Join Ladbrokes Races.com.au Favourite Bookmaker!

Join Ladbrokes through Races.com.au and be ready when the gates open.

SPRNGC

Copy Signup Code

Code used for tracking purposes only.

Chances are you’re about to lose. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au

Join Ladbrokes Races.com.au Favourite Bookmaker!

Join Ladbrokes through Races.com.au and be ready when the gates open.

SPRNGC

Copy Signup Code

Code used for tracking purposes only.

Chances are you’re about to lose. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au

---

---

The Tramway Stakes 2026 ran on Saturday September 5, 2026 as a key lead-up to the Group 1 spring, mile events and was won in a photo thriller by the consistent Joe Pride-trained Headley Grange ($3.80). 

The Tramway Stakes 2026 is one of the Sydney Spring Carnival’s most reliable early season form races, and Races.com.au gives punters the complete rundown on this key Group 2 Randwick feature. Run over 1400m and perfectly placed as a launching pad toward major Group 1 targets, the Tramway regularly produces Epsom Handicap, King Charles III Stakes, and Cox Plate contenders, making it a must watch event for anyone tracking serious spring movers. With proven Group race performers, sharp second-up improvers and emerging middle-distance types all clashing at a pivotal point in their campaigns, the race delivers deep markets, strong betting angles and plenty of value for punters who follow the form closely. Our Tramway Stakes tips, race history, trends, and updated Tramway Stakes 2026 odds are designed help punters feel confident backing a winner as the spring action heats up.

2026 Tramway Stakes Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 Tramway Stakes results and finishing order this Chelmsford Stakes Day.

• 1st: No. 1 Headley Grange ($3.80)
• 2nd: No. 9 Soothsayer
• 3rd: No. 3 Attica

Winning Margin: 0.03 lengths

Winning Time: 1:21.54

Headley Grange ($3.80) made a sharp return to racing on Chelmsford Stakes Day, the six-year-old Exosphere gelding digging in late to claim victory in the 2026 Group 2 Tramway Stakes results at Randwick and reaffirm his status as one of Joe Pride’s most reliable winners. First-up and typically competitive, he settled just off the speed under Adam Hyeronimus, relaxed beautifully, then surged through the final 100 metres to edge out the brave Soothsayer, with stablemate Attica finishing strongly for third. The win — his 13th from 30 starts — adds another black-type success to a résumé that already includes the Kingsford Smith Cup and Cameron Handicap, pushing his prizemoney beyond $2.6 million. Pride praised the horse’s trademark will to win, noting he “just finds a way”, and flagged the Group 3 $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes at Rosehill on October 10 as a likely next step, while Attica heads toward the Epsom. The Tramway result again showcased Headley Grange’s toughness, versatility and elite turn of foot, setting him up for another lucrative spring campaign.

2026 Tramway Stakes Odds & Finishing Order

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

2026 Tramway Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Tramway Stakes 2026 Tips on the important spring lead-up this Chelmsford Stakes Day.

The Tramway Stakes, previously called the Tramway Handicap, is held on Chelmsford Stakes Day and shares the race card with three other Group status races. These are the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m), the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) and the now $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m) for potential The Everest bound sprinters.

Chelmsford Stakes Day really kicks off the action of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and results across the program serve as a good guide for upcoming Group 1 features of the festival.

Quite a few of horses in the Tramway Stakes field may have come via the Show County Quality two weeks earlier. Those horses that perform well in the Tramway Stakes might choose to target later races such as Randwick’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) a month later.

Happy Clapper (2017) was the last galloper to complete the Tramway Stakes – Epsom Handicap double.

It can also serve as a nice lead-up into the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) – now run on The Everest Day as the King Charles III Stakes – with the 2019 Tramway Stakes winner Dreamforce finishing second in that elite level feature next start. Dreamforce successfully defended his Tramway Stakes title in 2020 and ran third in that year’s George Main Stakes behind the Tramway runner-up Kolding who went one better in the Group 1 rematch.

Sincero (2011) was the last horse to win the Tramway Stakes – George Main double before the latter was renamed ahead of the 2023 edition.

