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The Group 1 Manikato Stakes is a weight-for-age sprint over 1200m, normally run at Moonee Valley on the Friday night before the AFL Grand Final. This guide covers the race, its history and recent winners, the latest result and our tips.
Manikato Stakes tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete Manikato Stakes guide: race details, history and past winners, lead-in form, betting markets and FAQs. Jimmysstar won the 2026 running at Caulfield, and the result and how our tips went are below.
🏆 Result: Jimmysstar wins the 2026 Manikato Stakes. Ethan Brown and Ciaron Maher took it at $6.50 from barrier 8, beating Extragalactic ($5.00) by 0.75 lengths, with the 2025 winner Charm Stone ($21.00) third.
Manikato Stakes 2026 Result
| Pos | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jimmysstar | Ethan Brown | Ciaron Maher | $6.50 |
| 2nd | Extragalactic | James McDonald | Trent Edmonds | $5.00 |
| 3rd | Charm Stone | Damian Lane | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | $21.00 |
| 4th | Oliveanotherday | Harry Coffey | Tom Dabernig | $9.50 |
How our tips went. A mixed card. Our best bet Beiwacht started the $3.20 favourite and ran ninth, 4.1 lengths from the winner, so the 1200m question this preview raised, 0 from 4 at the trip, went against him again. Our each-way pick Extragalactic ran second at $5.00, so the each-way bet collected the place. The horse we flagged to watch, Jimmysstar, a Caulfield specialist wearing blinkers for the first time, won it. The winning time was 1:08.24 on a Good 4.
The Manikato Stakes is a $2 million Group 1 weight-for-age sprint over 1200m and normally Moonee Valley’s premier sprint, run under lights on a Friday night. In 2026 it moves to Caulfield on Sunday 27 September, the day after the AFL Grand Final, because The Valley is closed for the whole season while it is redeveloped. That is a double change worth noting: a different track and an afternoon start rather than a Friday night under lights. Named after the legendary sprinter Manikato, it is one of the most distinctive Group 1 sprints on the calendar and a genuine championship of spring sprinting. This guide covers the Manikato Stakes dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the full carnival, see our Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival guide, and look ahead to the spring’s championship weight-for-age feature, itself relocated to Flemington for 2026, at the Cox Plate.
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Manikato Stakes Race Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1200m |
| Class | Group 1 Weight-for-Age |
| Age / Conditions | Three-year-olds and upwards |
| Venue | Caulfield, Melbourne — 2026 only, normally Moonee Valley |
| Prize Money | $2 million |
| Run Date | Sunday 27 September 2026 |
Manikato Stakes History & Winners
Recent winners include Jimmysstar (2026, at Caulfield), Charm Stone (2025), Trekking, Bivouac, Ole Kirk, Giga Kick, I Wish I Win and Imperatriz. The tight Valley 1200m normally suits horses with tactical speed and the ability to hold position through a short run home. Caulfield in 2026 is a different question: more room, a longer straight and less premium on early position.
Lead-In Races
The main lead-ins are the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) and the Group 3 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. Since moving to late September the Manikato sits early in the sprinting pathway, giving the spring’s best sprinters a Group 1 target before the major October and Sydney features.
Manikato Stakes Betting Markets
All major Australian bookmakers price the Manikato Stakes 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.
Manikato Stakes 2026 Field & Barriers
Race 8 at Caulfield, 4:45pm AEST on Sunday 27 September, over 1200m at weight-for-age for $2 million. The track was rated Good 4 at acceptances.
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giga Kick | Clayton Douglas | Mark Zahra | 4 | 58.5kg |
| 2 | Pericles | Bjorn Baker | Craig Williams | 10 | 58.5kg |
| 3 | Jimmysstar (NZ) | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 8 | 58.5kg |
| 4 | Rothfire | Robert Heathcote | Brad Rawiller | 6 | 58.5kg |
| 5 | Beiwacht | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 3 | 58.5kg |
| 6 | Gallant Son | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Luke Nolen | 13 | 58.5kg |
| 7 | Beadman | Peter Snowden | Tim Clark | 12 | 58.5kg |
| 8 | Napoleonic | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Zac Lloyd | 7 | 58.5kg |
| 9 | Oliveanotherday | Tom Dabernig | Harry Coffey | 5 | 58.5kg |
| 10 | Charm Stone | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Damian Lane | 11 | 56.5kg |
| 11 | My Gladiola | John McArdle | Jamie Mott | 9 | 56.5kg |
| 12 | Geegees Mistruth | Mark Walker | Blake Shinn | 1 | 56.5kg |
| 13 | Extragalactic | Trent Edmonds | James McDonald | 2 | 56.5kg |
The form in brief. Beiwacht is the highest-rated horse in the race and the only one arriving off two Group 1 wins in his last three starts: the All Aged Stakes at Randwick in April and the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on 29 August, which he won by three lengths. Giga Kick is the proven sprinter of the field, with more than $15 million in prizemoney and two wins from two at Caulfield, but he was well beaten first-up in the Moir. Jimmysstar had won five of his eight starts at Caulfield and wore blinkers for the first time. My Gladiola won the Moir, Geegees Mistruth the Sangster, and Rothfire the Doomben 10,000.
Our best bet
Beiwacht (barrier 3). He is the form horse of the spring, he has already won at Caulfield this campaign, and a Memsie winner drawn to lead or sit handy from barrier 3 is the right place to start. Nash Rawiller rides for Chris Waller.
The case against him is specific and worth knowing before you back him. He has not won in four starts at 1200m, with both of his Group 1 wins coming over 1400m, and he has finished second in all three of his second-up runs. This is a drop back in trip for a horse whose best form is further.
Each-way value: Extragalactic (barrier 2). She has won at the course and distance, was beaten 0.02 of a length in the Group 1 Goodwood, and carries 56.5kg with the mares’ allowance. James McDonald rides from an inside draw. Watch Jimmysstar in the market: a Caulfield specialist with a first-time gear change is the kind of runner that can bounce back from a flat Memsie.
How to Watch the Manikato Stakes in Australia
The Manikato Stakes is broadcast live on Sky Racing and streamed on Racing.com, the home of Victorian thoroughbred racing. The Manikato card is normally a centrepiece of the Moonee Valley night-racing season, and most major bookmakers also stream the race live to logged-in account holders. In 2026 it is a Sunday meeting at Caulfield on 27 September rather than a Friday night under lights. For the wider program, see our horse racing tips hub.
Best Bookmakers for the Manikato Stakes
For a full comparison of the top Australian racing bookmakers, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
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Manikato Stakes FAQs
When is the Manikato Stakes?
In 2026 the Manikato Stakes was run at Caulfield on Sunday 27 September, the day after the AFL Grand Final, with The Valley closed for redevelopment. It is normally a Friday night under lights at Moonee Valley in late September.
What distance is the Manikato Stakes?
The Manikato Stakes is run over 1200m, at Caulfield in 2026 and normally at Moonee Valley.
Is the Manikato Stakes a handicap?
No. The Manikato Stakes is run at weight-for-age.
How much is the Manikato Stakes worth?
The Manikato Stakes carries $2 million in total prize money.
Who has won the Manikato Stakes recently?
Jimmysstar won the 2026 Manikato Stakes at Caulfield, after Charm Stone in 2025 at Moonee Valley. Other recent winners include Trekking, Bivouac, Ole Kirk, Giga Kick, I Wish I Win and Imperatriz.
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