Missile Stakes 2026 Betting Tips - Angel in the Firing Line

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Wed 05 Aug 2026 15:29

Alex Marsh 3 hours ago

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Angel Capital is the top pick and race favourite for the Missile Stakes
Way To The Stars provides value for exotics and top three/four markets
Exciting 1200m feature follows last year’s washout, with a talented field lining up

Schwarz takes out the 2024 Missile Stakes before going on to become a Group 1 winner later that season. (Getty)

The Group 2 Missile Stakes headlines Saturday’s Randwick program, with a strong field assembled for the $300,000 feature over 1200m under Set Weights and Penalties conditions.

2026 Missile Stakes Tips
2026 Missile Stakes - Field & Odds

The honour roll over the last decade includes Tycoon Tara, Pierata, Alizee, Eduardo and Schwarz, while last year’s edition was abandoned following the Randwick washout.

At $2.75 with Picklebet, Angel Capital heads the market for the 2026 Missile Stakes.

2026 Missile Stakes Tips

2026 Missile Stakes Best Bet - Angel Capital

Coming off a frustrating first season under Chris Waller is Angel Capital, with the entire still chasing an elusive Group 1 victory despite producing several performances that suggested he belongs at the elite level.

Following a first-up triumph over this distance last September, he arguably should have landed the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes before finding the line as strongly as anything behind champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising in The Everest, recording the fastest closing sectionals of the world’s richest race on turf.

A Group 1 second to Jimmysstar followed, while the son of Harry Angel was keen in the run when fourth in the Expressway Stakes on his 2026 return, with the quinella from that event both going on to win at Group 1 level during the autumn.

His third in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap was only even, although the William Reid Stakes runner-up was arguably the pick of his last preparation after making ground through the inferior section of the Caulfield track behind a flying Jigsaw.

Angel Capital was badly held up in the All Aged Stakes before a spell and, while connections will still harbour Group 1 ambitions, the five-year-old needs to regain some confidence and needs to put this field away if he is to progress towards those stronger features.

2026 Missile Stakes Value Bet - Way To The Stars

There are no holes in the early market, with Angel Capital the deserving favourite as the best-performed sprinter over this distance, while exciting up-and-comer Ninja also warrants his position as second elect.

It would be a surprise if Way To The Stars defeated that pair, but the underrated Matthew Smith-trained veteran has a run under his belt and, back on firmer ground on Saturday, can give a bold sight on speed and finish among the first three or four.

A strong six furlongs at this level is an obvious query, although he did place at his only previous attempt over the distance last autumn, while the highlight of that campaign came second-up when winning at Listed level at Caulfield in January.

He resumed on a heavy track under a big weight at Rosehill on July 18 and, as his record indicates, the eight-year-old has always been more effective on firmer surfaces, while he also won a trial leading into that first-up appearance.

Expect Rachel King to be positive and use his early speed to work across, potentially finding the lead ahead of Midnight Dynamite and Gangsta Granny, and against classier opposition that may not be fully wound up, Way To The Stars shapes as the value option for Missile Stakes exotics.

2026 Missile Stakes - Field & Odds

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Odds
1	Angel Capital	Chris Waller	James McDonald	3	57.5kg	$2.75
2	Ninja	Michael Freedman	Tommy Berry	6	57.5kg	$3.90
3	Napoleonic	John O’Shea & Tom Charlton	Chad Schofield	7	56.5kg	$5.75
4	Midnight Dynamite	Bjorn Baker	Kerrin McEvoy	4	56kg	$8
5	Way To The Stars	Matthew Smith	Rachel King	8	56kg	$71
6	Fully Lit	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Regan Bayliss	2	56kg	$41
7	Gangsta Granny	Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes	Tim Clark	1	54.5kg	$3.75
8	Aviatress	Liam Ruddy	Adam Farragher	5	54.5kg	$126