The 2021 Tramway Stakes form was franked with the winner Zaaki winning Melbourne’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) next start. Zaaki also ran third in that spring’s Caulfield Stakes and won the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) after being scratched from the Cox Plate field as the favourite on race day morning. He returned in 2022 to further frank the form with a strong autumn campaign headlined by success in the The All-Star Mile (1600m).

Zaaki returned to successfully defend his Tramway Stakes title in 2022 before also going back-to-back in the Mackinnon Stakes (run as the VRC Champions Stakes).

The 2022 Tramway form was further franked with the second placed mare Icebath also running second in that year’s George Main Stakes before her Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes win at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

In 2023 the Tramway Stakes winner Pericles went on to run second in that spring’s Golden Eagle quinella franking the form. He also returned in the autumn of 2024 and enjoyed Group 1 placings when second in the Futurity Stakes and Doncaster Mile.

The 2024 Tramway form was franked with the winner Royal Patronage going on to run third in the $1 million 7 Stakes, Epsom Handicap and $2 million Hill Stakes. He also returned in the autumn of 2025 to win the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes and finish second in that year’s Doncaster Mile quinella.

The Tramway Stakes champion from 2025, Pericles, would continue on to enjoy a strong spring campaign including a next-up third in the Epsom Handicap trifecta and second during the Melbourne Cup Carnival in the Champions Mile. He also returned in 2026 to win the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield fresh.

2026 Tramway Stakes
Date:	Saturday September 5, 2026
Track:	Royal Randwick Racecourse
Distance:	1400m
Race Type:	Set Weights + Penalties
Status:	Group 2
Prize Money:	$300,000

2026 Tramway Stakes Betting

The latest Tramway Stakes 2026 betting odds and markets courtesy of Ladbrokes will be available at Races.com.au the week of the race.

Dreamforce ($3.30 in 2019 and 2020) followed by Zaaki ($2.30 in 2021 and $1.90 in 2022) are the latest favourites in Tramway Stakes betting to win.

There was a notable upset in 2024 with US import Royal Patronage saluting at Tramway Stakes odds of $16 for the Waterhouse/Bott stable.

2026 Tramway Stakes Form

The Tramway Stakes form guide is the key resource punters use to break down every runner in the Group 2 1400m set weights with penalties feature at Randwick. The form guide gives a complete snapshot of each horse’s credentials heading into the Tramway Stakes — including recent runs, distance stats, track preferences, horse profiles, and barrier patterns. The Tramway often attracts a mix of resuming Group performers, second-up improvers, and emerging middle-distance horses chasing early spring black-type. Punters use the guide to identify which runners are ready to peak early in their spring campaign and which are building toward bigger targets like the Epsom Handicap.

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

• Race conditions impact — Punters look for horses well weighted under the conditions or those carrying minimal penalties compared to rivals.
• 1400m Randwick form — Proven Randwick 1400m performers have a major advantage, especially those with strong finishes down the long straight.
• First-up and second-up profiles — Many Tramway winners improve sharply second-up; punters check historical prep patterns.
• Trial and jump-out form — Strong trials often signal readiness for a big fresh performance.
• Sectional strength — Fast closing splits in lead-up runs or trials indicate a horse is primed for 1400m.
• Stable plans for the carnival — Big stables like Waller and Waterhouse/Bott often target the Tramway as a stepping-stone to Group 1 goals.
• Barrier and map — The Tramway can be tactical; punters look for runners who map well in a race that often features a genuine tempo.
• Historical trends — Many winners come through the Winx Stakes or similar 1400m lead-ups.

FULL 2026 TRAMWAY STAKES FORM GUIDE

2026 Tramway Stakes Field

The official Tramway Stakes 2026 Field & Barriers are released the Wednesday of race week and will be available in full below.

