The Underwood Stakes is one of the important weight for age tests of the Melbourne spring. Run at Caulfield Racecourse, the Group 1 contest sits at a useful point in the season for established stars and horses building toward major targets later in the carnival.
2026 Underwood Stakes
The 2026 Underwood Stakes is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, at Caulfield Racecourse. Melbourne Racing Club confirms that the race carries $1 million in prize money and is one of two Group 1 races on the card.
The Underwood Stakes is run over 1800 metres on turf under weight for age conditions. The distance makes it an important bridge between the major mile races of early spring and longer championship contests that follow.
Why the Underwood Stakes matters
The race gives horses an opportunity to prove that their early spring form can extend beyond 1600 metres. That makes the Underwood particularly useful when assessing contenders for races such as the Cox Plate and, for suitable stayers, the Caulfield Cup.
Because it is contested at weight for age, the race can bring proven older performers together without the handicap structure used in some other spring features.
2026 race day
Melbourne Racing Club lists the Underwood Stakes and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes as the two $1 million Group 1 races on the September 19 program. The card also includes important supporting races that help shape several spring divisions.
The final Underwood field includes Lindermann, Buckaroo, Attrition, Pinstriped, Cosmic Crusader, Birdman, Middle Earth, Kingswood and Aeliana. Race day scratchings can change a field, so readers should check official race day information before relying on the final lineup.
How to use this guide
OTB Bet will keep this page as the canonical Underwood Stakes reference and update it when official results and future race information become available. Before race day, useful handicapping factors include recent form, suitability at 1800 metres, likely pace, barrier position and evidence that a runner can sustain its effort through the final stages.
Related OTB Bet coverage
Continue through the Australian spring with the Caulfield Cup guide, Cox Plate guide, Melbourne Cup guide and the broader Major Races center.
Sources
Race day information and prize money are based on Melbourne Racing Club. Final field information is based on the published Victorian race card.
Featured image: Caulfield Racecourse, Celco85 and Georgfotoart, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA 4.0.