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The Fred Best Classic is a Group 3 race for three-year-olds held during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival in late May.
Fred Best Classic News
The Group 3 Fred Best Classic is a 1400m event held annually in late May at Eagle Farm Racecourse.
Held during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival on Kingsford Smith Cup Day the event can serves as a potential lead-up for three-year-olds heading towards the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) run back at the track and distance a fortnight later.
Note, in 2025 the event ran over 1350m at Doomben.
Run under set weight conditions, the Fred Best Classic is open only to three-year-olds and now offers a lucrative $300,000 in total prize money following a prize money boost ahead of the 2023 edition.
In 2020 COVID-19 saw a number of major changes to the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival including the Fred Best Classic taking place over 1350m at Doomben Racecourse as the key event at the meeting offering a reduced $125,000 in prize money.
The 2020 edition of the Fred Best Classic also offered a ballot exemption to the winner for the following week’s Stradbroke Handicap field, one of just two elite level races taking place during the carnival due to Coronavirus.
The 2022 Fred Best Classic form was franked with the winner Vilana going on to take out Sydney’s $1 million Silver Eagle and $1 million The Hunter race at Newcastle that spring.
In 2023 the Fred Best Classic winner Hawaii Five Oh ran a next-up third in that year’s Stradbroke Handicap trifecta.
The 2024 Fred Best Classic produced that year’s Stradbroke Handicap winner with the filly Stefi Magnetica winning the Group 1 on the back of a lead-up Fred Best third. She also won the following year’s Doncaster Mile in Sydney.
The 2026 Fred Best Classic runs on Saturday May 30, 2026 at Eagle Farm Racecourse as a potential Stradbroke Handicap lead-up.Â
Fred Best Classic Info: | |
Date: | Saturday May 30, 2026 |
Track: | Eagle Farm Racecourse |
Distance: | 1400m |
Race Type: | 3YOs – Set Weights |
Status: | Group 3 |
Prizemoney: | $300,000 |
2026 Fred Best Classic Results
Stay tuned for the official 2026 Fred Best Classic results and finishing order at Eagle Farm on Saturday May 30, 2026 and see what horses could have the Ladbrokes Stradbroke in sight!
- 1st: TBD
- 2nd: TBD
- 3rd: TBD
Winning Margin: TBD
Winning Time: TBD
2026 Fred Best Classic Betting
The winter’s latest Fred Best Classic 2026 betting odds and links to the markets at Ladbrokes.com.au will be available at Races.com.au once released.
Dawn Passage ($2.15 in 2020) was the last favourite in Fred Best Classic betting to salute for the punters.
There was a notable upset in 2022 with the James Cummings-trained Hallowed Crown colt Vilana winning at Fred Best Classic odds of $15.
Another double-figure contender won the 2025 race with Spicy Martini taking out the rescheduled Fred Best over 1350m at Doomben at a $10 starting price.
2026 Fred Best Classic Form
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 FRED BEST CLASSIC FORM GUIDE
2026 Fred Best Classic Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Fred Best Classic 2026 Tips on the popular Brisbane Group 3 showdown this winter.
- To Win: TBD
2026 Fred Best Classic Field
The Fred Best Classic field attracts a strong line-up of both local Queensland-trained three-year-olds as well as interstate raiders chasing the Brisbane winter racing riches. The race was a good lead-up to the Queensland Guineas before a change in the race schedule in 2021 and may be a next-up option for gallopers coming off a run in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) earlier in the month.
In 2021 the Queensland Guineas ran prior to the Fred Best Classic, and the runner-up Apache Chase enjoyed an upset win in the latter. Beaten odds-on favourite in the 2021 Fred Best Classic, Ayrton went on to win the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) next start.
The official Fred Best Classic 2026 final field & barriers are set for release by Racing Queensland on the Wednesday of race week and will be published in full below.
2026 Fred Best Classic Nominations
The early Fred Best Classic 2026 nominations close on the Monday of race week and will be updated in full below.
Fred Best Classic History
The Fred Best Classic was first run in 1984, when Bonnie Princess seized victory. Initially, the race was run for two-year-olds and was known as the Courier Mail 2YO Classic. The Fred Best Classic has experienced many name changes over the years. Since 2000, the race has been known variously as the Powerhouse Classic, the Wyndham Estate Classic, the Richmond Grove Classic, the BTC Classic (2006-2009) and finally the Fred Best Classic from 2010 onwards.
The Fred Best Classic was previously on Doomben Cup Day before being moved later on the carnival schedule.