The 2026 Tramway Stakes final field features a talented line-up of Group 1 hopefuls with the Matthew Smith-trained Group 1 champ Idle Flyer leading the markets second-up.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Probable Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	10x457510x	HEADLEY GRANGE	Joseph Pride	Adam Hyeronimus	2	58kg			113
2	22112x450x	TRANSATLANTIC	Tony Gollan	Ben Thompson	6	58kg			109
3	211x4380x2	ATTICA	Joseph Pride	Kerrin McEvoy	4	58kg			101
4	5x4004x09x	EL CASTELLO	John Thompson	Tommy Berry	8	58kg			99
5	4152x365x2	PRIVATE EYE	Joseph Pride	Nash Rawiller	9	57kg			113
6	4164x834x0	FANGIRL	Chris Waller	Jason Collett	1	56kg			118
7	1210x411x6	IDLE FLYER	Matthew Smith	Zac Lloyd	3	56kg			115
8	211x65712x	PANOVA	Chris Waller	James McDonald	7	56kg			100
9	830x2411x2	SOOTHSAYER	Michael Freedman	Ms Rachel King	5	55kg			97

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

2026 Tramway Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the Tramway Stakes in 2026 are taken the Monday of race week and will be published in full below once released.

The 2026 Tramway Stakes nominations drew a dozen middle-distance gallopers led in all-in betting by Matthew Smith’s Group 1 Queen Of The Turf winning mare Idle Flyer.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	211x4380x2	ATTICA	G	4	Joseph Pride	101
2	5x4004x09x	EL CASTELLO	G	5	John Thompson	99
3	4164x834x0	FANGIRL	M	8	Chris Waller	118
4	33232×2913	GENERAL SALUTE	G	6	Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou	107
5	10x457510x	HEADLEY GRANGE	G	6	Joseph Pride	113
6	722302011x	HELLSING (IRE)	G	7	Annabel & Rob Archibald	102
7	1210x411x6	IDLE FLYER	M	5	Matthew Smith	115
8	472x3342x4	LADY SHENANDOAH	M	5	Chris Waller	115
9	211x65712x	PANOVA	M	4	Chris Waller	100
10	4152x365x2	PRIVATE EYE	G	9	Joseph Pride	113
11	830x2411x2	SOOTHSAYER	G	7	Michael Freedman	97
12	22112x450x	TRANSATLANTIC	G	6	Tony Gollan	109

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Tramway Stakes History

The inaugural edition of the Tramway Handicap – now the Tramway Stakes – was in 1886 with Burrilda becoming the first ever Tramway Handicap winner. The race location has varied between Royal Randwick and Warwick Farm over the years with Rosehill hosting for one year in 2000 and the other two tracks changing variously (the location has changed seven times since 1984).

Initially a Principal Race in 1978 the Tramway Stakes became a Listed race. It held this status until 1984 when it was upgraded to Group 3. Following the 2013 edition the Tramway received a further upgrade to Group 2.

For the first 85 years of its existence the Tramway Handicap was run over 7 furlongs. In 1972 this was rounded down slightly to 1400m to bring it in line with the Metric system. The race stayed at 1400m until the year 2000 when it was ran over 1350m. The next year it ran over 1300m. From 2002 onwards the Tramway Stakes has returned to its 1400m race distance.

Notable Tramway Stakes winners include Pompous (1906), Amounis (1928), Rogilla (dead heat with Chatham in 1932’s first edition of the race), Shaftesbury Avenue (1990), Rangirangdoo (2009), Sincero (2011), Happy Clapper (2017), Zaaki (2021 & 2022), and Royal Patronage (2024).

In 2020 Dreamforce became the first back-to-back Tramway winner since Grenoble (1959-60) but at set weights plus penalties (not handicap).

Zaaki (2021-22) is the latest back-to-back Tramway Stakes champion.

Pericles (2023 & 2025) is the latest dual Tramway Stakes champion.

Tramway Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.

