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The 2026 Kingston Town Stakes takes place on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Randwick offering the winner a The Metropolitan ballot exemption. 

The Kingston Town Stakes 2026 is one of Sydney’s most important staying tests of the spring, a tactical Group 2 event run over 2000m at Randwick that consistently shapes the path towards the major middle-distance and staying features ahead. As a key lead-up to races like The Metropolitan and even the Caulfield Cup, the Kingston Town Stakes brings together in-form stayers, emerging talents on the rise, and seasoned campaigners building towards peak fitness. Punters analysing the 2026 Kingston Town Stakes odds and tracking Kingston Town Stakes betting markets rely on this race for reliable spring form lines, tempo insights and early clues on which horses are ready to handle the step up in trip. This page delivers everything you need to study the field, assess the staying profiles and get set for one of Randwick’s most influential 2000m contests of the carnival.

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Odds

See below for the latest Kingston Town Stakes 2026 odds followed by the official finishing order after the event this spring.

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Kingston Town Stakes 2026 Tips on The Metropolitan lead-up this spring.

The Kingston Town Stakes is a Group 3 staying event held at Randwick Racecourse in September each year during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival on The Shorts Day. The event shares the program with three other Group status races including the $1 million Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) for The Everest-bound sprinters and the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes for three-year-old fillies looking at a run in the Flight Stakes next-up.

Replacing the George Main Stakes – which now runs as the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on The Everest Day in mid-October – on the card as of 2023 is the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m) which offers an Epsom Handicap ballot exemption and received a Group 2 upgrade in 2026.

Held over 2000m, the Kingston Town Stakes is now run under set weights plus penalties conditions and presents an early staying challenge. Open to horses aged three years and older, the Kingston Town Stakes is a great race for form guidance in later features in Sydney over the spring. With a total purse of $250,000, the Kingston Town Stakes draws some very talented horses each year.

Those horses that perform well in the Kingston Town Stakes often seek to target the Group 1 The Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) at Royal Randwick a fortnight later with the winner of the Group 3 exempt from The Metropolitan ballot.

The latest gallopers to complete the Kingston Town Stakes – The Metropolitan double in the same season were Herculian Prince (2010) followed by Just Fine (2023).

In 2018 Brimham Rocks ran second in both the Kingston Town and The Metropolitan before returning to run third in the latter again two years later in 2020.

The race can also serve as a lead-up into the Melbourne majors including the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington that the 2019 Kingston Town Stakes winner Finche ran second in before a Caulfield Cup fifth and seventh in that year’s Melbourne Cup results.

Trainer Chris Waller has an outstanding record in the race preparing eight Kingston Town Stakes winners from 2007-25, most recently Birdman (2025).

Gai Waterhouse meanwhile has prepared eight winners since 1999 with her latest being Taikomochi (2020), Just Fine (2023), and Eliyass (2024) all in partnership with Adrian Bott.

The 2021 Kingston Town Stakes form was franked with the runner-up Montefilia winning The Metropolitan next start before a fourth in that year’s Caulfield Cup results. She also returned the following autumn and won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes in 2022.

The 2022 Kingston Town Stakes third placegetter Knight’s Order went on to frank the form running third in the Caulfield Cup trifecta before a solid ninth in the Melbourne Cup. He also returned the following autumn and was third in the 2023 Sydney Cup results.

The Kingston Town Stakes is a good horses’ races and often produces subsequent Group 1 winners and placegetters as was the case in 2024 when the winner, Eliyass, ran a next-up third in that year’s Turnbull Stakes trifecta.

The runner-up Ceolwulf however was the real star out of the early spring event going on to claim that spring’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap – King Charles III Stakes double.

Kingston Town Stakes
Date:	Saturday, September 19, 2026
Track:	Randwick Racecourse
Distance:	2000m
Conditions:	3YO&UP – SW+P
Status:	Group 3
Prizemoney:	$250,000
Inaugurated:	1948

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Results

Stay tuned for the official 2026 Kingston Town Stakes results and finishing order and to see what horse has raced their way into the Group 1 The Metropolitan field!

• 1st: TBD
• 2nd: TBD
• 3rd: TBD

Winning Margin: TBD

Winning Time: TBD

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Betting Odds

The spring’s top Kingston Town Stakes 2026 betting odds and links to the markets at Ladbrokes will be provided for punters at Races.com.au the week of the race.

She’s Ideel ($2.80 in 2021) and Just Fine ($3.30 in 2023) are the latest favourites in Kingston Town Stakes betting to salute for the punters.