Named after renowned Brisbane trainer Fred Best, the Fred Best Classic always attracts a stellar field. Peter Snowden has had three winners in the race (2008, 2012 and 2019), making him the most successful trainer.
The fastest time is held by Gold Edition, who won the race in 2007 with a blistering 1:17.52. From 2017 onwards the Fred Best Classic will be run at Eagle Farm, moved from Doomben, and raced over 1400m (up from 1350m).
In 2020 the Fred Best Classic ran at Doomben over 1350m due to COVID-19.
The 2025 Fred Best Classic was moved from Eagle Farm to Doomben and takes place midweek on a Wednesday after the original meeting was washed out.
Fred Best Classic results since 2000 are listed below.
Fred Best Classic Results
Year |
Place |
Horse |
Time |
| 2026 Fred Best Classic | 1st | TBD | TBD |
| 2nd | TBD | ||
| 3rd | TBD | ||
| 2025 Fred Best Classic (Held at Doomben over 1350m) | 1st | Spicy Martini | 1:20.95 (over 1350m) |
| 2nd | Media World | ||
| 3rd | Pisces | ||
| 2024 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Roll On High | 1:24.69 |
| 2nd | Rhythm Of Love | ||
| 3rd | Stefi Magnetica | ||
| 2023 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Hawaii Five Oh | 1:22.82 |
| 2nd | Yellow Brick | ||
| 3rd | End Assembly | ||
| 2022 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Vilana | 1:22.43 |
| 2nd | Kiss Sum | ||
| 3rd | Battleton | ||
| 2021 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Apache Chase | 1:20.06 |
| 2nd | Ayrton | ||
| 3rd | Amish Boy | ||
| 2020 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Dawn Passage | 1:18.83 (over 1350m) |
| 2nd | Exhilarates | ||
| 3rd | Subpoenaed | ||
| 2019 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Military Zone | 1:22.06 |
| 2nd | Baccarat Baby | ||
| 3rd | Krone | ||
| 2018 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Perast | 1:19.70 |
| 2nd | Assimilate | ||
| 3rd | Mishani Bullitt | ||
| 2017 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Niccanova | 1:26.59 |
| 2nd | Sylpheed | ||
| 3rd | I Thought So | ||
| 2016 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Counterattack | 1:18.86 |
| 2nd | Takedown | ||
| 3rd | Perfect Dare | ||
| 2015 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Najoom | 1:19.00 |
| 2nd | Miss Cover Girl | ||
| 3rd | Awesome Rock | ||
| 2014 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Havana | 1:19.2 |
| 2nd | Into The Red | ||
| 3rd | Dothraki | ||
| 2013 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Platinum Kingdom | 1:19.8 |
| 2nd | Boban | ||
| 3rd | Academus | ||
| 2012 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Mental | 1:19.3 |
| 2nd | Amah Rock | ||
| 3rd | Boys On Tour | ||
| 2011 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Falino | 1:18.8 |
| 2nd | Spirit Of Boom | ||
| 3rd | Skilled | ||
| 2010 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Stryker | 1:19.1 |
| 2nd | Happy Hippy | ||
| 3rd | Graceful Anna | ||
| 2009 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Court | 1:19.4 |
| 2nd | Leapfrog | ||
| 3rd | Geeza | ||
| 2008 Fred Best Classic | 1st | El Cambio | 1:19.2 |
| 2nd | Mr Unforgettable | ||
| 3rd | Diplomatic Force | ||
| 2007 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Gold Edition | 1:8.44 |
| 2nd | Grand Reve | ||
| 3rd | J’Adane | ||
| 2006 Fred Best Classic | 1st | La Montagna | 1:18.0 |
| 2nd | Century Serb | ||
| 3rd | Pasikatera | ||
| 2005 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Gumnuts | 1:18.8 |
| 2nd | Rich Megadale | ||
| 3rd | Aqua D Amore | ||
| 2004 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Gallieni | 1:18.1 |
| 2nd | Drunken Joker | ||
| 3rd | Sky Cuddle | ||
| 2003 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Proudly Agro | 1:18.9 |
| 2nd | Brief Embrace | ||
| 3rd | Charlie Bub | ||
| 2002 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Tellson | 1:17.8 |
| 2nd | Gabfest | ||
| 3rd | Acadame | ||
| 2001 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Marlina | 1:19.2 |
| 2nd | Zariz | ||
| 3rd | Johann Lover | ||
| 2000 Fred Best Classic | 1st | Cryptavia | 1:20.7 |
| 2nd | Make Mine Magic | ||
| 3rd | The Kildare Kid | ||
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