---

---

The latest edition of the Chelmsford Stakes ran on Saturday, September 5, 2026 as a lead-up to the spring majors and saw the Chris Waller-trained Lindermann ($2.70F) successfully defend his title. 

The Chelmsford Stakes is one of the Sydney Spring Carnival’s most important early season weight-for-age tests, and our comprehensive Races.com.au rundown gives punters everything they need to get ahead of the market. Run over the famous Randwick mile, the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes regularly launches genuine Cox Plate, The Metropolitan, and Epsom Handicap contenders, making it a must watch race for form punters and value hunters alike. With elite WFA performers, rising middle-distance stars, and proven stayers all clashing at a pivotal point in the carnival, this is a race that shapes futures markets and delivers strong betting opportunities year after year.

Our Chelmsford Stakes tips, form analysis, race history, key stats, and updated odds are designed to help new players feel confident backing a winner. Whether you’re chasing early fixed odds value, tracking the big-name stables, or looking for a roughie with upside, the Races.com.au Chelmsford Stakes betting hub is your go to resource for staying informed, engaged, and ready to bet this spring.

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 Chelmsford Stakes results and finishing order on the important spring lead-up at Randwick.

• 1st: No. 2 Lindermann ($2.70F)
• 2nd: No. 1 Ceolwulf
• 3rd: No. 9 Fangirl

Winning Margin: 1.83 lengths

Winning Time: 1:35.60

Lindermann ($2.70F) stamped himself as one of the country’s most durable WFA stars once again, producing a trademark front-running masterclass to defend his crown in the 2026 Chelmsford Stakes results at Randwick. Rolling straight to the lead under Nash Rawiller, the seven-year-old Lonhro gelding controlled the tempo, kicked hard off the bend and powered clear for a decisive 1¾ length win over Ceolwulf, with Fangirl brave in third. The victory — Waller’s ninth in the race and third straight — marked Lindermann’s second Chelmsford title and a sharp rebound from his Winx Stakes flop, pushing his prizemoney beyond $5.2 million and reaffirming his status as a major Sydney spring force.

Click here for the full story.

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Odds & Finishing Order

See below for the latest Chelmsford Stakes odds followed by the official finishing order after the event this August.

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Chelmsford Stakes 2026 Tips on the Group 2 spring lead-up this September.

Check out our full 2026 Chelmsford Stakes Preview, Betting Update & Best Bets now!

Worth a lucrative $300,000 in prize money, the Chelmsford Stakes makes a solid lead-up for horses heading towards races like the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Royal Randwick in early October.

The ideal lead-up race to the event is the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) and many horses will go on to race in the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) – now known as the King Charles III Stakes and held on The Everest Day in mid-October. Samadoubt (2019) was the last horse to do the Winx Stakes – Chelmsford Stakes double.

In 2023 Navajo Peak improved on a first-up 13th in the Winx Stakes to score a major Chelmsford Stakes upset at 40/1, while Lindermann (10th in 2025 and 9th in 2026) was the last Winx Stakes graduate to win the Chelmsford at his next start.

The Chelmsford Stakes Day card also features the Group 2 Tramway Stakes (1400m), Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) and the now $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m) which serves as a key lead-up to the $20 million The Everest race in October.

The Chelmsford Stakes has been won by many star horses over the years including four-time Cox Plate hero Winx (2017).

The 2021 Chelmsford Stakes form was franked with the winner Think It Over running a next-up third in the George Main Stakes trifecta before a win in the Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m). He went on to take out the Craven Plate – Rosehill Gold Cup that spring, before returning the following autumn for a stellar preparation that concluded with a victory in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

The 2022 Chelmsford Stakes winner Knights Order franked the form heading south to run third in that year’s Caulfield Cup results. The Chelmsford third placegetter No Compromise further franked the form winning that year’s The Metropolitan.

The 2023 Chelmsford Stakes form was franked with the previous year’s winner, Think It Over, running third before his next-up victory in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m).

The 2024 Chelmsford Stakes winner Buckaroo franked the form winning Caulfield’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes at his next start. He also ran second in the Turnbull Stakes and that year’s Caulfield Cup trifecta.

Trainer Chris Waller collected his eighth Chelmsford Stakes win in 2025 with upset champ Lindermann.

Lindermann would go on to frank the Chelmsford Stakes form that season with a next-up second in the 7 Stakes followed by wins in the Group 2 Hill Stakes and Craven Plate. The 2025 Chelmsford runner-up, Sir Delius, meanwhile headed south to complete the Group 1 Underwood / Turnbull Stakes double at his next two starts. Sir Delius also returned for a strong autumn campaign in 2026 headlined by his Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes success.

Waller made it nine Chelmsford Stakes victories in 2026 with Lindermann going back-to-back in the event for the first time since the stable’s fellow dual champion Hawkspur in 2013-14.

Chelmsford Stakes
Date:	Saturday, September 5, 2026
Track:	Randwick Racecourse
Distance:	1600m
Race Type:	3YO+ Weight-For-Age
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$300,000

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Betting

The spring’s top Chelmsford Stakes 2026 betting odds will be available right here at Races.com.au courtesy of Ladbrokes the week of the race.

