As the world’s richest race on turf, The Everest 2026 is the headline sprint of the Australian racing season, bringing together the nation’s elite speedsters for a spectacular 1200m WFA showdown at Sydney’s Royal Randwick each October. Since its inaugural running in 2017, the $20 million feature has transformed the spring racing landscape with its unique slot-holder concept, record prizemoney, and star-studded fields featuring Australia’s best sprinters making The Everest odds and betting some of the most sought after of the spring carnival. Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious sprint races in the world, The Everest attracts huge attention from racing fans, punters, and industry participants alike, with the race regularly producing unforgettable performances and champion winners. Find everything you need to know about The Everest, including the race’s history, prizemoney, slot holders, field, betting trends, results, and past winners right here at Races.com.au.

2026 The Everest Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 The Everest results and finishing order and to see which sprinter has won the richest turf race in the world this year!

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

Winning Margin: TBD

Winning Time: TBD

The Everest Tips

Stay tuned for our insider The Everest 2026 betting tips and exotic Randwick, spring racing selections on the country’s richest race including our expert The Everest Same Race Multi selections.

The Everest News

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The Everest is the richest turf race in the world with a staggering $20 million in prize money now on offer in the restricted Royal Randwick event run annually on a Saturday in October as the highlight of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.

It officially gained Group 1 status ahead of the 2024 edition when the Ciaron Maher-trained Bella Nipotina became the first The Everest winning mare.

Racing NSW announced the inaugural edition of The Everest would take place in 2017 as Sydney looks to compete for the racing community and punters’ attention with the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and the event proved a huge success.

The Everest is now Australia’s richest race surpassing the Group 1 $10.2 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) held on the first Tuesday of November at Flemington.

Contested over 1200m The Everest race is a weight-for-age sprint showdown open to local and international connections who “buy” their way into the race paying a $600,000 entry fee to have a runner in The Everest field.

The incredible The Everest prize money on offer is funded from this hefty entry fee as well as other event-generated events.

The Everest now competes with the Melbourne sprint races running around the same time of the season including the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and serves as a gun lead-up to Flemington’s Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) held on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival in November.

The Everest ran for the first time in 2017 and was won by Redzel who went on to win the VRC Sprint Classic in Melbourne next race. Redzel successfully defended in title in 2018 to become the first back-to-back The Everest winner in the same way the mighty Archer won the opening two editions of the Melbourne Cup (1861-62). Redzel attempted a three-peat but only managed to run eighth behind three-year-old Yes Yes Yes in the 2019 The Everest results that saw a new track record set by the young champion.

For the 2019 edition of The Everest the prize money was boosted to $14 million and another prize money increase in 2020 saw the event offer an unprecedented $15 million in stakes. The Everest prize money was further boosted in 2023 to an incredible $20 million.

It is now second in prize money to only the $28m Saudi Cup which is the world’s richest thoroughbred event and runs on a dirt track.

In 2020 jockey Kerrin McEvoy secured his third The Everest success in the race’s four-year history riding the previous season’s sixth placegetter Classique Legend to victory. Classique Legend ($4.20 in 2020) became the first The Everest favourite to salute for the punters.

In 2021 trainer Chris Waller won the race for a second time when the favourite Nature Strip ($3.70) saluted for the punters at his third attempt in the event.

The race is now part of a wider The Everest Carnival that has a host of unique races taking place across Sydney with over $50 million in prize money being awarded.

Nature Strip returned in 2022 for a fourth run and title defence but only managed to finish fourth behind upset winner Giga Kick who became the second three-year-old The Everest winner, the event’s longest-priced champion at $21 and the first undefeated horse to win the event.

The Everest date sees the event run on the same day as the $6.55 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) in Melbourne.

The Everest Day also features a Special Condition feature race, the $2 million The Kosciuszko open only to NSW country-trained horses. Other key events on the card include the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m), Listed $1 million Silver Eagle (1300m), Group 2 $2 million Group 3 Sydney Stakes (1200m).

Previously, each year’s The Everest results also determined the race name for the Winners Stakes, a $3 million feature run at Rosehill on the same day as Melbourne’s VRC Derby. In 2024 the Winners Stakes was renamed the Russell Balding Stakes after the former Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding, who was forced to step down from his position in 2023.

