• 1st: No. 6 Shockletz ($2.90F)
• 2nd: No. 9 Think Giant
• 3rd: No. 4 Jennivamoose

Winning Margin: 2.25 lengths

Winning Time: 2:35.18

Shockletz ($2.90F) rocketed into Melbourne Cup calculations with a dominant win in the 2026 Lexus Archer Stakes results, securing the crucial ballot exemption for the ‘race that stops a nation’ and firming dramatically from $101 into $15 in futures 2026 Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes after powering home to beat Think Giant and Jennivamoose by 2.25 lengths. The blinkers proved a masterstroke from Ciaron Maher, who had long targeted this race to clinch her Cup berth, noting she’d been “having a lend” at Caulfield before the gear change sharpened her focus. Shockletz travelled sweetly, relaxed into her rhythm, and surged clear when Harry Coffey asked. With 7 wins from 18 starts and proven staying form at Flemington, Pakenham and Sandown, Shockletz’s Archer Stakes triumph elevates her firmly into the elite bracket of Melbourne Cup odds contenders — a new staying star emerging as Australia heads toward the first Tuesday in November.

Click here for the full story.

2026 Lexus Archer Stakes Odds & Finishing Order

See below for the latest Lexus Archer Stakes odds followed by the official finishing order after the event this spring.

2026 Lexus Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Lexus Archer Stakes 2026 Tips on the official Melbourne Cup lead-up race this spring.

Favourite: No. 3 Nearco Frod

Each Way Danger: No. 4 Jennivamoose

Best Roughie: No. 10 Suffolk Star

The Group 3 event is currently known as the Lexus Archer Stakes and the popular staying event is now held at HQ on Makybe Diva Stakes Day in mid-September having been moved from its previous slot on Victoria Derby Day, the Saturday prior to the Melbourne Cup, in 2024.

Open to horses aged three years and older, the Lexus Archer Stakes is run under quality handicap conditions. With total prize money of $300,000, the Lexus Stakes is quite a lucrative Group 3 event and key race in the lead-up to the time-honoured Melbourne Cup race.

The Lexus Stakes winner gains a ballot exemption for the Group 1 $10.2 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) back at the track just three days later and Shocking (2009) was the last to complete the double.

More recently the 2018 Lexus Stakes winner Prince Of Arran ran third in the Melbourne Cup trifecta next start.

The Lexus Archer Stakes now shares the Flemington race card with the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m), and the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m).

The Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) is another popular target following a Lexus Stakes run held the Saturday after on Champions Stakes Day and offers a bonus to any horse that was balloted out of that year’s Melbourne Cup field should they salute.

The 2023 Lexus Archer Stakes form was franked with the winner Kalapour returning in the autumn to win the Group 1 Tancred Stakes and place third in the Group 1 Sydney Cup results over the two miles in 2024.

In 2026, the Lexus Archer Stakes was won by Shockletz – a daughter of the 2009 Lexus Stakes is – Melbourne Cup double winner Shocking.

Lexus Stakes 2026
Date:	Saturday, September 12, 2026
Racecourse:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	2500m
Conditions:	3YO&UP Quality Hcp
Status:	Group 3
Prize Money:	$300,000
Inaugurated:	1869

2026 Lexus Stakes Betting

The latest Lexus Archer Stakes 2026 betting odds provided by Ladbrokes will be listed at Races.com.au on the stayers and potential Melbourne Cup horses.

Downdraft ($5.50 in 2019), Surefire ($1.90 in 2022), Revelare ($2.90 in 2025) and Shockletz ($2.90 in 2026) are the latest favourites in Lexus Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

2026 Lexus Stakes Form Guide

The Lexus Archer Stakes form guide gives punters a complete breakdown of every stayer lining up in this crucial Group 3 2500m contest at Flemington. As one of the early Melbourne Spring Carnival staying tests, the form guide compiles each runner’s recent performances, preferred conditions, distance stats, sectional strength, jockey/trainer combinations and historical patterns to help punters assess which horses are ready to peak over a genuine staying trip.

