Newmarket Handicap Tips, Best Bets, Field and Odds

The Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) will be held at Flemington on Saturday, March 6 and we provide you with a comprehensive guide to the race.

Newmarket Handicap tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete Newmarket Handicap guide — race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. Check back race week for the final field, odds and our best bets.

The Newmarket Handicap is the premier sprint handicap of the Australian autumn — a $1.5 million Group 1 over 1200m down the Flemington straight on Super Saturday in early March. First run in 1874 and named after the historic English straight at Newmarket, it remains one of the toughest handicaps to frame in Australian racing. This guide covers the Newmarket Handicap dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the full carnival, see our Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival guide.

Newmarket Handicap Race Details

Detail	Value
Distance	1200m
Class	Group 1 Handicap
Age / Conditions	Three-year-olds and upwards
Venue	Flemington, Melbourne
Prize Money	$1.5 million
Run Date	Super Saturday — early March

 

Newmarket Handicap History & Winners

Recent winners include Bivouac, Nature Strip, Roch ‘N’ Horse, Asfoora and Imperatriz. Historic winners include champions like Black Caviar (2011 as a 3YO), Miss Andretti and Takeover Target. The straight-six Flemington trip combined with handicap conditions produces blanket finishes almost every year.

Newmarket Handicap Recent Winners

Year	Winner
2026	Caballus
2025	Joliestar
2024	In Secret

 

Lead-In Races

The main lead-ins are the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington and the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. Sydney sprinters stepping up from the Canterbury Stakes or TJ Smith Stakes form also target this race.

Newmarket Handicap Betting Markets

All major Australian bookmakers price the Newmarket Handicap weeks out, with a full acceptances market released after the final field is declared. The core markets are:

• Fixed-Odds Win & Place — the bread-and-butter markets, with early speculative prices followed by final acceptances pricing.
• Each-Way — typically 1/4 the odds for a place (1-2-3).
• Exotics — quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4. See our First 4 calculator guide.
• Same Race Multis — combine multiple runners from the same race into one bet. See our Same Race Multi guide.
• Head-to-Head & Group Markets — runner-vs-runner matchups and stable/country markets.

Newmarket Handicap Betting Trends & Angles

• The ultimate straight-course sprint test — 1200m down the Flemington straight under handicap conditions.
• Weight and the draw across the wide straight are the key variables — which side the pace favours matters.
• 150+ years of history — a roll call of Australia’s great sprinters.

How to Watch the Newmarket Handicap in Australia

The Newmarket Handicap is run at Flemington, so as Victorian metropolitan racing it is broadcast live and free on Racing.com — on free-to-air digital TV (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional), online at racing.com and via the Racing.com app. It is also carried on Sky Racing (Foxtel Channel 522), and most licensed Australian bookmakers stream the race live to logged-in customers so you can watch and bet in one place.

The Newmarket is run in early March on Super Saturday — one of the biggest race days of the Melbourne autumn, sharing the Flemington card with the Australian Cup and Australian Guineas — so the feature goes around in the afternoon (AEDT). For the other Super Saturday Group 1s, see our Australian Cup tips and Blue Diamond Stakes tips, plus our full horse racing tips hub.

Best Bookmakers for the Newmarket Handicap

For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.

Newmarket Handicap FAQs

When is the Newmarket Handicap?

Early March on Super Saturday at Flemington, 1200m straight under handicap conditions.

Who won the most recent Newmarket Handicap?

Caballus (2026), after Joliestar (2025) and In Secret (2024).

How do I bet on it from Australia?

All Australian bookmakers frame fixed-odds and futures; win and each-way (big field) are the core plays.

How can I watch the Newmarket Handicap live?

The Newmarket Handicap airs free on Racing.com (Channel 78 metro, 68 regional, plus the racing.com website and app) and on Sky Racing via Foxtel Channel 522. As a Super Saturday feature it runs in the afternoon (AEDT), and most licensed Australian bookmakers also stream it live to logged-in account holders.