The 2024 The Everest winner Bella Nipotina made history as the first mare to win when narrowly denying the 2022 champion Giga Kick in a thrilling eighth edition of the event.

Bella Nipotina (2024) then went on to become the latest runner to complete The Everest / Russell Balding Stakes double.

The 2025 The Everest winner was Hong Kong flyer Ka Ying Rising who became the first international champion.

The Everest form from 2025 proved some of the strongest in the world with the champion, Kay Ying Rising, returning home to win his next seven starts on the trot at Sha Tin including four Group 1s. The 2025 Everest runner-up, Tempted, also went on to frank the form winning her next four straight starts including the Group 1 Surround Stakes. Even more success came out of the 2025 The Everest trifecta with Jimmysstar completing the Russell Balding – CF Orr Stakes double at his next two spring starts.

2026 The Everest Betting

The Everest betting offers some of the hottest spring racing carnival markets and Australia’s best sprinters dominate The Everest odds each season. With strong international interest in the $20 million sprint, class sprinters from around the globe also feature in The Everest betting.

The Everest odds are led by proven Group 1 winning sprinters that have previous form in past editions of The Everest race and those who dominated the autumn features including the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) that takes place at the same track – distance.

Odds on The Everest horses also firm as slot-holders confirm their runners.

Classique Legend ($4.20 in 2020) started as The Everest favourite and became the first to win the event.

The following year Nature Strip ($3.70 in 2021) won as favourite at his third attempt.

Nature Strip was odds on favourite at $1.90 in 2022 but only managed to run fourth behind Giga Kick who won at the longest The Everest odds to date of $21.

Think About It ($4.40 in 2023) is the latest The Everest winner to salute for the punters.

The 2024 The Everest was won by Bella Nipotina at $9 odds.

Ka Ying Rising ($2 in 2025) became the latest The Everest favourite to salute. 

The Everest Field

2026 The Everest Form Guide

The Everest form guide is the key resource punters use to assess every runner heading into Australia’s richest race on turf at Royal Randwick. It compiles each horse’s recent sprint form, barrier draw, jockey, trainer, track and distance record, and fitness profile to help identify which runners are best suited to the high-pressure 1200m weight-for-age contest. With elite sprinters converging from across Australia, the form guide is one of the most important tools for finding value and identifying genuine winning chances in The Everest.

What Punters Should Look for in The Everest Form Guide:

• Recent Group 1 and Group 2 sprint form — Horses coming through races like the Premiere Stakes, Moir Stakes, The Shorts, Concorde Stakes and other elite sprint features often bring the strongest form lines.
• 1200m credentials — The Everest is run at a relentless tempo. Proven performers at 1200m generally have an advantage over horses stepping outside their preferred trip.
• Randwick suitability — Royal Randwick’s long straight can favour strong finishers. Horses with previous success at the track are always worth close consideration.
• Barrier draw — A favourable gate can be crucial in a capacity field, especially for runners that rely on settling close to the speed or securing clear running.
• Race fitness — Many Everest contenders target the race months in advance. Horses peaking third or fourth-up often produce their best performances on race day.
• Speed map and tempo — Understanding where the pressure will come from can help identify runners likely to enjoy the ideal run in transit.
• Jockey and trainer combinations — The race regularly attracts Australia’s leading stables and jockeys, with proven big-race partnerships often making a difference.
• Track conditions — Some sprinters excel on rain affected going while others are far more effective on firm tracks, making the expected surface an important consideration.
• Market moves — Strong betting support in the lead-up to The Everest can indicate confidence from connections and is often a useful guide for punters.
• WFA performance — As a weight-for-age race, punters should focus on runners with a strong record against elite opposition under these conditions rather than handicap form alone.

FULL 2026 THE EVEREST FORM GUIDE

The spring’s The Everest field features the best sprint horses from Australia and abroad competing for the incredible prize money on offer including the millions on offer to The Everest winner.

Connections must pay a whopping $600,000 entry fee to have their horse run in the capacity 12-starter The Everest field, meaning the sprinters on show come from the richest owners and stables able to afford the cost of having a runner.

Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club sell 12 slots in The Everest field each year that can be traded or that the owners of which can enter into a partnership with a non-slot holding connection to make up the final field.

2026 The Everest Slot Holders

The confirmed The Everest 2026 slot holders and their chosen runners will be updated below as news comes in on what horses are running for who in The Everest field this year.

