The Showdown
The Showdown
Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, April 26, 2025 |
| Location: | Sandown Racecourse – Victoria, Australia |
| Prize Money: | $1,000,000 |
| Distance: | 1200m |
The Showdown (1200m) is open only to two-year-old progeny of Victorian-based stallions nominated for the VOBIS Sires Race Series in mid to late April each year.
The inaugural running of The Showdown was held in 2019, with the Matt Laurie-trained Prince Of Sussex claiming victory prior to the horse being sold and raced in Hong Kong.
With $1,000,000 worth of prize money on offer, it makes the race Victoria’s second most prestigious race for two-year-olds with only the Blue Diamond Stakes offering a higher prize pool, with that race also run over the 1200m.
Despite the race only being fresh on the Victorian racing scene, there is no doubt The Showdown will be a race trainers target for late-season two-year-olds moving forward.
Below we will highlight The Showdown betting, form, field, past winners, jockey and trainer statistics.
2025 The Showdown betting odds
Markets for The Showdown 2025 are currently unavailable.
Best The Showdown bookmakers
The Showdown is a race that is going to get a lot more attention.
Online bookmakers will have markets up and available the week of the race and will gain more and more attention as the race builds history.
The Showdown betting is open well in advance of the race, with bookmakers traditionally opening markets when nominations begin to trickle in. You can bet on these markets via both computer, telephone and even via online betting apps, which are the most common way Aussies bet in 2025.
The Showdown odds can vary dramatically from bookmaker to bookmaker, so it certainly pays to do your homework before placing your bets, with it possible to secure 10 or 20 per cent better odds with select betting sites.
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Latest The Showdown News
2025 The Showdown Final Field
HorseBetting will update this page when The Showdown 2025 final field is released.
Previous The Showdown Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Linkvue Toby Lake Jamie Mott 12 58kg 2 War Council Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Dean Yendall 6 58kg 3 Stormbourg John Moloney Patrick Moloney 16 58kg 4 BisdeePeter Moody & Katherine ColemanThomas Stockdale258kg5 Centre Square Ciaron Maher Declan Bates 8 58kg 6 Indefinite Ciaron Maher Ben Allen 10 58kg 7 Stanley Express Clinton McDonald Luke Nolen 15 58kg 8 Bold BastilleBen, Will & JD HayesLuke Currie356kg9 HerastarDean KrongoldPaul Gatt956kg10 Lincolnshire Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman Linda Meech 13 56kg 11 Toroness Simon Zahra Celine Gaudray 14 56kg 12 Cosmic Ride Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) Zac Spain 7 56kg 13 Symphony Of Colour Mathew Ellerton Joe Bowditch 11 56kg 14 Mrs Archibald Jason Warren Daniel Moor 4 56kg 15 Gellhorn Michael Kent Ethan Brown 17 56kg 16 Coastal Abbey Andrew Angelone Will Price 1 56kg 17 Listening Is Doing (1E)John SadlerN/A558kgNo. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Butch Cassidy Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Luke Nolen 11 58kg 2 Critique Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Michael Dee 9 58kg 3 Beaunified Michael Trotter Zac Spain 3 58kg 4 Magic Mogul Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Joe Bowditch 8 58kg 5 Arizona Activist Ben & JD Hayes Jye McNeil 4 58kg 6 ChillingJohn SalanitriAlana Kelly1058kg7 Mistavain Gavin Bedggood Brian Higgins 2 58kg 8 Shesallshenanigans Simon Zahra Linda Meech 5 56kg 9 Picky Leon & Troy Corstens Beau Mertens 1 56kg 10 Treasurway Jason Warren Daniel Moor 12 56kg 11 Apache Song Michael Trotter Carleen Hefel 6 56kg 12 Elphinstone Tony & Calvin McEvoy Dean Holland 7 56kg 13 Atlantic Spirit Dean Binaisse Remi Tremsal 13 56kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Bello Beau Adam Trinder Brendon McCoull 8 58kg 2 Sir Bailey Ciaron Maher & David Eustace Jamie Kah 4 58kg 3 New York Hurricane Liam Howley John Allen 2 58kg 4 Kings Consort Anthony & Sam Freedman Mark Zahra 6 58kg 5 Don’t Change Nick Ryan Rhys McLeod 7 58kg 6 Rue De Palais Tony & Calvin McEvoy John Allen 14 58kg 7 Promises Kept Greg Eurell Blaike McDougall 5 58kg 8 Stardom Awaayts Matthew Williams Damien Thornton 11 58kg 9 Hollerlujah Henry Dwyer Mitchell Aitken 12 56kg 10 Over Shady Matt Laurie Jye McNeil 13 56kg 11 Soju Session Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Craig Newitt 9 56kg 12 Capital Express Nick Ryan Billy Egan 10 56kg 13 Make It Happen Ben & JD Hayes Michael Dee 1 56kg 14 Volander Matt Laurie Ethan Brown 3 56kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Finance Tycoon Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig Luke Nolen 13 58kg 2 Starry Legend John Sadler Michael Dee 8 58kg 3 Gulf Of Suez Ciaron Maher & David Eustace John Allen 3 58kg 4 Scissor Step Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra Damian Lane 4 58kg 5 Rusheen Tony Noonan Jake Noonan 7 58kg 6 King’s Ransom John Salanitri Daniel Moor 11 58kg 7 Tramontana Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig Daniel Stackhouse 9 58kg 8 Matao Ma Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Craig Newitt 5 58kg 9 Rotokura Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Ben Allen 6 58kg 10 Arcaded James Cummings Jamie Kah 12 56kg 11 Sliders James Cummings William Pike 1 56kg 12 Irish Mint Nick Ryan Luke Currie 2 56kg 13 Literary Magnate Matthew Williams Dean Yendall 10 56kg 14 Serious SarahGreg EurellJamie Mott1456kg
2024 The Showdown result
1st – Stanley Express (+600)
2nd – Symphony Of Colour (+310)
3rd – Stormbourg (+670)
Recent The Showdown winners
- Stanley Express defied the odds, orchestrating a stunning debut victory at Caulfield in the $1 million Showdown (1200m). His surge from last to first secured hefty wins for backers, with his odds shortening from $18 to $7 with online bookmakers and then to $5 following the withdrawal of the formidable Bold Bastille due to a barrier incident. Trained by Clinton McDonald, Stanley Express sealed the win by a half-length, leaving Symphony Of Colour and Stormbourg trailing behind.