Tramway Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2026 Tramway Handicap	1st	Headley Grange	1 minute 21.54 seconds
	2nd	Soothsayer
	3rd	Attica
2025 Tramway Handicap	1st	Pericles	1 minute 22.38 seconds
	2nd	Private Eye
	3rd	With Your Blessing
2024 Tramway Handicap	1st	Royal Patronage	1 minute 20.41 seconds
	2nd	Amelia’s Jewel
	3rd	Kovalica
2023 Tramway Handicap	1st	Pericles	1 minute 22.85 seconds
	2nd	Skyman
	3rd	Hope In Your Heart
2022 Tramway Handicap	1st	Zaaki	1 minute 28.17 seconds
	2nd	Icebath
	3rd	Nimalee
2021 Tramway Handicap	1st	Zaaki	1 minute 22.33 seconds
	2nd	Aramayo
	3rd	Star Of The Seas
2020 Tramway Handicap	1st	Dreamforce	1 minute 21.84 seconds
	2nd	Kolding
	3rd	Reloaded
2019 Tramway Handicap	1st	Dreamforce	1 minute 21.69 seconds
	2nd	Te Akau Shark
	3rd	Eckstein
2018 Tramway Handicap	1st	Comin’ Through	1 minute 22.17 seconds
	2nd	Tom Melbourne
	3rd	Dixie Blossoms
2017 Tramway Handicap	1st	Happy Clapper	1 minute 21.9 seconds
	2nd	Tom Melbourne
	3rd	Invincible Gem
2016 Tramway Handicap	1st	Hauraki	1 minute 25.9 seconds
	2nd	Le Romain
	3rd	Dibayani
2015 Tramway Handicap	1st	Hooked	1 minute 24.4 seconds
	2nd	Ecuador
	3rd	Rudy
2014 Tramway Handicap	1st	Lucia Valentina	1 minute 26.6 seconds
	2nd	Tiger Tees
	3rd	Toydini
2013 Tramway Handicap	1st	Malavio	1 minute 21.3 seconds
	2nd	Bello
	3rd	Royal Descent
2012 Tramway Handicap	1st	Tagus	1 minute 22.5 seconds
	2nd	Kontiki Park
	3rd	Moment Of Time
2011 Tramway Handicap	1st	Sincero	1 minute 22.2 seconds
	2nd	Secret Admirer
	3rd	Thankgodyou’rehere
2010 Tramway Handicap	1st	Neeson	1 minute 26.1 seconds
	2nd	Cannonball
	3rd	Herculian Prince
2009 Tramway Handicap	1st	Rangirangdoo	1 minute 21.9 seconds
	2nd	Strat’s Flyer
	3rd	Murray’s Sun
2008 Tramway Handicap	1st	Bank Robber	1 minute 25.7 seconds
	2nd	Kick ‘N’ Chase
	3rd	Vecchia Roma
2007 Tramway Handicap	1st	Race Not Held	–
	2nd	–
	3rd	–
2006 Tramway Handicap	1st	Primus	1 minute 25.6 seconds
	2nd	Stormhill
	3rd	Flaming
2005 Tramway Handicap	1st	Shania Dane	1 minute 22.7 seconds
	2nd	Lotteria
	3rd	Utzon
2004 Tramway Handicap	1st	Nips	1 minute 22.9 seconds
	2nd	West Country
	3rd	Desert War
2003 Tramway Handicap	1st	Sportsman	1 minute 21.8 seconds
	2nd	Britt’s Best
	3rd	Boreale
2002 Tramway Handicap	1st	Gordo	1 minute 24.0 seconds
	2nd	Shot Of Thunder
	3rd	Universal Prince
2001 Tramway Handicap	1st	Diamond Dane	1 minute 18.3 seconds
	2nd	Maitland Gold
	3rd	Kootoomootoo
2000 Tramway Handicap	1st	Mr Innocent	1 minute 20.6 seconds
	2nd	Eau D’Scay
	3rd	Freemason

Tramway Stakes FAQs

What distance is the Tramway Stakes run over?
The Tramway Stakes is run over 1400 metres at Royal Randwick, making it a key early spring form race for horses building toward major Group 1 targets.

How many horses run in the Tramway Stakes?
The Tramway Stakes generally attracts a capacity field of around 14 runners, delivering deep markets and strong betting opportunities for punters following the early season Sydney form.

When is the Tramway Stakes held?
The race is run in early September during the Sydney Spring Carnival, positioned perfectly as a stepping-stone toward races like the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday September 5.

What type of race is the Tramway Stakes?
It is a Group 2 set weights with penalties event, attracting resuming Group performers, sharp second-up types and emerging middle-distance horses chasing black-type.

Which horses are suited to the Tramway Stakes?
Punters typically look for proven Randwick 1400m performers, strong first-up or second-up profiles, and runners showing sharp closing sectionals in lead-up trials or races.

Where can I find Tramway Stakes odds and tips?
Updated Tramway Stakes odds, tips and betting previews are available at Races.com.au to help punters stay ahead of the market as well as at Ladbrokes.