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The sixth running of the Group 2 2026 The Invitation took place at Randwick on Saturday, October 24, 2026 as part of the Spring Champion Stakes Day card in Sydney and was won in style by Chris Waller’s class mare Lazzura ($2.70F).  

The Invitation 2026 is one of Australia’s premier races for fillies and mares, offering elite female gallopers the chance to compete for lucrative prizemoney during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Run over 1400 metres at Royal Randwick, the Group 2 feature has quickly established itself as a marquee event on the spring calendar, attracting a high-class field of proven Group performers, emerging stars, and in-form mares from across the country. With its substantial purse and exclusive mares-only conditions, The Invitation provides an important target for connections seeking spring success at one of Australia’s leading racecourses. At Races.com.au, punters can access the latest The Invitation odds 2026, field updates, form analysis, race results, and expert The Invitation betting 2026 tips as the nation’s best fillies and mares battle for glory in one of the richest and most prestigious female-only races in Australian racing.

2026 The Invitation Results

Stay tuned to view the official 2026 The Invitation results and finishing order this spring.

Winning Margin: 0.5 lengths

Winning Time: 1:21.06

The 2026 The Invitation results saw classy Chris Waller-trained mare Lazzura ($2.70 favourite) further enhance her outstanding record with victory in the Group 2 feature for fillies and mares over 1400m at Randwick. Ridden by Tommy Berry, the Coolmore Classic winner overcame a wide run after settling prominently to score by a half-length over rank outsider Infancy, with Verona Rose a short head away in third, stopping the clock in a slick 1:21.06. The win was Lazzura’s eighth from 20 career starts and her second straight Group 2 success following victory in the Golden Pendant, taking her earnings beyond $3.1 million. The performance has now brought the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington into consideration, with Ladbrokes trimming her 2026 Empire Rose Stakes odds from $15 into $11 should connections elect to back the in-form mare up seven days later on Derby Day.

Click here for the full story.

2026 The Invitation Race Replay

Lazzura is too classy in The Invitation ??@TommyBerry21 @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/HMBuzde0eI

— 7HorseRacing ? (@7horseracing) October 24, 2026

2026 The Invitation Odds & Finishing Order

See below for the latest The Invitation 2026 odds followed by the official finishing order after the event this spring.

2026 The Invitation Tips

Stay tuned for our insider The Invitation 2026 betting tips and exotic Randwick, spring racing selections on the Group 2 feature race of the season in Sydney for fillies and mares.

Check out our full 2026 The Invitation Predictions, Best Bets & Same Race Multi Selections today!

Favourite: No. 1 Lazzura

Each Way Danger: No. 3 Verona Rose

Best Roughie: No. 12 Modella

The $2 million The Invitation is a special racing event contested at Royal Randwick on Spring Champion Stakes Day in late October as part of the lucrative The Everest Carnival.

It officially gained Group 2 status in 2024. 

Sydney’s marquee race for fillies and mares, The Invitation is contested over 1400m by a 12-starter field of female gallopers that have been exclusively invited to take part.

The inaugural edition of The Invitation ran in 2022, and it is a set weights plus penalties race.

Each year Racing NSW convene a panel of racing experts to decide on which fillies and mares from around Australia and New Zealand are invited to take part in the race.

The Invitation runs alongside the Group 1 $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), Group 2 $750,000 Craven Plate (1800m) and the Group 3 $1 million Callander-Presnell (1600m).

The meeting runs on the same day as Melbourne’s Cox Plate Day card at The Valley.

The 2021 The Invitation form was franked with the inaugural winner Icebath going on to run a next-up second in that year’s Group 1 Kennedy Cantala (1600m) – now known as the Champions Mile. She also returned the following autumn to run third in both the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).

The 2021 runner-up Rocha Clock further franked the form also finishing second next-up in the Hot Danish Stakes, while the third-placed Forbidden Love took out the 2022 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes – George Ryder Stakes double next prep.

In 2023 Kerrin McEvoy made it a three-from-three clean-sweep with his win aboard Espiona to be the only The Invitation winning jockey from the race’s opening three editions.

Mares out of The Invitation race may also opt to back-up at Rosehill on The Five Diamonds Day in the Group 2 $500,000 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m).

Belclare (2024) was the last mare to complete The Invitation – Hot Danish Stakes double, while Magic Time ran second in both events that year.

The 2023 The Invitation form was franked with third placegetter Magic Time winning the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in Melbourne at her next start as well as the following autumn’s Group 1 All Aged Stakes back in Sydney.

Magic Time returned to run second in the 2024 The Invitation and also gain a start in the 2025 $20 million The Everest race field.

In 2025 Stefi Magnetica won The Invitation after claiming the autumn’s Doncaster Mile. The 2025 form was franked as she went on to place third at her next start in the Champions Mile at Flemington.

The 2026 The Invitation winner, Lazzura, came off a lead-up win in the Group 2 Golden Pendant.

