The King Charles III Stakes (formerly known as the George Main Stakes) is a Group 1 weight-for-age thoroughbred horse race held over 1600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse during the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. In 2025, the $5 million feature was claimed by Ceolwulf for trainer Joe Pride and jockey Chad Schofield, with the trio winning in consecutive years.
Recent King Charles III Stakes Winners (last 10 years)
- 2025 – Ceolwulf: Joseph Pride’s gelding mounted a spectacular late burst under Chad Schofield to retain his title at $10 odds.
- 2024 – Ceolwulf: The four-year-old scored a dramatic upset victory by running down favourite Pride Of Jenni under Chad Schofield.
Ladbrokes - 2023 – Fangirl: The star mare thrilled the Royal Randwick crowd by capturing the inaugural running under the rebranded $5 million King Charles III Stakes title for Chris Waller and James McDonald.
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ceolwulf | Chad Schofield | Joseph Pride | 4 | 59.0 kg | $10.00 |
| 2024 | Ceolwulf | Chad Schofield | Joseph Pride | 2 | 58.5 kg | $6.50 |
| 2023 | Fangirl | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 2 | 57.0 kg | $5.50 |
| 2022 | Anamoe | James McDonald | James Cummings | 8 | 58.5 kg | $1.65 |
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 2 | 57.0 kg | $1.75 |
| 2020 | Kolding | James McDonald | Chris Waller | 3 | 58.5 kg | $11.00 |
| 2019 | Avilius | Kerrin McEvoy | James Cummings | 3 | 58.5 kg | $2.40 |
| 2018 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller | 4 | 57.0 kg | $1.10 |
| 2017 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller | 1 | 57.0 kg | $1.12 |
| 2017 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller | 3 | 57.0 kg | $1.09 |
Full list of King Charles III Stakes winners since 1945
First run in 1945 as the George Main Stakes in honour of former Australian Jockey Club Chairman George Main, the race was renamed the King Charles III Stakes in 2023 with a purse upgrade to $5 million.
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ceolwulf | Chad Schofield | Joseph Pride |
| 2024 | Ceolwulf | Chad Schofield | Joseph Pride |
| 2023 | Fangirl | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2022 | Anamoe | James McDonald | James Cummings |
| 2021 | Verry Elleegant | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2020 | Kolding | James McDonald | Chris Waller |
| 2019 | Avilius | Kerrin McEvoy | James Cummings |
| 2018 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2017 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2016 | Winx | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2015 | Kermadec | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2014 | Sacred Falls | Zac Purton | Chris Waller |
| 2013 | Streama | Blake Shinn | Guy Walter |
| 2012 | Shoot Out | Hugh Bowman | Chris Waller |
| 2011 | Sincero | Jason Bowman | Stephen Farley |
| 2010 | More Joyous | Nash Rawiller | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2009 | Road To Rock | Hugh Bowman | Anthony Cummings |
| 2008 | Mentality | Blake Shinn | John Hawkes |
| 2007 | More Joyous / Race Not Held (Equine Influenza) | — | — |
| 2006 | Racing To Win | Hugh Bowman | John O’Shea |
| 2005 | Mr Celebrity | Larry Cassidy | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2004 | Grand Armee | Danny Beasley | Gai Waterhouse |
| 2003 | Lonhro | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 2002 | Defier | Darren Beadman | Guy Walter |
| 2001 | Viscount | Kerrin McEvoy | John Hawkes |
| 1999 | Shogun Lodge | Glen Boss | Bob Thomsen |
| 1998 | Defier / Arawn | Larry Cassidy | Guy Walter |
| 1997 | Encounter | Darren Beadman | John Hawkes |
| 1996 | Filante | Brian York | John Hawkes |
| 1995 | Juggler | Larry Cassidy | Gai Waterhouse |
| 1994 | Durbridge | Peter Hutchinson | Geoff Murphy |
| 1993 | Coronet Bay | Shane Dye | Brian Mayfield-Smith |
| 1992 | Shaftesbury Avenue | Steven King | Bart Cummings |
| 1991 | Planet Ruler | Darren Beadman | Neville Voigt |
| 1990 | Prince Salieri | Mick Dittman | Bob Hoysted |
| 1989 | Vo Rogue | Cyril Small | Vic Rail |
| 1988 | Monarch Star | Mick Dittman | Brian Mayfield-Smith |
| 1987 | Campaign King | Mick Dittman | Les Bridge |
| 1986 | Campaign King | Mick Dittman | Les Bridge |
| 1985 | Kingston Town / Myocard | G. Hall | Bart Cummings |
