Turnbull Stakes 2026 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Alex Marsh

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Last updated: Wed 30 Sep 2026 01:56

Alex Marsh 1 hour ago

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The 2026 Turnbull Stakes will be run over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday, October 3
The Group 1 remains a key spring form reference for the major races later in the carnival
Barrier draw and final field details are listed below

Sir Delius has drawn barrier nine in the 2026 Turnbull Stakes. (Getty)

The barrier draw is complete for the 2026 Turnbull Stakes, with a strong 15-horse field set to contest the Group 1 over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday, October 3.

Turnbull Stakes 2026 - Barriers & Final Field
Turnbull Stakes History

Defending champion Sir Delius has drawn barrier nine and will carry 59kg as he returns to Flemington following his fourth in the Makybe Diva Stakes. Gai Waterhouse has said the six-year-old has improved since that first-up run as he attempts to win the Turnbull Stakes for a second straight year.

Aeliana has come up with barrier two and 57kg for Chris Waller. The mare produced a strong second behind Autumn Glow in the Seven Sunrise Stakes at Randwick last start, finishing ahead of Ceolwulf as she stepped through the early stages of her spring campaign.

Cosmic Crusader will start from barrier four with 58kg after finishing runner-up to Birdman in the Underwood Stakes over 1800m at Caulfield. That performance followed his earlier wins in the Bletchingly Stakes and P.B. Lawrence Stakes during a consistent Melbourne preparation.

Zahrann has secured barrier one with 56.5kg after winning the Naturalism Stakes over 2000m at Caulfield, defeating stablemate Saint George by a length and earning a ballot exemption into the Caulfield Cup.

Saint George has drawn barrier 13 with 55kg after finishing second to Zahrann in the Naturalism. The pair again give Ciaron Maher a strong hand as both progress towards the longer spring features.

Half Yours has barrier 14 and will carry 59kg as he continues his spring campaign for Tony and Calvin McEvoy, while Light Infantry Man has drawn barrier three with 58kg.

Asterix has barrier 11 with 56.5kg, while Ohope Wins has drawn five with 56kg and Middle Earth will start from barrier six with 56kg.

Soul Of Spain has drawn barrier 15 with 56kg, Buckaroo starts from eight with 55kg and She’s A Hustler has barrier seven with 55kg.

Deakin and Kings Valley round out the field from barriers 12 and 10 respectively, both carrying 55kg.

With several established Group 1 performers joined by a number of Caulfield Cup contenders, the 2026 Turnbull Stakes again shapes as an important reference point for the major weight-for-age and staying races deeper into the spring.

Turnbull Stakes 2026 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Half Yours	Tony & Calvin McEvoy	Jamie Melham	14	59kg
2	Sir Delius (GB)	Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott	Craig Williams	9	59kg
3	Light Infantry Man (FR)	Ciaron Maher	Harry Coffey	3	58kg
4	Cosmic Crusader (NZ)	Andrea Leek	William Pike	4	58kg
5	Aeliana (NZ)	Chris Waller	TBA	2	57kg
6	Asterix (NZ)	Chris Waller	TBA	11	56.5kg
7	Zahrann (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Ethan Brown	1	56.5kg
8	Ohope Wins (NZ)	Chris Waller	TBA	5	56kg
9	Middle Earth (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Mark Zahra	6	56kg
10	Soul Of Spain (IRE)	Chris Waller	TBA	15	56kg
11	Buckaroo (GB)	Chris Waller	TBA	8	55kg
12	She’s A Hustler (NZ)	Grahame Begg	Jordan Childs	7	55kg
13	Saint George (GB)	Ciaron Maher	Michael Dee	13	55kg
14	Deakin (FR)	Phillip & Tommy Stokes	Lachlan Neindorf	12	55kg
15	Kings Valley (IRE)	Ciaron Maher	Lachlan Neindorf	10	55kg

Turnbull Stakes History

First run in 1865, the Turnbull Stakes is one of the oldest feature races on the Australian calendar and has developed into a key 2000m test during the Melbourne spring.

The race is named in honour of former Victoria Racing Club chairman Richard Turnbull and has been run under several different titles throughout its long history, before the Turnbull Stakes name was restored in 1948.

Over the decades, the race has been won by some of the biggest names in Australian racing, with champions such as Ajax, Rising Fast, Sunline and Winx all featuring on its honour roll.

Its place on the spring calendar has also made it an important stepping stone for horses heading towards the major races later in October and early November, particularly those targeting the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

Run over 2000m under set weights and penalties, the Group 1 carries significant prestige in its own right, while the distance and timing of the race ensure it remains one of the strongest form references of the spring.

The Flemington layout has regularly provided a searching test for both proven weight-for-age horses and emerging stayers, with the Turnbull often helping shape markets for several of the carnival’s biggest races.

The most recent winners are Gold Trip in 2023, Via Sistina in 2024 and Sir Delius, who claimed the 2025 edition at Flemington.