Dewhurst Stakes 2026
Saturday, 10 October 2026. The Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket runs on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October. Friday's eight-race card is headed by the Group 1 bet365 Fillies' Mile at 2.57pm, with the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at 2.25pm, and Saturday's feature is the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at 3pm, followed by the Cesarewitch at 3.40pm. The Middle Park and Cheveley Park Stakes are not part of this festival, as both are run at Newmarket's Cambridgeshire meeting in late September.
The Dewhurst is a Group 1 over 7f on the Rowley Mile for two-year-olds, and its leading runners usually become major contenders for the following season's Classics. This year it shapes up as a clash between Charlie Appleby's unbeaten Desert Castle, the 2,000 Guineas favourite, and Aidan O'Brien's Darkness Falls, the ante-post Derby favourite.
Also that day: Cesarewitch 2026 guide
| Date | Saturday 10 October 2026 (3pm) |
|---|---|
| Course | Newmarket, Rowley Mile |
| Race | Group 1, two-year-old colts and fillies (fillies receive 3lb) |
| Distance | 7f |
| Prize money | £500,000 in 2025 (£283,550 to the winner); 2026 figure not yet confirmed |
| Field | Seven left in after Monday's confirmations |
| Sponsor | Darley |
| Also on the card | The Club Godolphin Cesarewitch at 3.40pm |
The main races, Friday and Saturday
| Race (day, time) | Grade | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1.15 Cornwallis Stakes | Group 3 | 5f |
| Fri 1.50 Oh So Sharp Stakes | Group 3 | 7f |
| Fri 2.25 Challenge Stakes | Group 2 | 7f |
| Fri 2.57 Fillies' Mile | Group 1 | 1m |
| Sat 1.15 Darley Stakes | Group 3 | 1m 1f |
| Sat 1.50 Zetland Stakes | Group 3 | 1m 2f |
| Sat 2.25 Autumn Stakes | Group 3 | 1m |
| Sat 3.00 Dewhurst Stakes | Group 1 | 7f |
| Sat 3.40 Cesarewitch | Heritage Handicap | 2m 2f |
Recent Dewhurst Stakes winners
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Gewan 25-1 | Andrew Balding | James Doyle |
| 2024 | Shadow Of Light | Charlie Appleby | William Buick |
| 2023 | City Of Troy Won the 2024 Derby | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore |
Dewhurst winners who went on to win the 2,000 Guineas (since 2010)
| Year | Winner | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Chaldean Won the 2023 2,000 Guineas | Andrew Balding | Frankie Dettori |
| 2016 | Churchill Won the 2017 2,000 Guineas | Aidan O'Brien | Ryan Moore |
| 2012 | Dawn Approach Won the 2013 2,000 Guineas | Jim Bolger | Kevin Manning |
| 2010 | Frankel Won the 2011 2,000 Guineas | Henry Cecil | Tom Queally |
- Prices as of Monday 5 October: Charlie Appleby's Desert Castle, an unbeaten Frankel colt, is about 8/11 favourite, with Aidan O'Brien's Darkness Falls at 5/2 and Great Barrier Reef at 11/4.
- Seven were left in at Monday's confirmation stage: Desert Castle and Jassas for Appleby, Darkness Falls, Great Barrier Reef and Raging Bull for O'Brien, Roger Varian's Rock Montreal and Andrew Balding's Gentle Hurricane.
- Desert Castle, a full brother to two Group 1 winners, beat Sergei Diaghilev by three lengths in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on 12 September.
- Darkness Falls, a Camelot colt, won the Golden Fleece Stakes at Leopardstown by more than four lengths over nine furlongs and drops a quarter of a mile in trip.
- Charlie Appleby has won the Dewhurst three times since 2019, with Pinatubo, Native Trail and Shadow Of Light.
- Aidan O'Brien has won the Dewhurst eight times, a trainers' record he shares with John Porter and Frank Butters.
- Four of the 16 Dewhurst winners from 2010 to 2025 went on to win the 2,000 Guineas: Frankel, Dawn Approach, Churchill and Chaldean.
- The Cesarewitch is on the same card at 3.40pm.
Our full record: +220.2 points from 780 bets since October 2025 (2,128 points staked), every one published. See every result or join for £25 a month.
Our record at Newmarket
Every single we've tipped at Newmarket since October 2025, settled against the official result. Winners and losers. Every Newmarket tip and the course guide →
| Date | Race | Selection | Price | Result | P/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct | 3 Oct · 12.25 Newmarket | Hoseki | 6/4 | won | +4.50 |
| 26 Sep | 26 Sep · 2.27 Newmarket | Senorita Bonita | 11/4 | lost | −5.00 |
| 25 Sep | 25 Sep · 3.35 Newmarket | Fortitudine | 15/8 | won | +5.62 |
| 20 Aug | 20 Aug · 2.35 Newmarket | Veloria | 10/1 | lost | −2.00 |
| 8 Aug | 8 Aug · 3.05 Newmarket | Watch Party | 11/4 | lost | −3.00 |
| 8 Aug | 8 Aug · 3.05 Newmarket | Lex Victoria | 4/1 | won | +12.00 |
Our tips for Dewhurst
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Race details checked against the racecourse's own site. Fixtures can change because of the weather; check before you travel or bet.