Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2026 Betting Tips - The Award Could Be Regal
The 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield is an open and competitive Group 1 handicap over 1400m, with Lady Shenandoah leading the betting. Key value selections include Regal Award (best bet), Persian Spirit (value play), and Harry’s Yacht (roughie). Regal Award's proven partnership with jockey Lachlan Neindorf and solid lead-in form make him the headline hope, while Persian Spirit looks poised for the step up in trip. Each contender brings varied campaigns, promising an exciting, high-quality contest.
- Regal Award is the best bet, resuming with ideal conditions and proven jockey partnership
- Persian Spirit steps up in trip and appeals as the value play in a competitive field
- Harry’s Yacht is an intriguing roughie with strong track/distance stats if he gains a start
A competitive field has been assembled for the 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. (Getty)
The 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes shapes as an open Group 1 handicap, with a competitive 1400m field set to line up at Caulfield on Saturday.
Several runners bring strong recent form into the race, while others are at varying stages of their campaigns, with this feature clearly identified as an important spring target.
At $4.80 with Laserbet, Lady Shenandoah heads the betting for the 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Tips
2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Best Bet - Regal Award
Regal Award has never been a straightforward type, which makes the booking of Lachlan Neindorf particularly important, given how well the young rider appears to understand this quirky gelding.
Neindorf was back aboard when the Phillip and Tommy Stokes-trained gelding broke through in the Group 3 Fred Best Classic at Eagle Farm on May 30, where he was allowed to stride more freely and comfortably accounted for Skyhook after being ridden too conservatively in New South Wales.
That form has strengthened considerably since, with Skyhook winning both of his subsequent starts, including the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic, before returning this spring to take out the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill last Saturday.
Neindorf was also aboard for Regal Award’s Caulfield mile win last spring, while two victories in 1000m jump-outs leading into this return suggest he has been given every chance to arrive ready first-up.
Still lightly raced and carrying just 52.5kg, Regal Award gets conditions that should allow him to produce his best, and if Neindorf can keep him in a comfortable rhythm, he looks capable of taking another step at Group 1 level.
2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Value Bet - Persian Spirit
There was something slightly unusual about Persian Spirit’s second-up run as favourite in the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes, where he appeared to be struggling for momentum before picking up again late to finish fourth behind Warnie.
That performance looked like the run of a horse ready for 1400m, and his record supports the rise in distance, with three of his six career wins coming over the trip and only two unplaced efforts from his previous seven-furlong attempts.
His fresh second to Shadhavar in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield was also encouraging, particularly given trainer Symon Wilde had mapped out the Sir Rupert Clarke as the third-up target of the preparation from the outset.
He now arrives third-up with 52kg, a suitable fitness base and a better opportunity to settle into his preferred rhythm than he had over 1300m at Sandown.
Barrier nine looks close to ideal for a tactically versatile galloper who can settle wherever the race shape allows, and Persian Spirit has enough in his current preparation to warrant each-way consideration at the price.
2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Roughie - Harry’s Yacht
As far as the bigger prices go, Harry’s Yacht has a few things in his favour second-up now that he rises to the 1400m trip, where he has produced his best form.
The five-year-old resumed in the Group 3 The Heath over 1100m at Caulfield on Memsie Stakes day, settling at the rear before making late ground to finish fifth in a race that was always going to be sharp enough for him.
A Flemington trial win on September 11 has kept him up to the mark since, and the solid workout suggests he has been given enough work between runs to cope with the step straight to 1400m.
His two most recent victories both came over this track and distance in February and March, before he headed north and remained competitive through races in New South Wales and Queensland.
The obvious hurdle is gaining a start as the first emergency, but if he gets his chance, Harry’s Yacht has the track-and-distance profile and second-up setup to make him an interesting roughie in an open Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.
2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes - Field & Odds
| No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Kitten | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Mark Zahra | 14 | 59kg | $26 |
| 2 | Evaporate (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Blake Shinn | 17 | 56.5kg | $8 |
| 3 | Sepals | Cliff Brown | Ethan Brown | 5 | 56.5kg | $11 |
| 4 | War Machine (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Damian Lane | 18 | 56.5kg | $15 |
| 5 | Angel Capital | Chris Waller | Ben Melham | 7 | 56kg | $7.50 |
| 6 | Lady Shenandoah | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 1 | 56kg | $4.80 |
| 7 | Warnie (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Declan Bates | 3 | 55kg | $9.50 |
| 8 | Feroce (NZ) | Dominic Sutton | Billy Egan | 8 | 54.5kg | $19 |
| 9 | Von Hauke (NZ) | Cliff Brown | Harry Coffey | 6 | 54.5kg | $41 |
| 10 | Planet Red | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | Michael Dee | 10 | 53.5kg | $21 |
| 11 | Sabaj | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | Jamie Melham | 13 | 53kg | $19 |
| 12 | Yellow Jersey (FR) | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Daniel Stackhouse | 16 | 53kg | $16 |
| 13 | Regal Award | Phillip & Tommy Stokes | Lachlan Neindorf | 4 | 52.5kg | $7 |
| 14 | Sun God (GB) | Chris Waller | Jye McNeil | 2 | 52.5kg | $26 |
| 15 | Persian Spirit | Symon Wilde | Damien Thornton | 9 | 52kg | $26 |
| 16 | Recon | Pat Carey & Harris Walker | Patrick Moloney | 12 | 52kg | $67 |
| 17e | Harry’s Yacht | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | Jett Stanley | 15 | 52kg | $34 |
| 18e | Tennessee Bound | Ciaron Maher | TBA | 11 | 52kg | $19 |
Odds provided by Laserbet & correct on 17/09/2026,
Verdict
Our tips for the 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes are:
Regal Award
Each Way
$7.00 - 3 Units
Australian Tradition
operating since 1941
18+. T&Cs apply
Persian Spirit
Each Way
$26.00 - 1 Unit
Australian Tradition
operating since 1941
18+. T&Cs apply
Harry’s Yacht
Each Way
$34.00 - 1 Unit
Australian Tradition
operating since 1941
18+. T&Cs apply
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