What Punters Should Look for on the Lexus Archer Stakes Form Guide:

• 2500m staying form — The Lexus Archer Stakes is a true stamina test, so punters should prioritise horses with proven staying ability at 2400m–2600m.
• Flemington track stats — The long Flemington straight rewards stayers who can build momentum and sustain a strong finishing run, making course form a key factor.
• Spring staying progression — Many runners use this race as an early tune-up for major Cup Week targets. Look for horses improving deep into their preparation.
• Sectional times — Strong closing splits in lead-up runs at 2000m–2400m often indicate a stayer ready to handle the rise to 2500m.
• Track conditions — Flemington can play differently depending on weather and rail position. Horses with adaptable form or proven wet track staying ability gain an edge.
• Map and tempo — The Lexus Archer typically features a genuine tempo, favouring stayers who can settle midfield and grind into the race from the 800m mark.
• Stable patterns — Leading staying stables such as Waller, Maher and international raiders often target this race, and their horses usually show sharp improvement at this stage of the carnival.
• Historical trends — The Lexus Archer Stakes has long been a key Melbourne Cup Week pointer, with many winners progressing to strong runs in the Cup or other major staying features.

FULL 2026 LEXUS ARCHER STAKES FORM GUIDE

2026 Lexus Stakes Field

The Lexus Stakes field attracts a quality line-up of spring stayers, the majority of which are chasing the Melbourne Cup ballot exemption on offer to the winner of the race.

The official 2026 Lexus Archer Stakes Final Field & Barriers are announced the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.

The Lexus Archer Stakes 2026 field features a quality line-up of potential Melbourne Cup contenders led in betting by the flying Nearco Frod chasing his fifth win on the trot for last year’s Caulfield Cup / Melbourne Cup winning trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	8154926×80	TARAMANSOUR (IRE)	Phillip & Tommy Stokes	Daniel Stackhouse	11	59kg			96
2	21x0225x42	LITZDEEL	Danny O’Brien	Blake Shinn	9	58.5kg			99
3	389×321111	NEARCO FROD (FR)	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Craig Williams	5	57.5kg			93
4	x314114x33	JENNIVAMOOSE (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Jett Stanley	1	56.5kg			95
5	858088×498	GRAND PIERRO	Jason Warren	Zac Spain	7	55kg			88
6	1571×34864	SHOCKLETZ (NZ)	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey	3	54.5kg			91
7	658×007305	TAJANIS (IRE)	Charlotte Littlefield	Lachlan Neindorf	2	54kg			86
8	10x00x0754	CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE)	Patrick Kearney	Jye McNeil	8	54kg			82
9	2x1535x744	THINK GIANT (GB)	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	Ms Jamie Melham	4	54kg			82
10	2219x5114x	SUFFOLK STAR (GB)	Paul Preusker	Michael Dee	6	54kg			78
11	1x0x017339	BEACH PAD	Shane Jackson	Declan Bates	10	54kg			75

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2026 Lexus Archer Stakes Nominations

Early nominations for the Lexus Archer Stakes in 2026 will be published below once confirmed by Racing Victoria on the Monday ahead of race day.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	1x0x017339	BEACH PAD	G	6	Shane Jackson	75
2	10x00x0754	CHIEF LITTLE ROCK (IRE)	G	6	Patrick Kearney	82
3	858088×498	GRAND PIERRO	G	7	Jason Warren	88
4	x314114x33	JENNIVAMOOSE (NZ)	M	7	Ciaron Maher	95
5	21x0225x42	LITZDEEL	M	5	Danny O’Brien	99
6	23×0315197	MALE MODEL	G	7	John Thom	70
7	389×321111	NEARCO FROD (FR)	G	5	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	93
8	x840x10x9x	ONESMOOTHOPERATOR (USA)	G	9	Tim Fitzsimmons	105
9	1571×34864	SHOCKLETZ (NZ)	M	5	Ciaron Maher	91
10	2219x5114x	SUFFOLK STAR (GB)	G	7	Paul Preusker	78
11	658×007305	TAJANIS (IRE)	G	7	Charlotte Littlefield	86
12	8154926×80	TARAMANSOUR (IRE)	G	10	Phillip & Tommy Stokes	96
13	x967340363	TEMPESTI (ITY)	G	8	Matt Cumani	86
14	2x1535x744	THINK GIANT (GB)	G	5	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	82
15	08523x9x05	UNBELIEVABLE (USA)	H	7	Anthony & Sam Freedman	83

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Lexus Stakes History

The Lexus Stakes was inaugurated in 1969 as the Hotham Handicap, it’s current registered name. One of the oldest races in Australia, the Lexus Stakes has a very prestigious history to match its age.

The Lexus Stakes is renowned for a very rare triple dead heat in 1956. Fighting Force, Ark Royal and Pandie Sun crossed together to win one of the only races ever to record three winners.