Confirmed 2026 The Everest Horses, Jockeys & Slot Holders

Below punters can stay up to date with the latest confirmed The Everest horses that have secured a slot in the 12-horse feature race at Randwick.

The 12 slot holders for the 2026 TAB Everest have been confirmed, with Inglis, Newgate & GPI Racing, Chris Waller Racing, Mulberry Racing, Coolmore, Fairway Thoroughbreds, James Harron, Max Whitby and partners, TAB, the Hong Kong Jockey Club/ATC, Yulong Investments, and Godolphin all securing positions in the world’s richest race on turf. Defending champion Ka Ying Rising has already been locked in to represent the Hong Kong Jockey Club slot, while exciting sprinter Ninja became the first locally trained horse confirmed for the 2026 field after being selected by Fairway Thoroughbreds.

Stay tuned below as the 12 slots in The Everest Field are filled, the confirmed horses and jockeys along with the slot-holders to be listed below as positions are announced leading up to the race.

KA YING RISING

• Trainer: David Hayes
• Jockey: Zac Purton
• Barrier: TBC
• Slot Holder: Hong Kong Jockey Club (leased from the Australian Turf Club)

Defending The Everest champion Ka Ying Rising has officially secured his place in the 2026 field after being selected to represent the Hong Kong Jockey Club slot, with trainer David Hayes confident the world’s highest-rated racehorse will return to Sydney as an even stronger proposition than the star sprinter who dominated last year’s race. The Hong Kong sensation arrives chasing a remarkable 21st consecutive victory after extending his winning streak to 21 races and lowering the Sha Tin 1200m track record with a blistering 1:06.11 performance in the Chief Executive’s Cup on September 6. Hayes believes the reigning The Everest winner has benefited both physically and mentally from his previous Sydney campaign, describing him as a “bigger and better horse” ahead of his title defence. Ka Ying Rising is scheduled to travel to Sydney before completing quarantine at Canterbury and remains a dominant favourite in early Everest betting as he bids to become just the second horse to win multiple editions of Australia’s richest race on turf.

NINJA

• Trainer: Michael Freedman
• Jockey: TBC
• Barrier: TBC
• Slot Holder: Fairway Thoroughbreds

Emerging sprint star Ninja became the first locally-trained runner confirmed for the 2026 The Everest after securing the Fairway Thoroughbreds slot on the back of his impressive Group 2 Missile Stakes victory at Royal Randwick. Prepared by Michael Freedman, the exciting four-year-old has quickly established himself as a leading contender for Australia’s richest race on turf and is expected to further strengthen his credentials through key lead-up races including The Shorts and Premiere Stakes. With his profile continuing to rise, Ninja is shaping as one of the most intriguing local hopes in the $20 million sprint as connections target spring racing’s biggest prizes.

HEADWALL

• Trainer: Matthew Smith
• Jockey: TBC
• Barrier: TBC
• Slot Holder: Max Whitby, Neil Werret, Col Madden & Steve McCann

After a frustrating injury setback dashed his Everest hopes in 2025, Headwall has completed a remarkable comeback story, securing a coveted slot in the 2026 The Everest for trainer Matthew Smith. The classy sprinter, who impressed with a strong return campaign highlighted by a runner-up finish in the Concorde Stakes, will represent the slot held by long-time Everest players Max Whitby, Neil Werrett, Col Madden and Steve McCann in the $20 million Randwick feature. His selection rewards patience from connections and gives Smith his long-awaited chance to compete in Australia’s richest turf race.

BLUE DOOR

• Trainer: Bjorn Baker
• Jockey: TBC
• Barrier: TBC
• Slot Holder: Newgate & GPI Racing

Emerging three-year-old filly Blue Door has earned her shot at racing’s richest sprint after securing the coveted Newgate Stud & GPI Racing slot in the 2026 The Everest at Randwick. The Bjorn Baker-trained daughter of Stay Inside stamped her credentials with a dazzling victory in the Group 3 Heritage Stakes, convincing slot holders Newgate and GPI Racing to lock her into the $20 million feature. Owned by prominent racing figure John Singleton, Blue Door brings plenty of X-factor to this year’s Everest field, with her explosive speed, light weight and untapped upside making her one of the most intriguing runners set to line up in the world’s premier turf sprint.

The Everest 2026 race field will be confirmed on Tuesday, October 13, 2025, and published below as soon as available.