The Invitation 2026
Date:	Saturday, October 24, 2026
Track:	Royal Randwick Racecourse
Distance:	1400m
Race Type:	Set Weights + Penalties – Fillies & Mares
Status:	Group 2 – Special Condition (Invitation Only)
Prize Money:	$2,000,000

2026 The Invitation Betting

The Invitation 2026 betting odds will be available here at Races.com.au as soon as The Invitation race betting opens this spring.

There was a notable upset in 2022 with Promise Of Success winning at The Invitation odds of $26.

Another blowout price was on offer for the 2024 The Invitation winner with Bjorn Baker’s Belclare saluting at $26 in the markets.

Lazzura ($2.70 in 2026) was the last The Invitation favourite to win.

2026 The Invitation Form Guide

The Invitation form guide is an essential resource for punters analysing one of Australia’s richest and most prestigious races for fillies and mares. Run over 1400 metres at Royal Randwick, the Group 2 feature attracts an elite field of female gallopers from across the country, including proven Group winners, emerging stars, and in-form mares chasing valuable black-type success. The form guide provides detailed information on each runner’s recent performances, barrier draw, weight allocation, jockey and trainer combinations, track and distance records, and current betting market movements. By studying The Invitation form guide, punters can identify the mares best suited to the high-quality 1400m contest and uncover the leading contenders ahead of race day.

What Punters Should Look for in The Invitation Form Guide:

• 1400m form – Strong performances at or around 1400m are often a key indicator of success in The Invitation.
• Mares-only race form – Proven results against fellow fillies and mares can be a valuable guide when assessing the field.
• Recent Group race performances – Horses coming through Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3 company often bring the strongest form lines.
• Randwick track record – Previous success at Royal Randwick can be a significant advantage, particularly over the testing 1400m trip.
• Barrier draw – A suitable barrier can help runners secure an economical run and ideal race position.
• Weight conditions – Assess how each mare is positioned under the race’s set weights and penalties conditions.
• Current spring form – Mares racing consistently well during the Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals often feature prominently.
• Track conditions – Some runners excel on firm tracks, while others are more effective on soft or heavy ground.
• Trainer and jockey combinations – Leading stables and top riders regularly target The Invitation with high-quality contenders.
• Sectional times and finishing speed – Horses capable of producing a strong turn of foot over the final stages can be particularly effective over 1400m.
• Class against elite opposition – Proven form against Group-level rivals is often a crucial factor in identifying genuine winning chances.
• Interstate form lines – With mares travelling from multiple racing jurisdictions, comparing the relative strength of interstate form can help uncover value in The Invitation betting 2026 markets.

FULL 2026 THE INVITATION FORM GUIDE

2026 The Invitation Field

The spring’s The Invitation field features an exclusive line-up of 12 fillies and mares from around Australia and New Zealand invited by a panel convened by Racing NSW to contest the $2 million showdown.

Fillies and mares with a proven Group 1 record in earlier races including the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) for fillies held earlier in October and the autumn’s Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) will make a good lead-up into The Invitation field.

The Invitation 2026 field will be confirmed on the Tuesday of race week at 10:00am (AEDT) and published below as soon as available.

The 2026 The Invitation final field features a dozen class mares led in betting by the widely drawn Chris Waller-trained Group 1 champion and last start Group 2 Golden Pendant winner Lazzura who sits top of the markets despite carrying the 59kg topweight from the outside gate.

2026 The Invitation Nominations

Mares nominated for The Invitation 2026 will be listed here as soon as officially released by Racing NSW the week of the race.

The Invitation History

The Invitation ran for the first time during the 2021 Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and was won by the Brad Widdup-trained Sacred Falls five-year-old Icebath.

Icebath returned to defend her title in 2022 but missed the kick and eventually ran ninth with the race won in an upset by Promise Of Success at $26.

In 2023 Espiona became the third The Invitation winner and was ridden by Kerrin McEvoy who also rode the first two winners of the event.

The 2024 The Invitation winner Belclare scored a one-length upset as a $26 outsider for trainer Bjorn Baker despite being a two-time Group 1 winner in New Zealand.

The 2025 The Invitation winner, Stefi Magnetica, returned to form in style with a strong late burst to salute for the first time since her Doncaster Mile win in the autumn to hand trainer Bjorn Baker back-to-back wins in the event.

YEAR	WINNER	2ND	3RD	TIME
2026	Lazzura	Infancy	Verona Rose	1:21.06
2025	Stefi Magnetica	Gerringong	Gangsta Granny	1:22.76
2024	Belclare	Magic Time	Makarena	1:20.74
2023	Espiona	Ruthless Dame	Magic Time	1:21.74
2022	Promise Of Success	Electric Girl	Nimalee	1:25.05
2021	Icebath	Rocha Clock	Forbidden Love	1:22.37

The Invitation FAQs