| 1984 | Inspired | Mick Dittman | Tommy Smith |
| 1983 | Emancipation | Neville Voigt | Neville Begg |
| 1982 | Kingston Town | Malcolm Johnston | Tommy Smith |
| 1981 | Kingston Town | Malcolm Johnston | Tommy Smith |
| 1980 | Kingston Town | Malcolm Johnston | Tommy Smith |
| 1979 | Imposing | Mick Dittman | Tommy Smith |
| 1978 | So Called | Brent Thomson | Colin Hayes |
| 1977 | Luhrs | Roy Higgins | Bart Cummings |
| 1976 | Silver Spirit | Ron Quinton | Tommy Smith |
| 1975 | Taras Bulba | John Duggan | Tommy Smith |
| 1974 | Leilani | Raymond Selkrig | Bart Cummings |
| 1973 | Imagele | Frank Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1972 | Triton | Des Lake | Harry Plant |
| 1971 | Baguette | George Moore | Anton Koolman |
| 1970 | Regal Gauntlet | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1969 | Vain | Pat Hyland | Jim Moloney |
| 1968 | Winfreux | Des Lake | W. A. Murrell |
| 1967 | Regal Standard | Athol Mulley | Tommy Smith |
| 1966 | Prince Max | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1965 | Reveille | Mel Schumacher | Tommy Smith |
| 1964 | Sir Dane | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1963 | Summer Prince | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1962 | Aquanita | Frank Moore | Roy Shaw |
| 1961 | Sky High | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1960 | Sky High | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1959 | Martello Towers | George Moore | Frank McGrath |
| 1958 | Linz | Neville Sellwood | Tommy Smith |
| 1957 | Tulloch | George Moore | Tommy Smith |
| 1956 | Count Cavalier | Arthur Ward | Tommy Smith |
| 1955 | Prince Delville | Raymond Selkrig | Frank McGrath |
| 1954 | Prince Cortauld | Neville Sellwood | Maurice McCarten |
| 1953 | Silver Phantom | Neville Sellwood | Maurice McCarten |
| 1952 | Tarien | Arthur Ward | Maurice McCarten |
| 1951 | Shannon / Delta | Neville Sellwood | Maurice McCarten |
| 1950 | San Domenico | Arthur Ward | Maurice McCarten |
| 1949 | Carbon Copy | Arthur Ward | Sterling Patterson |
| 1948 | De La Salle | Jack Purtell | Harry Plant |
| 1947 | Shannon | Darby Munro | F. T. Cush |
| 1946 | Shannon | Darby Munro | F. T. Cush |
| 1945 | Moderation | Ted Bartle | F. T. Cush |
King Charles III Stakes Records
Horses to win the King Charles III Stakes more than once
Multiple legends of the Australian turf have registered consecutive or multiple wins in this feature:
- Kingston Town (3 wins): 1980, 1981, 1982
- Winx (3 wins): 2016, 2017, 2018
Ladbrokes - Shannon (2 wins): 1946, 1947
- Sky High (2 wins): 1960, 1961
- Campaign King (2 wins): 1986, 1987
- Ceolwulf (2 wins): 2024, 2025
Most successful King Charles III Stakes Trainers
- Tommy Smith (11 wins): Count Cavalier (1956), Tulloch (1957), Linz (1958), Sky High (1960, 1961), Summer Prince (1963), Sir Dane (1964), Reveille (1965), Regal Standard (1967), Regal Gauntlet (1970), Imagele (1973).
- Chris Waller (9 wins): Shoot Out (2012), Sacred Falls (2014), Kermadec (2015), Winx (2016, 2017, 2018), Kolding (2020), Verry Elleegant (2021), Fangirl (2023).
Ladbrokes - John Hawkes (5 wins): Filante (1996), Encounter (1997), Viscount (2001), Lonhro (2003), Mentality (2008).
- Maurice McCarten (5 wins): San Domenico (1950), Tarien (1952), Silver Phantom (1953), Prince Cortauld (1954), Delta (1951).
Most successful King Charles III Stakes Jockeys
- George Moore (9 wins): Tulloch (1957), Martello Towers (1959), Sky High (1960, 1961), Summer Prince (1963), Sir Dane (1964), Prince Max (1966), Regal Gauntlet (1970), Baguette (1971).
- Hugh Bowman (6 wins): Road To Rock (2009), Shoot Out (2012), Kermadec (2015), Winx (2016, 2017, 2018).
- Mick Dittman (5 wins): Campaign King (1986, 1987), Monarch Star (1988), Prince Salieri (1990), Inspired (1984).
- James McDonald (4 wins): Kolding (2020), Verry Elleegant (2021), Anamoe (2022), Fangirl (2023).
Wikipedia - Neville Sellwood (4 wins): Delta (1951), Silver Phantom (1953), Prince Cortauld (1954), Linz (1958).
King Charles III Stakes Race Winner & Odds
- Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Track: Randwick, Sydney, NSW
- Distance: 1600m
- Conditions: WFA (Weight for Age)
- Status: Group 1
- Prize Money: $5 million
- First Run: 1945
- Current Champion: Ceolwulf
King Charles III Stakes odds are available, so bet now on the feature race.