Chipping Norton Stakes Tips, Best Bets, Field and Odds

The Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) will be held at Royal Randwick on Saturday, February 27 and we provide you with a comprehensive guide to the race.

Chipping Norton Stakes tips, best bets, field & odds. Below is our complete Chipping Norton Stakes 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 Chipping Norton Stakes is the opening Group 1 of the Sydney autumn — a $1 million weight-for-age mile at Royal Randwick run in late February. It is the traditional starting point for the best milers and middle-distance horses of the season and a key Queen Elizabeth Stakes form line. This guide covers the Chipping Norton Stakes dates, distance, prize money, betting markets and our full race-day tips. For the broader autumn schedule, see our Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival guide.

 

Chipping Norton Stakes Race Details

Detail	Value
Distance	1600m
Class	Group 1 Weight-for-Age
Age / Conditions	Three-year-olds and upwards
Venue	Royal Randwick, Sydney
Prize Money	$1 million
Run Date	Late February

 

Chipping Norton Stakes History & Winners

The Chipping Norton was Winx’s race four times (2016-2019) during her unbeaten 33-race run. Recent winners include Verry Elleegant, Think It Over, Anamoe, Mr Brightside and Via Sistina. Any Chipping Norton winner is automatically a short price for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes two months later.

Chipping Norton Stakes Recent Winners

Year	Winner
2026	Autumn Glow
2025	Via Sistina
2024	Think It Over
2023	Anamoe
2022	Verry Elleegant
2021	Verry Elleegant

 

Lead-In Races

The race is a resuming target rather than a sit-behind form line, so many runners come in off trials. Spring horses resuming from a break and European imports first-up in Australia both target this race heavily.

How to Watch the Chipping Norton Stakes in Australia

The Chipping Norton Stakes (now run as the Verry Elleegant Stakes) is staged in late February or March at Royal Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Live racing from Randwick is broadcast on Sky Racing (available through Foxtel and Kayo, and in TAB venues) and streamed on Racing.com. Most online bookmakers also live-stream the race to logged-in account holders. For the wider autumn programme see our Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival hub, the headline Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Doncaster Mile, or browse all our horse racing tips and guides.

Chipping Norton Stakes Betting Markets

All major Australian bookmakers price the Chipping Norton 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.

Chipping Norton Stakes Betting Trends & Angles

• Renamed the Verry Elleegant Stakes from 2024, honouring the 11-time Group 1 winner who twice won this race.
• A WFA 1600m proving ground — the form often points to the Queen Elizabeth and Doncaster later in the autumn.
• Class horses dominate — Via Sistina, Anamoe and Verry Elleegant are recent winners.
• First-up and second-up autumn-campaign angles matter — track which gallopers are cherry-ripe.

Best Bookmakers for the Chipping Norton Stakes

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

Chipping Norton Stakes FAQs

When is the Chipping Norton Stakes?

In late February/March at Royal Randwick, over 1600m at weight-for-age. It is now run as the Verry Elleegant Stakes (renamed 2024).

Who won the most recent Chipping Norton / Verry Elleegant Stakes?

Autumn Glow won in 2026, with Via Sistina (2025), Think It Over (2024), Anamoe (2023) and Verry Elleegant (2021 & 2022) among recent winners.

Why was the race renamed?

It was renamed the Verry Elleegant Stakes in 2024 to honour the great mare Verry Elleegant, a dual winner of the race.

How do I bet on it from Australia?

All Australian bookmakers frame fixed-odds markets — win is the core play in a small WFA field.