Mister Sea Wolf ($5EF in 2020) and Lindermann ($2.70 in 2026) for his successful title defence are the latest Chelmsford Stakes favourites to salute for the punters.

There was a massive upset in 2023 with Navajo Peak saluting at Chelmsford Stakes odds of $41, while there was another double-figure champ in 2025 with Lindermann ($11).

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Form

The Chelmsford Stakes form guide is the race day blueprint punters use to assess every runner in the Group 2 weight-for-age mile at Randwick. It pulls together each horse’s recent runs, preferred conditions, distance stats, sectional strength, jockey/trainer combinations and historical patterns so you can quickly judge who’s ready to peak second-up or third-up at 1600m.

What Punters Should Look for on the Chelmsford Stakes Form Guide:

• Second-up/third-up form — The Chelmsford is traditionally a race where top WFA horses improve sharply. Punters look for runners with proven lift at this stage of their prep.
• Randwick mile stats — Horses with strong 1600m form at Randwick are heavily favoured. The long straight rewards genuine stayers with a turn of foot.
• WFA performance — Because the race is run at weight-for-age, punters want to see previous success under WFA conditions rather than handicaps.
• Sectional times — Fast closing splits in lead-up runs (often at 1400m) are a major indicator of readiness for the mile.
• Track conditions — Randwick can play differently depending on rail position and weather. Horses with proven wet-track form often gain an edge.
• Map and tempo — The Chelmsford often features a moderate tempo. Punters look for horses who can settle midfield and build momentum from the 600m.
• Stable patterns — Big stables like Waller and Waterhouse/Bott have strong historical records in the race.
• Historical trends — Many winners come off a run in the Winx Stakes or similar 1400m lead-ups.

FULL 2026 CHELSMFORD STAKES FORM GUIDE

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Field

The official 2026 Chelmsford Stakes field and barrier draw is released by Racing NSW the Wednesday of race week, the full line-up of Group 1 bound gallopers to be published below.

The Chelmsford Stakes 2026 final field features a cracking line-up of 10 middle-distance gallopers including the well supported Chris Waller-trained Lindermann who defends his title second-up and multiple Group 1 champ Ceolwulf for Joe Pride.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	43611x66x5	CEOLWULF (NZ)	Joseph Pride	Chad Schofield	8	59kg			119
2	211x3922x9	LINDERMANN	Chris Waller	Nash Rawiller	9	59kg			116
3	1111x5172x	CAMPALDINO (NZ)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Tim Clark	10	59kg			106
4	23x94262x6	SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE)	Chris Waller	Zac Lloyd	7	59kg			106
5	245612417x	THE EUPHRATES (GB)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Regan Bayliss	4	59kg			103
6	x4334434x9	TRAVOLTA (GB)	Chris Waller	Tommy Berry	2	59kg			99
7	411x6621x8	GREEN SPACES	Bjorn Baker	Ms Rachel King	1	58.5kg			102
8	211x4380x2	ATTICA	Joseph Pride	Kerrin McEvoy	3	58.5kg			101
9	4164x834x0	FANGIRL	Chris Waller	James McDonald	6	57kg			118
10	18x51456x5	PIGGYBACK	Ciaron Maher	Adam Hyeronimus	5	57kg			102

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2026 Chelmsford Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the Chelmsford Stakes in 2026 close the Monday of race week and will be published in full below.

The 2026 Chelmsford Stakes nominations attracted 13 classy milers led in all-in betting by the Joe Pride-trianed four-time Group 1 hero Ceolwulf.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	512x11661x	ASTERIX (NZ)	G	8	Chris Waller	111
2	211x4380x2	ATTICA	G	4	Joseph Pride	101
3	1111x5172x	CAMPALDINO (NZ)	G	6	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	106
4	43611x66x5	CEOLWULF (NZ)	G	6	Joseph Pride	119
5	4164x834x0	FANGIRL	M	8	Chris Waller	118
6	x000x6958x	FAWKNER PARK (IRE)	G	8	Declan Maher	103
7	6380x272x5	FEROCE (NZ)	G	5	Dominic Sutton	107
8	411x6621x8	GREEN SPACES	H	4	Bjorn Baker	102
9	211x3922x9	LINDERMANN	G	7	Chris Waller	116
10	18x51456x5	PIGGYBACK	M	6	Ciaron Maher	102
11	23x94262x6	SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE)	G	6	Chris Waller	106
12	245612417x	THE EUPHRATES (GB)	G	6	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	103
13	x4334434x9	TRAVOLTA (GB)	G	6	Chris Waller	99

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Chelmsford Stakes History

First held in 1895 and won by Newman, the Chelmsford Stakes has been won by several big names including the legendary Phar Lap in 1930 and by Tulloch in 1960.

The triple winners of the race are Limerick in 1926-28, Roman Consul in 1967-69 and Delta in 1950-52. The double winners include The Chief in 1898-99, Prince Foote in 1909-10, Duke Foote in 1912-13, Rogilla in 1933-34, Prince Darious in 1957-58, Kingston Town in 1980-81, Stargazer in 1990-91 and Lonhro in 2002-03.