There was a notable upset in 2022 with Alegron winning at Kingston Town Stakes odds of $20.

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Form

The Kingston Town Stakes form guide is the key resource punters use to assess every runner lining up in Randwick’s crucial 2000m Group 2 staying test. As one of the most influential middle-distance races of the Sydney spring — and a major lead-up to The Metropolitan and even the Caulfield Cup — the form guide brings together each horse’s recent runs, staying profile, fitness progression, and suitability to the Randwick 2000m. For punters looking to identify which stayers are ready to peak, the Kingston Town Stakes form guide is one of the most reliable indicators of spring potential.

What Punters Should Look for on the Kingston Town Stakes Form Guide:

• Staying profile — how each runner has performed at 1800m–2000m and beyond.
• Fitness progression — many horses improve sharply third-up or fourth-up into this race.
• Randwick 2000m form — the testing rise to the line rewards genuine stayers with strength late.
• Tempo suitability — on-pace runners can control the race, but strong closers often excel if the tempo is solid.
• Track conditions — many stayers have clear preferences for firm or soft ground.
• Stable intent — leading stables often target this race as a key stepping-stone to major Group 1 staying features.

FULL 2026 KINGSTON TOWN STAKES FORM GUIDE

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Field

The 2026 Kingston Town Stakes field is announced by Racing NSW on the Wednesday leading-up to The Shorts Day and will be provided in full below along with the official Kingston Town Stakes Barriers & Weights.

2026 Kingston Town Stakes Nominations

Nominations for the Kingston Town Stakes in 2026 close the Monday of race week and will be published for punters below as soon as announced.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Hcp Rating
1	2×15111	AETHELWULF	G	4	Matthew Smith	82
2	20x028545x	ATHABASCAN (FR)	G	8	John O’Shea & Tom Charlton	97
3	35x1x52251	BONIFACE (FR)	G	5	Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)	99
4	378x09x015	ELIYASS (FR)	G	8	Ciaron Maher	111
5	x000x6958x	FAWKNER PARK (IRE)	G	8	Declan Maher	103
6	155x072x88	FLOATING	G	8	Matthew Smith	95
7	11x6621x86	GREEN SPACES	H	4	Bjorn Baker	102
8	23x93339x3	JUJA KIBO (IRE)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	97
9	x41615x06x	KLONDIKE (GB)	G	7	John O’Shea & Tom Charlton	104
10	081x5110x4	MR MONACO (GB)	G	6	Ciaron Maher	97
11	8x51456x57	PIGGYBACK	M	6	Ciaron Maher	102
12	024x0447x0	RIVER OF STARS (IRE)	M	8	Chris Waller	107
13	3x94262x68	SOUL OF SPAIN (IRE)	G	6	Chris Waller	106
14	82x14372x0	SOULCOMBE (GB)	G	8	Chris Waller	107
15	1x75x236x2	STARZINTHEIREYES (GB)	G	5	John O’Shea & Tom Charlton	85
16	45612417×4	THE EUPHRATES (GB)	G	6	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
17	4334434×95	TRAVOLTA (GB)	G	6	Chris Waller	101
18	130x8670x0	VALIANT KING (GB)	G	7	Chris Waller	100
19	1x75516x80	WOOTTON VERNI (FR)	G	6	Chris Waller	107

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

Kingston Town Stakes History

Columnist won the inaugural edition of the Kingston Town Stakes in 1948. Since then, the race has enjoyed considerable spectator support and strong fields from great stables. Named in honour of champion racehorse Kingston Town (who won the race twice prior to its renaming), the Kingston Town Stakes is rich with history.

Known as the STC Cup between 1948 and 1983, the Kingston Town Stakes was not given its current name until the 1984 edition, a few years after Kingston Town’s wins in 1980 and 1981. Initially, the race was 1.5 miles in length, which is approximately 2400 metres. This was normalised to 2400 metres in 1972 and stayed that way until the 1991 edition ran over 1900 metres. Since 1992, however, the Kingston Town Stakes has remained 2000 metres in length.

Initially a Principal Race, the Kingston Town Stakes was given Group 3 status in 1979 and has remained at this grade since. Usually held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, in 1991 the Kingston Town Stakes was hosted by Canterbury Park for a year.

Notable Kingston Town Stakes winners include Monte Carlo (1958), Tails (1969), Kingston Town (1980, 81), Swiss Echo (2001), Lamasery (2011), Finche (2017), and Avilius (2018).

Kingston Town Stakes results since 2000 are listed below.

