Australian racing tips for September 26-27, 2026
It’s a veritable feast of racing and sports in Australia this weekend, with Group 1 racing at Rosehill on Saturday and Caulfield on Sunday, as the sport of kings works around the AFL grand final in Melbourne.
Of course, with Brisbane and Fremantle squaring off at the MCG on Saturday, Melbourne’s major race meeting is on the Sunday, featuring the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes at Caulfield. If you can’t wait for Sunday to watch top-notch racing, you have the Group 1 Yulong Golden Rose at Rosehill. Both meetings boast outstanding support cards and in our bid to help our followers land some value winners, we have run the rule over the Group 2 supports races as well as the Group 1s.
The time-honoured Manikato Stakes has drawn an open field, with two of the latest boom sprinters topping the market, while outstanding colt Guest House, the Golden Slipper winner in the autumn, heads betting for the Golden Rose, in which he will clash with another highly promising type in St Gotthard.
We have also cast an eye across the ditch to the Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile at Hastings in New Zealand. All in all, it’s a top-class weekend of racing action.
Read on for our best bets of the day for Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Rosehill Race 7
Group 2 Racingandsports.com.au Golden Pendant (1400m)
This is a set weights with penalties race for fillies and mare, and the smart Snitzel mare (1) Lazzura is a Group 1 winner at this track and loves this distance too. She just missed first-up when third in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes behind Savvy Hallie and (4) Gangsta Granny, which is a rival again here. (6) Surfin’ Bird brings a different formline but an impressive record nonetheless. She looms as the likely leader along with Gangsta Granny, with Lazzura likely to get a lovely trail for champion jockey James McDonald. (3) Verona Rose should be charging home and if they overdo it up front, could give them a scare.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 1,3,4,6. Best bet: Lazzura is the class runner.
Rosehill Race 8
Group 1 Yulong Golden Rose (1400m)
This looks a vintage edition of the million-dollar race for three-year-olds, with potential top-liners including the likes of Golden Slipper winner (1) Guest House, (4) Warwoven, (5) St Gotthard and the maiden (10) Central Europe. Warwoven narrowly got the better of St Gotthard when the met first-up in the Group 2 The Run To The Rose, with (9) Under Focus and Central Europe chasing home that pair. Guest House brings the class and was outstanding in his first-up run, and he is a bullet-proof type who should get a great trail. (3)
Tron Bolt probably needs more ground but he has loads of potential and should be rocketing home. (2) Campione D’Italia flopped first-up but also looks as though 1400m and further is his go.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 5,1,3,9. Best bet: St Gotthard to improve rapidly on first-up run.
Rosehill Race 9
Group 2 Hkjc World Pool Shannon Stakes (1500m)
(2) Skyhook broke through the million-dollar prizemoney barrier with his first-up win and there should be plenty more to come as he seems to get better every campaign. Bookies have him in the red for the clash against a field of season sprinters, with the nine-year-old star (1) Private Eye still competitive even if he is not racing at his very best. (6) Magnatear and (7) Punch Lane are free-running types which should keep the favourite honest on the pace. (10) Sovereign Hill is a progressive type being tested at the distance and he could surprise with the light weight.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 2,10,6,1. Best bet: Skyhook looks headed to the top.
Hastings (New Zealand) Race 8
Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m)
This Group 1 is pretty open with the reigning NZ horse of the year, unbeaten mare Well Written, headed to Australia for the Epsom Handicap next weekend. She was dominant in her first-up win in the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie, with the third place getter from that race (6) Media World lining up as an each-way chance here. Last year’s Howden Mile winner (1) Waitak was well back in the Proisir Plate but will be much better for the outing and at the 1600m. The gelding has the services of NZ’s champion jockey Craig Grylls. (2) First Five is in a similar boat; he is NZ’s champion sprinter-miler from last and should improve rapidly after being well back at Ellerslie. (7) Tuxedo hit the line well behind Well Written for fifth and has come up the early favourite here.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 6,1,7,2. Best bet: Media World each-way.
Sunday racing
Caulfield Race 5
Group 2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes (1600m)
A small but elite field for this Group 2. Some of these may be slightly past their best but as a measure of the quality of the field, the six runners have a total prizemoney of around $40 million. Sure, just over $30 million of that has been been collected by the great (1) Mr Brightside and (5) Pride Of Jenni, but it’s interesting nonetheless. As always with races containing Pride Of Jenni, she is expected to be a tearaway leader, making it another tactical affair. The bookies say the (2) Pounding at $81 is the only one of the six without a realistic chance. (3) Another Wil’s latest run when third behind the budding superstar Sheza Alibi looks a standout, and we can envision him getting back, being dragged up to the leader and having a late chance to cause a minor boilover. Whatever the result these tactical races are alway a great watch.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 3,5,1,6. Best bet: Another Will each-way (Only two place dividends).
Caulfield Race 6
Group 2 MSC Signs Stutt Stakes (1600m)
A testing mile race for three-year-olds, and the only filly in the race, the Kiwi star (10) Lara Antipova, is the early favourite, though being challenged for that mantle by (1) Diameter, one of the early fancies for the Victoria Derby. Diameter is one of three runners for leading trainer Chris Waller. We have been keen on backing (2) Hidrix since his impressive debut but he disappointed last stary in Sydney. He may be looking for this distance and further. The other Waller runner is (5) Somethings Burnin’ and he was third to Lara Antipova last start and should again be competitive with her. (8) Boys Bounce is stepping up in class but looks suited by the mile.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 2,10,1,8. Best bet: Hidrix each-way at a big price. One last chance.
Caulfield Race 7
Group 2 Ladbrokes Stocks Stakes (1600m)
(4) Sea What I See generally runs her best races second-up from a spell and she should be in front for a large chunk of this mile race for the girls. It took while for the penny to drop with (5) Changing Colours, but the six-year-old is now low flying and gets weight relief into this stronger race. She will get back in the field but if the run-on runners are getting their chance on the day, she will be the one attacking the line from the back. (1) Sass Appeal is a smart and sparingly raced mare. She has been slightly disappointing at her past couple of runs, but if she finds her best she may just sit behind the speed and kick clear the the right time. (2) Too Darn Discreet will be another who should be finished alongside Changing Colours out wide on the track in the straight.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 2,1,5,5. Best bet: Too Darn Discreet offers value.
Caulfield Race 8
Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1400m)
Impressive stallion (5) Beiwacht announced himself as a big spring player with his first-up win in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at this track over 1400m, when he led all the way and left his rivals standing in the straight. This will be a sharper affair back to 1200m. He is drawn well in three but there will likely be challengers for the lead. Beiwacht is the new kid on the Group 1 block, while a couple of grizzled veterans in (1) Giga Kick and (3) Jimmysstar have been there and done that, especially the former. A question mark remains over whether they are able to get back to their very best. (9) Oliveanotherday is the boom sprinter who disappointed last start when fifth down the Flemington straight, but he is better suited here around the turn. This is the perfect race to measure just how good he is. (11) My Gladiola broke through for a Group 1 win last start over 1000m but there are doubts about whether she is effective over 1200m. (13) Extragalactic was only fourth behind My Gladiola at Sandown but has been well backed heading into this and has the services of James McDonald from gate two.
Rupert McIntosh tips: 3,13,5,9. Best bet: Jimmysstar to finish over the top.