The standout Chelmsford Stakes winner in recent history is the former Chris Waller-trained hero Winx (2017), the mighty mare winning four Cox Plates over her career.

Waller took his record in the Chelmsford up to six wins in nine years with the 2020 success of Mister Sea Wolf and then won his seventh overall in 2024 preparing the quinella with Buckaroo and Hinged.

Buckaroo also set a new Chelmsford Stakes race record in 2024 winning in 1 minute 33.76 seconds to surpass the previous record held by the mighty Winx (1:34.11 in 2017).

Waller won for an eighth time in 2025 with Lindermann, and then ninth in 2026 when Lindermann went back-to-back.

Recent Chelmsford Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2026 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Lindermann	1 minute 35.60 seconds
	2nd	Ceolwulf
	3rd	Fangirl
2025 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Lindermann	1 minute 34.46 seconds
	2nd	Sir Delius
	3rd	Vauban
2024 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Buckaroo	1 minute 33.76 seconds (R)
	2nd	Hinged
	3rd	Nonconformist
2023 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Navajo Peak	1 minute 35.92 seconds
	2nd	Major Beel
	3rd	Think It Over
2022 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Knights Order	1 minute 42.57 seconds
	2nd	Numerian
	3rd	No Compromise
2021 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Think It Over	1 minute 35.77 seconds
	2nd	Riodini
	3rd	Montefilia
2020 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Mister Sea Wolf	1 minute 34.32 seconds
	2nd	Yulong Prince
	3rd	Finche
2019 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Samadoubt	1 minute 35.15 seconds
	2nd	Avilius
	3rd	Girl Tuesday
2018 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Unforgotten	1 minute 35.18 seconds
	2nd	Ace High
	3rd	Libran
2017 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Winx	1 minute 34.1 seconds
	2nd	Red Excitement
	3rd	Chocante
2016 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Hartnell	1 minute 39.1 seconds
	2nd	Grand Marshal
	3rd	Storm The Stars
2015 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Complacent	1 minute 37.68 seconds
	2nd	Kermadec
	3rd	Royal Descent
2014 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Hawkspur	1 minute 39.32 seconds
	2nd	Royal Descent
	3rd	Bagman
2013 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Hawkspur	1 minute 34.79 seconds
	2nd	Beaten Up
	3rd	Lightinthenite
2012 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Danleigh	1 minute 36.42 seconds
	2nd	Secret Admirer
	3rd	Lamasery
2011 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Trusting	1 minute 37.12 seconds
	2nd	My Kingdom Of Fife
	3rd	Strike The Stars
2010 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Theseo	1 minute 39.61 seconds
	2nd	Metal Bender
	3rd	Purple
2009 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	O’Lonhro	1 minute 34.5 seconds
	2nd	Miss Marielle
	3rd	Triple Honour
2008 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Gallant Tess	1 minute 39.38 seconds
	2nd	Triple Honour
	3rd	Kishkat
2007 Chelmsford Stakes	Race Not Held
2006 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Eremein	1 minute 35.15 seconds
	2nd	Newton’s Rings
	3rd	Aqua d’Amore
2005 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Nevis	1 minute 35.73 seconds
	2nd	Sir Dex
	3rd	Natural Blitz
2004 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Unearthly	1 minute 37.93 seconds
	2nd	So Assertive
	3rd	Niello
2003 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Lonhro	1 minute 35.06 seconds
	2nd	Platinum Scissors
	3rd	Excellerator
2002 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Lonhro	1 minute 36.3 seconds
	2nd	Platinum Scissors
	3rd	Republic Lass
2001 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Brave Prince	1 minute 24.51 seconds
	2nd	Zabeels Angel
	3rd	The Man
2000 Chelmsford Stakes	1st	Pasta Express	1 minute 30.26 seconds
	2nd	Celestial Choir
	3rd	Al Mansour

Chelmsford Stakes FAQs

What distance is the Chelmsford Stakes run over?
The Chelmsford Stakes is run over 1600 metres at Royal Randwick, making it one of Sydney’s key early spring mile tests and a crucial form race for punters.

How many horses run in the Chelmsford Stakes?
The Chelmsford Stakes typically attracts a capacity field of around 14 runners, ensuring deep markets and strong betting opportunities for those following the early spring form.

When is the Chelmsford Stakes held?
The Chelmsford Stakes takes place in early September during the Sydney Spring Carnival, positioned perfectly between major lead-up races and upcoming Group 1 targets. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday September 5.

What type of race is the Chelmsford Stakes?
It is a Group 2 weight-for-age event run over the Randwick mile, regularly featuring elite middle-distance horses building toward races like the Epsom Handicap, The Metropolitan, and the Cox Plate.

Which horses are usually suited to the Chelmsford Stakes?
Punters typically look for second-up or third-up WFA performers, proven Randwick milers, and runners showing strong closing sectionals in their lead-up runs.

Where can I find Chelmsford Stakes odds and tips?
Updated Chelmsford Stakes odds, tips, and betting previews are available right here at Races.com.au, helping punters stay ahead of the market, as well as over at Ladbrokes.