Chairman’s Stakes
Chairman’s Stakes
Group Three Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
| Location: | Caulfield Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria |
| Prize Money: | $200,000 |
| Distance: | 1000m |
The Chairman’s Stakes is a Group 3 race for two-year-olds conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield.
First run in 1990 and won by Wrap Around, the Chairman’s Stakes has become a key lead-up to the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
Initially a Listed race, the Chairman’s Stakes was upgraded to Group 3 status in 2014. Traditionally held over 1000m, it has varied between 1000m and 1200m due to changes in scheduling.
The Chairman’s Stakes offers a prize pool of $200,000 as of 2025 and is run under set weights and penalties conditions.
Redoute’s Choice famously won both the Chairman’s Stakes and Blue Diamond in 1999, while Extreme Choice later followed suit.
Crystal Lily went on to claim the Golden Slipper after winning this race.
In 2003, Vengeance Of Rain (then named Subscribe) won before becoming a Hong Kong champion. Loving Gaby, the 2019 winner, later secured Group 1 glory in the Manikato Stakes.
Other notable past winners include Tennessee Mist (1992), Road To Success (2000), Yell (2002), Headway (2009), and Enthaar (2021).
2026 Chairman’s Stakes betting odds
Betting markets for the 2026 Chairman’s Stakes are currently unavailable.
How to bet on the Chairman’s Stakes
All Australian online bookmakers featuring horse racing will have Caulfield races available to bet on.
Like most Group 3 races, Chairman’s Stakes betting opens when nominations come through, typically on the Monday prior to the Chairman’s Stakes.
Australians can bet on the Chairman’s Stakes at the following betting sites:
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Chairman’s Stakes News
2026 Chairman’s Stakes Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2026 Chairman’s Stakes final field is released.
Previous Chairman’s Stakes Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Brave DesignDanny O’BrienBilly Egan357kg2 Forceofone Ben, Will & JD Hayes Michael Dee 10 57kg 3 Hot Sea Gavin Bedggood Jamie Mott 8 57kg 4 Tentyris Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra 4 57kg 5 TemptedJames CummingsJamie Melham655kg6 Sword of Legacy Dominic Sutton Damian Lane 9 55kg 7 No Limitation Clayton Douglas Dean Yendall 2 55kg 8 Boa Vista Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Ethan Brown 1 55kg 9 Inkaruna Anthony & Sam Freedman Craig Williams 7 55kg 10 Jenni Moo Moo Clinton McDonald Craig Newitt 5 55kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Coleman Matt Laurie Ben Melham 2 59kg 2 Eneeza Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman Damian Lane 6 57kg 3 Scampi Ciaron Maher Mark Zahra 5 57kg 4 Counteroffensive Peter & Paul Snowden Blake Shinn 7 57kg 5 Evaporate Ben, Will & JD Hayes Michael Dee 1 57kg 6 Express Yo’selfAmy & Ash YargiJye McNeil355kg7 TippytayLloyd Kennewell & Lucy YeomansCraig Williams455kg
2025 Chairman’s Stakes result
1st – Inkaruna (+500)
2nd – Sword Of Legacy (-333.33)
3rd – Hot Sea (-125)
Recent runnings of the Chairman’s Stakes:
- Inkaruna and Sword Of Legacy ($3.60) fought out a very tight finish in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown, with the former getting her nose down on the line to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained filly became the fifth debutant since 2011 to claim the Chairman’s Stakes. The daughter of I Am Invincible had only been seen at the jumpouts early in her career; however, she was well backed with horse racing bookmakers, jumping at $7.00 on the fourth line of betting. No Limitation ($26.00) jumped smartly to find the front and lead from Hot Sea ($3.90) and Forceofone ($5.00) throughout the 1000m journey, while the eventual winner and runner-up settled behind the speed influences with cover. Turning for home, the leader gave a strong kick with 400m to go, but Daniel Moor took his filly back to the inside rail, and Damian Lane chose to run home down the outside on Sword Of Legacy. The top two paired off with 100m to go to fight out the finish, and with both runners putting in a big dive on the winning post, it was Inkaruna who found the line first to take out the Group 3 contest.
