With Flemington’s “Moving Day” serving as the spring carnival’s form reference point, the 2026 TAB Turnbull Stakes shapes as a pivotal contest where history, momentum and Cup ambitions collide.

It’s no surprise that the TAB Turnbull Stakes is a race which has been described as the spring shaper on a day also known as 'Moving Day' at Flemington.

Trainers know that if their horses don’t race well on Turnbull Stakes Day then their spring aspirations are forlorn ones.

You only need to look at Turnbull Stakes results over the last decade to underline how important the event is for the rest of the spring.

In 2025, Sir Delius took out the race from Antino, with Via Sistina third and Half Yours in fourth place. Via Sistina then won the Cox Plate and TAB Champions Stakes, and Half Yours went on to do the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup at their next two starts.

In 2024, Via Sistina took out the Turnbull Stakes and then won the Cox Plate and the TAB Champions Stakes. Fourth placegetter was Duke De Sessa won the Caulfield Cup at his next start. Knight's Choice finished last in the Turnbull on an unsuitable soft track, but three starts later caused an upset winning the Lexus Melbourne Cup.

In 2021, Incentivise won the Turnbull Stakes and then the Caulfield Cup, just as Verry Elleegant did the previous year.

2022 saw the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip finish fifth in the Turnbull Stakes, then second in the Caulfield Cup and won the Melbourne Cup. He returned a year later to win the 2023 Turnbull Stakes and then finished third in the Caulfield Cup.

In 2019, Vow And Declare finished fourth in the Turnbull Stakes and then second in the Caulfield Cup before he won the Melbourne Cup.

The mighty Winx won the Turnbull Stakes in 2017 and 2018 before she took out the Cox Plate at her next start each year.

And that’s only the last ten years. While the Turnbull Stakes is a quality race itself it certainly is the spring shaper.

History awaits Chris Waller, who has five runners in the race, if he can train the winner as he will become the first trainer to have won the race seven times. Presently he shares that status with Lee Freedman who also trained six winners of the Turnbull Stakes.

Meet the contenders

1 - HALF YOURS

6YO Chestnut Gelding | St Jean (IRE) - La Gazelle (Desert King (IRE))
Trainers: Tony & Calvin McEvoy (Flemington)
Jockey: Jamie Melham - 59kg
Barrier: 14
Career: 20:8-3-0 | $9,398,340
Record at Flemington: 3:1-0-0
Record at 2000m: 4:1-1-0

He was the headline act of last year’s spring carnival as he won the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double. It was this race last year where he put his hand up that he could be a major player in the spring when he finished fourth. He’s ready to fire again based on first-up sixth in the Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) when he finished strongly. He ran his last 400 metres in 22.14 seconds which was the third fastest for the race which would have pleased his trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy. He finished fourth in this race last year.

2 - SIR DELIUS (GB)

6YO Bay Horse | Frankel (GB) - Whatami (GB) (Daylami (IRE))
Trainers: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott (Flemington)
Jockey: Craig Williams - 59kg
Barrier: 9
Career: 14:7-2-3 | $4,794,958
Record at Flemington: 2:1-0-0
Record at 2000m: 4:3-0-1

He’s one of Australia’s best gallopers and he’s looking to become the first galloper since Winx in 2017 and 2018 to win consecutive Turnbull Stakes. A look back at who he defeated last year underlines how much ability the son of Frankel has as Via Sistina finished third and Half Yours fourth. He added the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick last autumn to his CV. He finished a sound first-up fourth in the Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington and he will run at his pet distance, which he has recorded three wins and a third from four starts at 2000 metres.

3 - LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR)

8YO Chestnut Gelding | Fast Company (IRE) - Lights On Me (GB) (Kyllachy (GB))
Trainer: Ciaron Maher (Cranbourne)
Jockey: Harry Coffey - 58kg
Barrier: 3
Career: 37:7-5-4 | $5,786,300
Record at Flemington: 6:3-0-1
Record at 2000m: 6:2-0-0

He returns to his happy hunting ground of Flemington and 2000 metres where he has won the last two TAB Australian Cups. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper has had one other start over the 2000 at Flemington where he finished fifth behind Via Sistina in the TAB Champions Stakes on a heavy track. He tired when he finished a second-up fifth in the Group 1 Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) but he tends to improve at Flemington.

4 - COSMIC CRUSADER (NZ)

6YO Bay Gelding | Maurice (JPN) - Cosmic Storm (Street Sense (USA))
Trainer: Andrea Leek (Pakenham)
Jockey: William Pike - 58kg
Barrier: 4
Career: 21:10-3-4 | $2,067,120
Record at Flemington: 0:0-0-0
Record at 2000m: 0:0-0-0

Perth raider who made an immediate impression in Melbourne winning the the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) and the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) both at Caulfield. Since then, he ran on strongly for a Group 1 third in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) behind Beiwacht. Then last start he was ridden to be more prominent, but he didn’t have an answer to the finishing burst of Birdman when he finished second to him in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m). He will go back and run on well.

For the rest of the Turnbull contenders, CLICK HERE.