The 2026 The Everest Barrier Draw will also be conducted confidentially on Tuesday morning and released to the public during a Racing NSW event that night following The Everest final acceptances around 8:00pm (AEDT).

The Everest History

2026 The Everest Prize Money

The Everest is now the richest turf race in the world with $20 million in total prize money on offer. Prize money in The Everest race is paid down to 12th giving all runners in the field a share in the stakes.

A horse in The Everest results would need to run fifth to pay back the $600,000 entry fee for connections.

• 1st: $7,000,000
• 2nd: $2,900,000
• 3rd: $2,000,000
• 4th: $1,500,000
• 5th: $1,200,000
• 6th: $950,000
• 7th: $700,000
• 8th: $700,000
• 9th: $700,000
• 10th: $700,000
• 11th: $700,000
• 12th: $700,000

The first ever The Everest results and inaugural The Everest winner was decided when the then $10 million took place in October of 2017, Redzel making history with his impressive victory.

For the second edition of The Everest race, the Australian Turf Club (ATC) and Racing NSW increased the overall prize money to an incredible $13 million and Redzel was back in winning form posting back-to-back wins in The Everest.

The Everest history was made for the third running in 2019 with three-year-old Yes Yes Yes defeating a field of seasoned sprinters to set a new track record.

The records continued in the 2020 edition with jockey Kerrin McEvoy winning his third The Everest aboard Classique Legend, the horse the first favourite to get the job done.

Waller won his second The Everest trophy in 2021 with Nature Strip.

In 2022 Giga Kick became the second three-year-old The Everest winner in history, the first undefeated horse to win the event and the longest-priced champion at 20/1.

The 2023 The Everest results saw the Joe Pride-trained Think About It salute as the $4.40 favourite defeating I Wish I Win and the fellow Pride-trained Private Eye who had run second in the race the year before.

In 2023 The Everest prize money increased to $20 million.

In 2024 Bella Nipotina became the first ever mare to win The Everest.

The internationals were on top in 2025 with Ka Ying Rising, prepared in Hong Kong by trainer David Hayes, winning The Everest for slot holders the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Everest Previous Race Winners

The Everest FAQs

What is The Everest?
The Everest is Australia’s richest horse race and the world’s richest race on turf, run over 1200 metres at Royal Randwick in Sydney each spring.

When is The Everest run?
The Everest is traditionally held in October during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and is one of the feature race days on the Australian racing calendar. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday October 17, 2026.

How much is The Everest worth?
The Everest currently offers $20 million in prizemoney, making it the richest race in Australia and one of the richest horse races in the world.

What distance is The Everest?
The Everest is contested over 1200 metres under weight-for-age conditions.

How does The Everest slot-holder system work?
The field is limited to 12 runners, with each horse required to secure one of 12 slots held by racing organisations, owners, breeders, wagering operators, or investors. Slot holders can select, lease, sell, or partner with the owners of a horse to secure a place in the field.

Where is The Everest run?
The Everest is held at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales.

Who can run in The Everest?
The race is open to three-year-olds and older horses, provided they have secured a slot in the field through one of the race’s 12 slot holders.

Who won the first Everest?
Redzel won the inaugural Everest in 2017 and successfully defended his crown in 2018, becoming the race’s first dual winner.

Has any horse won The Everest more than once?
Yes. Redzel won back-to-back editions in 2017 and 2018, while several other champion sprinters have attempted to emulate the feat.

How is The Everest field selected?
Slot holders negotiate with horse owners and trainers throughout the year before announcing their chosen runners in the lead-up to the race.

Which lead-up races are important for The Everest?
Key lead-up races include The Shorts, Concorde Stakes, Premiere Stakes, Moir Stakes, Schillaci Stakes and other elite sprint races during the spring.

Who is the favourite for The Everest?
The favourite varies from year to year depending on form, barriers, and market movements. The latest Everest betting markets are typically released months before the race. In 2026 the defending champion and world’s fastest racehorse, Hong Kong’s Ka Ying Rising, is set to start the odds-on favourite in The Everest betting at Ladbrokes. 

When is The Everest barrier draw conducted?
The official barrier draw held on the Tuesday of race week.

Where can I find The Everest field and form guide?
The latest Everest field, barriers, betting odds, form guide, tips, and race news can be found right here on Races.com.au.