- Coleman powered home over the top of his rivals to take out the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield. Counteroffensive ($9.50) set a solid tempo out in front and after he pinched a couple of lengths on the race favourite and eventual winner, it looked as though he would take some running down with 300m to go. However, once Ben Melham gave the son of Pierata a crack with the whip and allowed him to go through his gears, he picked up the leader and powered away in the final 150m. The second favourite Eneeza ($2.40) from the Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman yard settled near the rear and made good ground in the home straight to run into second place but was no match for the super impressive winner.
- Zulfiqar and Ben Melham combined for a front-running masterclass in the Chairman’s Stakes. Ben Melham was able to shoot straight to the lead on the inside running rail for James Cummings and team Godolphin, in very similar fashion to his win in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes from the spring. He led throughout on that occasion to score at Flemington and that’s exactly what eventuated in the Chairman’s Stakes over the 1000m. He was joined up on speed by first-starter Perilous Fighter and Craig Williams, ensuring a decent tempo for back markers to come into play. When Melham asked for an effort from his two-year-old, Zulfiqar obliged after being headed with 200m to go and proceeded to kick clear of his rivals to score by just over a length.
- Jye McNeil made it three wins from the first four races at Caulfield when guiding Sebonack to a comfortable win in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m). The Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes-trained two-year-old colt was on debut in the Group 3 feature, but that didn’t stop punters rallying behind him, as he firmed from $6 into $5.50. The son of Capitalist was a $260,000 yearling purchase at the 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales, and he quickly recouped some of that, taking home the $120,000 winner’s cheque. After jumping well from barrier two, McNeil had to guide the debutant through the field and set out after the favourite Renosu in the straight, but he ultimately did it with ease, winning by 1.25 lengths on the line.
- Boom two-year-old filly Enthaar tightened her grip on favouritism on the forthcoming major two-year-old races when she glided around to win the Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield. Enthaar was seemingly under a double grip for the entire race by jockey Mark Zahra yet still won by 2.25 lengths and recorded a time 57.28 seconds for the 1000 metres which was 1.31 seconds outside the course record on a Good 4 track.
Previous winners of the Chairman’s Stakes
| Chairman’s Stakes Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2025 | Inkaruna | Daniel Moor | Anthony & Sam Freedman |
| 2024 | Coleman | Ben Melham | Matt Laurie |
| 2023 | Zulfiqar | Ben Melham | James Cummings |
| 2022 | Sebonack | Jye McNeil | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes |
| 2021 | Enthaar | Mark Zahra | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
| 2020 | Mildred | Jordan Childs | Grahame Begg |
| 2019 | Loving Gaby | Damian Lane | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace |
| 2018 | Ennis Hill | Stephen Baster | David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig |
| 2017 | Formality | Craig Williams | David & Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig |
| 2016 | Extreme Choice | Damien Oliver | Mick Price |
| 2015 | Thurlow | Craig Williams | Robert Smerdon |
| 2014 | Nayeli | Vlad Duric | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2013 | Metastasio | Kerrin McEvoy | Peter Snowden |
| 2012 | Mama’s Choice | Dwayne Dunn | David Hayes |
| 2011 | Atomic | Ben Melham | Lee Freedman |
| 2010 | Crystal Lily | Brett Prebble | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra |
| 2009 | Headway | Luke Nolen | Peter G Moody |
| 2008 | Whisper Bay | James Winks | David Hayes |
| 2007 | Gibraltar Campion | Corey Brown | Lee Freedman |
| 2006 | Ulfah | Craig Williams | David Hayes |
| 2005 | Under the Floor | Damien Oliver | Lee Freedman |
| 2004 | Tirade | Glen Boss | Mathew Ellerton |
| 2003 | Vengeance of Rain | Danny Nikolic | Bradley Marzato |
| 2002 | Yell | Darren Gauci | John Hawkes |
| 2001 | Spitz | Peter Mertens | Lee Freedman |
| 2000 | Road to Success | Danny Nikolic | John Salanitri |
Chairman’s Stakes winners pre-2000
| Chairman’s Stakes Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Redoute’s Choice | ||
| 1998 | Coup De Grace | ||
| 1997 | Bonegilla Tom | ||
| 1996 | Balcanny | ||
| 1995 | Tennessee Magic | ||
| 1994 | Fluoro | ||
| 1993 | Lady In Reality | ||
| 1992 | Tennessee Mist | ||
| 1991 | Pampas Fire | ||
| 1990 | Wrap Around | ||
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