Verry Elleegant Stakes 2026 Preview

Feb 28, 2026 | Horse Racing Previews

What is the Verry Elleegant Stakes?

Formerly the Chipping Norton, this 1600m Weight-for-Age (WFA) clash at Royal Randwick honors the champion mare Verry Elleegant. It is the definitive mile test for Australia’s elite gallopers. Trainer Chris Waller has made this race his own, winning 11 of the last 15 editions, including the legendary four-peat of Winx.

Recent Winners of the Verry Elleegant Stakes

Via Sistina (2025): The Cox Plate queen returned to the winners’ circle, leading home a Waller-trained trifecta.
Think It Over (2024): The popular veteran showed his trademark heart to secure one final Group 1 for trainer Kerry Parker.
Anamoe (2023): The Godolphin superstar confirmed his status as the king of WFA with a clinical victory.
Verry Elleegant (2021 & 2022): The race’s namesake won back-to-back editions during her reign as the nation’s premier stayer.

Odds and Tips for the Verry Elleegant Stakes 2026

The 2026 edition is all about the unbeaten Autumn Glow , currently the $1.35 favourite. Scheduled for 16:40 AEDT, she looks to extend her perfect record to ten wins. Autumn Glow was devastating winning the Apollo Stakes first-up and, under James McDonald, is expected to control the race from barrier 3. Her Weight-for-Age ratings are already world-class, and it would take a monumental performance to defeat her here.

Her stablemate Aeliana ($11.00) and the Gai-trained import Sir Delius ($7.50) are the only runners with the profile to challenge, but the Pickabookie team expects Autumn Glow to add win number 10 to her growing picket fence.

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