Besides its current name, the Lexus Stakes has been known by a variety of sponsor titles. For ten years prior to 2009 (when Lexus started sponsorship) it was known as the Saab Quality. Prior to that, it was the Lean Cuisine Quality, Ten News Quality, Crown Quality and The Dalgety.

Notable Lexus Stakes winners include Miss Carbine (1899), Spear Chief (1938), Foxzami (1949), Think Big (1974), Brew (2000), and Shocking (2009) who was the last Lexus Stakes winner to back-up and dominate that year’s Melbourne Cup results doing the double.

Lexus Stakes results, winners and placegetters since 2000 are listed below, along with winning times.

The 2018 Lexus Stakes winner Prince Of Arran would go on to run placings in three straight editions of the Melbourne Cup finishing 3rd in 2018, 2nd in 2029 and 3rd again in 2020.

The event was renamed the Lexus Archer Stakes ahead of the 2022 edition.

The Lexus Archer Stakes moved from Victoria Derby Day on the Saturday prior to the Melbourne Cup to a much earlier position on the spring line-up in 2024 running in mid-September.

Shockletz (2026) – a daughter of the 2009 winner – was the last Lexus Archer Stakes winning mare.

Lexus Stakes Results

Year	Winner	Runner-Up	Third	Time
2026	Shockletz	Think Giant	Jennivamoose	2:35.18
2025	Revelare	Mormona	Sayedaty Sadaty	2:40.28
2024	Point King	Hit The Road Jack	Berkshire Breeze	2:40.54
2023	Kalapour	Athabascan	Gan Teorainn	2:38.11
2022	Surefire	Serpentine	Crystal Pegasus	2:39.11
2021	Great House	Mankayan	Emissary	2:34.56
2020	Ashrun	Sound	Brimham Rocks / Future Score (Dead Heat)	2:37.94
2019	Downdraft	Carif	Azuro	2:38.85
2018	Prince Of Arran	Brimham Rocks	Jaameh	2:37.46
2017	Cismontane	Vengeur Masque	Pentathlon	2:35.41
2016	Oceanographer	Tom Melbourne	Tally	2.35.68
2015	Excess Knowledge	Zanteca	Havana Cooler	2:36.8
2014	Signoff	Big Memory	La Amistad	2:37.9
2013	Ruscello	Let’s Make Adeal	Araldo	2:39.8
2012	Kelinni	Dare To Dream	Exceptionally	2:37.6
2011	Niwot	Macedonian	Anudjawun	2:37.5
2010	Maluckyday	Linton	Once Were Wild	2:35.1
2009	Shocking	Hume	Irazu	2:38.3
2008	Moatise	Light Vision	Cape Cover	2:37.7
2007	Sculptor	The Fuzz	Desert Master	2:35.4
2006	Maybe Better	Irazu	Vanquished	2:35.8
2005	Strasbourg	Bush Honey	Mr Celebrity	2:40.3
2004	Don Raphael	Catchmeifyoucan	Winning Belle	2:36.6
2003	Big Pat	Fawaz	Dance On Wood	2:39.4
2002	Requiem	Miss Meliss	Piachay	2:35.3
2001	Maythehorsebewithu	Spirit Of Westbury	Touch The Groom	2:35.8
2000	Brew	Mr Nelson	Yammer	2:37.1

Lexus Stakes FAQs

What is the Lexus Stakes?
The Lexus Stakes is a Group 3 staying race run over 2500m at Flemington on Makybe Diva Stakes Day and is one of the early pathways into the Melbourne Cup.

When is the Lexus Stakes held?
The race is held on Makybe Diva Stakes Day in mid-September. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday the 12th of September.

What distance is the Lexus Stakes run over?
The Lexus Stakes is run over 2500 metres, providing a genuine staying test before the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November.

Where is the Lexus Stakes run?
The race takes place at Flemington Racecourse, home of Australia’s premier staying features.

Why is the Lexus Stakes important?
The winner receives a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup, making it one of the most influential lead-up races of the carnival.

Who can run in the Lexus Stakes?
The race is open to handicap stayers aiming to secure an early place in the Melbourne Cup field.

How many horses run in the Lexus Stakes?
The Lexus Stakes typically attracts a capacity field of up to 16 runners, depending on acceptances and Cup-week programming.

What races does the Lexus Stakes lead into?
The Lexus Stakes is a direct gateway into the Melbourne Cup, with many winners backing up into the Cup later in the spring.

Where can I find Lexus Stakes odds and tips?
Races.com.au provides updated odds, market movers, form insights and expert Lexus Stakes tips throughout Cup Week as does Ladbrokes.