The Ingham Tips, Field & Odds | Best Bets

The Ingham is a $2 million Group 2 quality handicap over 1600m at Royal Randwick, run on Saturday 12 December 2026. Formerly the Villiers Stakes. Our tips, field and best bets are published in race week.

The Ingham. Sydney’s big summer mile carries one of the longest histories in Australian racing and one of its newest names. First run in 1892, it was known as the Villiers Stakes until 2022, when it was renamed The Ingham. It is now a $2 million Group 2 quality handicap over 1600m at Royal Randwick on Saturday 12 December 2026. This is our complete guide: the 2026 date, the handicap angle, recent winners, betting markets and FAQs.

The Ingham: Key Details

Detail	Value
Race	The Ingham (Group 2), formerly the Villiers Stakes
Date	Saturday 12 December 2026
Venue	Royal Randwick, Sydney
Distance	1600m
Conditions	Quality handicap
Prize money	$2 million
First run	1892, won by Two Up
Broadcast	Channel 7 and 7plus, plus Sky Racing

 

When is The Ingham & What Time?

The Ingham is run on Saturday 12 December 2026 at Royal Randwick, the last major Sydney mile of the calendar year. The exact start time is confirmed in race week.

The Name and the History

The race was the Villiers Stakes from the 1890s until 2022, when it was renamed The Ingham in honour of one of the most significant ownership stories in Australian racing. The distance has been remarkably stable: early runnings were over 1200m, but all bar one since 1901 have been at the mile.

That long history matters to punters for one reason. As a quality handicap rather than a set-weights race, The Ingham has always been a genuine betting race, and the honour roll is full of horses who used it as a springboard rather than a career peak.

The Ingham Tips, Best Bets & Predictions

Our best bets go up once the final field, weights and barriers are declared in race week. Three angles are worth following.

• It is a handicap, so weight is the story. A well-treated in-form miler on a light weight has historically been a better play than a topweight dropping in class.
• Summer form is its own form line. The race sits outside the spring and autumn carnivals, so the field is often built from horses freshened up rather than backing up from Group 1 company.
• A capacity field. Randwick miles in December regularly fill, which keeps each-way and exotics value healthier than in a small weight-for-age field.

The Ingham Recent Winners

The Ingham has been run under its current name since 2022, and the honour roll continues unbroken from the Villiers Stakes back to 1892. Robusto took the 2024 running.

Year	Winner	Note
2024	Robusto	Latest verified running

 

How to Watch The Ingham

The Ingham is shown on Channel 7 and 7plus, with full race-day vision on Sky Racing and live streams through most licensed Australian bookmakers with a funded account.

Best Bookmakers for The Ingham

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

The Ingham FAQs

When is The Ingham 2026?

Saturday 12 December 2026 at Royal Randwick, over 1600m.

Was The Ingham called something else?

Yes. It was the Villiers Stakes from its first running in 1892 until 2022, when it was renamed The Ingham.

How much is The Ingham worth?

$2 million.

Is The Ingham a Group 1?

No. It is a Group 2 quality handicap for milers.

Who won the most recent Ingham?

Robusto won the 2024 running.