Kingston Town Stakes Results

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2026 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	TBD	TBD
	2nd	TBD
	3rd	TBD
2025 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Birdman	2 minutes 01.85 seconds
	2nd	Adelaide River
	3rd	Etna Rosso
2024 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Eliyass	2 minutes 01.54 seconds
	2nd	Ceolwulf
	3rd	Golden Path
2023 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Just Fine	2 minutes 00.39 seconds
	2nd	Benaud
	3rd	Montefilia
2022 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Alegron	2 minutes 06.79 seconds
	2nd	Benaud
	3rd	Knights Order
2021 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	She’s Ideel	2 minutes 05.50 seconds
	2nd	Montefilia
	3rd	Entente
2020 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Taikomochi	2 minutes 0.84 seconds
	2nd	Shared Ambition
	3rd	Brimham Rocks
2019 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Finche	2 minutes 4.42 seconds
	2nd	Stampede
	3rd	Carzoff
2018 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Avilius	2 minutes 2.01 seconds
	2nd	Brimham Rocks
	3rd	I Am Serious
2017 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Libran	2 minutes 2.76 seconds
	2nd	Antonio Giuseppe
	3rd	Life Less Ordinary
2016 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	McCreery	2 minute 3.8 seconds
	2nd	Sir John Hawkwood
	3rd	Allergic
2015 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Silverball	2 minutes 02.98 seconds
	2nd	Maurus
	3rd	Foundry
2014 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	He’s Your Man	2 minutes 04.02 seconds
	2nd	Kingdoms
	3rd	Deane Martin
2013 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Prince Cheri	2 minutes 03.4 seconds
	2nd	Honorius
	3rd	Julienas
2012 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Stout Hearted	2 minutes 00.6 seconds
	2nd	Crafty Irna
	3rd	Strawberry Boy
2011 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Lamasery	2 minutes 02.5 seconds
	2nd	Crafty Irna
	3rd	Mourayan
2010 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Herculian Prince	2 minutes 01.5 seconds
	2nd	Stormhill
	3rd	The Embassy
2009 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Ready To Lift	2 minutes 01.9 seconds
	2nd	Voice Coach
	3rd	God’s Hand
2008 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Hurrah	2 minutes 03.3 seconds
	2nd	Red Lord
	3rd	Sir Fussalot
2007 Kingston Town Stakes	Race Not Held
2006 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Mr Martini	2 minutes 05.5 seconds
	2nd	Vanquished
	3rd	Lookout
2005 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Stormhill	2 minutes 01.1 seconds
	2nd	Railings
	3rd	Carael Boy
2004 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Just Polite	2 minutes 04.0 seconds
	2nd	Seul Amour
	3rd	New York Style
2003 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Ariante	2 minutes 03.1 seconds
	2nd	Dashing Away
	3rd	Mrs Tendulkar
2002 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Dress Circle	2 minutes 02.2 seconds
	2nd	Youhadyourwarning
	3rd	Native Jazz
2001 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Swiss Echo	2 minutes 03.3 seconds
	2nd	Able Way
	3rd	Mulan Princess
2000 Kingston Town Stakes	1st	Dashing Scene	2 minutes 04.9 seconds
	2nd	Motiti Road
	3rd	Splendid Retreat

Kingston Town Stakes FAQs

What is the Kingston Town Stakes?
A Group 2 staying test run over 2000m at Randwick, featuring in-form middle-distance horses building towards major spring targets.

When is the Kingston Town Stakes held?
The race is held in September during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. The 2026 edition is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026.

What distance is the Kingston Town Stakes run over?
The Kingston Town Stakes is run over 2000 metres, a genuine staying trip that reveals which horses are ready to progress deeper into the spring.

Who can run in the Kingston Town Stakes?
The race is open to middle-distance and staying types, often including seasoned campaigners, emerging stayers and horses targeting The Metropolitan on Epsom Handicap Day.

Where is the Kingston Town Stakes run?
The race is held at Randwick Racecourse, a track that rewards strong stayers capable of sustaining pressure over the 2000m journey.

Is the Kingston Town Stakes an important lead-up race?
Yes — it is a major spring stepping-stone towards races like The Metropolitan and the Caulfield Cup.

Does the Kingston Town Stakes produce future Group 1 winners?
Regularly. Many horses who peak here go on to perform strongly in major staying features.

Where can I find Kingston Town Stakes odds and market movers?
Updated prices, market trends, betting insights and Kingston Town Stakes odds are available at Ladbrokes after nominations are taken.