Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2026 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Wed 16 Sep 2026 02:05

Alex Marsh 2 hours ago

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Caulfield’s 1400m Group 1 handicap brings together a deep and competitive spring field
Final field and barrier positions are confirmed for Saturday’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Proven Group 1 performers meet several progressive gallopers chasing a major spring breakthrough

Sepals has drawn barrier five in the 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. (Getty)

The 2026 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes shapes as one of the more competitive Group 1 handicaps of the early Melbourne spring, with a deep 1400m field set to line up at Caulfield on Saturday, September 19.

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2026 - Barriers & Final Field
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes History

Lady Shenandoah (barrier 1) is one of the headline runners for Chris Waller and brings established Group 1 quality into the race, having already proven herself at the highest level before returning through the Winx Stakes earlier this preparation.

Stablemate Angel Capital (barrier 7) also commands plenty of interest after enduring a luckless passage in this race last year, with Waller confirming the entire has been aimed back towards the Sir Rupert Clarke and should be ready to peak third-up.

Regal Award (barrier 4) adds another progressive profile to the field, with the Phillip and Tommy Stokes-trained gelding already a Group 3 winner and coming off two jump-out wins since his seventh-place finish in the Stradbroke Handicap.

Warnie (barrier 3) arrives in strong form after producing a sharp finishing burst to win the Group 3 Chautauqua Stakes over 1300m at Sandown, while his two previous Australian victories both came over 1400m.

Sabaj (barrier 13) and Planet Red (barrier 10) give Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr a strong hand, with both horses having already contested the Memsie Stakes earlier in the spring.

Defending champion Sepals (barrier 5) returns to the scene of his biggest win after taking out the 2025 Sir Rupert Clarke, while his subsequent runner-up finishes in the Golden Eagle and Stradbroke Handicap confirmed that performance was no one-off.

Evaporate (barrier 17) comes into the race in winning form after taking out the So You Think Stakes over 1500m at Sandown, having earlier placed in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes during this campaign.

Tom Kitten (barrier 14) rounds out the leading group and heads into the race second-up after the Freedman stable elected to bypass the Makybe Diva Stakes in favour of the 1400m handicap.

With established Group 1 horses meeting several progressive handicappers, the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes again looks set to provide an important guide to the major sprinting and mile features later in the spring.

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2026 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Tom Kitten	Anthony & Sam Freedman	Mark Zahra	14	59kg
2	Evaporate (NZ)	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Blake Shinn	17	56.5kg
3	Sepals	Cliff Brown	Ethan Brown	5	56.5kg
4	War Machine (NZ)	Ben, Will & JD Hayes	Damian Lane	18	56.5kg
5	Angel Capital	Chris Waller	Ben Melham	7	56kg
6	Lady Shenandoah	Chris Waller	Craig Williams	1	56kg
7	Warnie (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Declan Bates	3	55kg
8	Feroce (NZ)	Dominic Sutton	Billy Egan	8	54.5kg
9	Von Hauke (NZ)	Cliff Brown	Harry Coffey	6	54.5kg
10	Planet Red	Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	Michael Dee	10	53.5kg
11	Sabaj	Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr	Jamie Melham	13	53kg
12	Yellow Jersey (FR)	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Daniel Stackhouse	16	53kg
13	Regal Award	Phillip & Tommy Stokes	Lachlan Neindorf	4	52.5kg
14	Sun God (GB)	Chris Waller	Jye McNeil	2	52.5kg
15	Persian Spirit	Symon Wilde	Damien Thornton	9	52kg
16	Recon	Pat Carey & Harris Walker	Patrick Moloney	12	52kg
17e	Harry’s Yacht	Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin	Jett Stanley	15	52kg
18e	Tennessee Bound	Ciaron Maher		11	52kg

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes History

After spending two years later in the spring carnival, the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes returned to its more familiar September slot in 2025, once again forming part of a strong Caulfield program alongside the Underwood Stakes.

The Group 1 handicap is run over 1400m and has long served as an important target for both proven performers and emerging gallopers looking to establish themselves at the highest level.

First contested in 1951 as the Invitation Stakes and won by Jovial Lad, the race went through several name changes before eventually being renamed in honour of former Victoria Amateur Turf Club chairman Sir Rupert Clarke.

It has carried Group 1 status since 1979 and boasts an impressive honour roll featuring horses such as Manikato, Encosta De Lago and Testa Rossa, who won consecutive editions in 1999 and 2000.

Its return to September also re-established the traditional pathway towards the Toorak Handicap, giving horses the chance to progress naturally from 1400m to 1600m through the Caulfield spring.

The most recent winners are Magic Time in 2023, Kimochi in 2024 and Sepals, who took out the 2025 edition at Caulfield.