- Linda Meech and Simon Zahra combined to take home the $1,000,000 The Showdown at Sandown Racecourse with Shesallshenanigans. In a race reserved for two-year-old progeny of Victorian-based stallions, it was Shesallshenanigans was proved to be far too good for her rivals, scoring a sensational three-length win on the line, careering away with the prize. With speed drawn all over the map, jockey Linda Meech was the beneficiary, sitting quietly on the filly out of Toronado, before powering over the top of her rivals when the button was pressed. It was an impressive win by the $15,000 purchase by trainer Simon Zahra, producing one of his biggest wins as an individual trainer.
- Anthony and Sam Freedman continued their dominance of Victoria’s premier two-year-old races at Caulfield as Kings Consort claimed the $1 million Showdown (1200m). The father and son training team has won three of the past four Blue Diamonds and added The Showdown to their impressive trophy collection. Ballarat debut maiden winner Crosswinds, the dearest lot at last year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale when purchased for $1.1 million by James Haron Bloodstock, was due to be the stable elect in the race but suffered a setback ahead of race day, getting loose after dumping Mark Zahra at the Flemington jumpouts the week prior. Instead, Kings Consort, who finished third in Bendigo and Ballarat maidens, went two places better at his third outing to win the second-richest juvenile race on the Victorian calendar with Zahra in the saddle. Kings Consort ($10) settled in the second half of the field and swooped widest of all to win by a short neck from Bello Beau ($2.60 favourite), while Volander ($41) finished third, a further 1.25 lengths away.
- Having finished fourth in the Blue Diamond Stakes behind Artorius, Finance Tycoon simply needed to be somewhere near that form to take out The Showdown in 2021. He did that and then some, with the Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig-trained colt putting the best part of five-lengths on his closest rival. Finance Tycoon overcame a throat condition to win The Showdown, with connections opting to rest him following his Blue Diamond effort, instead of pushing on towards the Golden Slipper. Connections of Finance Tycoon opted to save him for the $500,000 on offer for first place in The Showdown. Having settled outside race leader Starry Legend, Luke Nolen had the colt in the lead by the 300m mark and simply never looked like getting run down in what was a truly dominant display.
- Despite being five-lengths off race favourite River Night at the 200m mark, the Matt Cumani-trained Khoekhoe absolutely stormed home to claim the 2020 edition of The Showdown in dramatic fashion. Having only been purchased for $50,000 at the Melbourne yearling sale 12 months prior, the win handed trainer Matt Cumani and Fred Kersley arguably the biggest wins of their careers, considering the prizemoney that was on offer.
- Michael Dee had the choice of rides between the two favourites in the 2019 Showdown and was confident he had made the right choice sticking with Prince Of Sussex over Sartorial Splendor. Thankfully for the hoop he made the right choice, with the Matt Laurie-trained Prince Of Sussex smashing his rivals in The Showdown and etching his name into the history books. Prince Of Sussex settled just worse than midfield and coming into the home straight Dee was forced to angle back towards the inside when he was not going to be able to get the $3.60 second favourite with the top horse betting sites into the clear on the outside. When clear, Prince Of Sussex burst through the pack and simply never looked like getting beaten once luck was on his side.
The Showdown past winners
| The Showdown Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Stanley Express | Luke Nolen | Clinton McDonald |
| 2023 | Shesallshenanigans | Linda Meech | Simon Zahra |
| 2022 | Kings Consort | Mark Zahra | Anthony & Sam Freedman |
| 2021 | Finance Tycoon | Luke Nolen | Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig |
| 2020 | Khoekhoe | Fred Kersley | Matt Cumani |
| 2019 | Prince Of Sussex | Michael Dee | Matt Laurie |
Recommended!
Take It To The Neds Level
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Punters Prefer Blondes
It's a fact, Blondes have more fun
18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?.
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18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE?. Full terms.
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GETON is not a bonus code and does not grant access to additional offers. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. New customers only. #ad Full T's and C's.