Epsom Handicap Tips, Best Bets, Odds, Field & More 2026

Welcome to Australiabettingsites.net.au where we have all the important details you need to know about the Epsom Handicap. The Epsom Handicap is one of the most important Group One races in Australia and always features some of the best racehorses going around. If you’re thinking about betting on the Epsom Handicap, make sure you read this page first!

Best Epsom Handicap Betting Sites

Before we go in-depth on everything you should know about the Epsom Handicap, here are some quick facts to get you started:

The Epsom Handicap is known as one of the biggest mile handicap races in Australia, but it does play second fiddle to the Doncastle Mile, run under the same conditions and distance, during the Autumn Racing Carnival.

The first edition of the Epsom Handicap was in 1863, making it one of the longest-running Group One races in Australia. The race was first won by Dundee and we have seen many high-quality milers compete and win this prestigious race.

The Epsom Handicap is held during October each year and is right in the thick of the Spring Racing Carnival, which is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for racing. It’s known as Epsom Day and features several other Group One races, but the highlight is, of course, the Epsom Handicap.

The race held Principal status until 1979 when it was transferred to Group One status. After originally being run over a distance of 1,600 metres, the race distance was increased to 1,800 metres in 1879. However, from 1885 onwards, the Epsom Handicap has been run over the mile.

The winner of the Epsom Handicap is exempt from ballot for the following year’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the biggest races on the Autumn Racing Carnival and is worth a mammoth $5 million in prize money.

At Australian Betting Sites, we have free horse racing tips all year round, and this includes the Epsom Handicap as well. So, if it is almost Epsom Handicap race day, make sure you check out our tips section to see who we are backing for the big race.

If you’re new to the world of horse racing, it can be difficult to understand all the ins and outs of what’s involved. Over the years, we have developed a set of tips that can help every bettor who is looking to make the most of their betting experience.

At a look at some of our recommended tips when it comes to betting on the Epsom Handicap:

• Do Your Research - If you’re not going to use horse racing tips, you must do enough research before placing your bets. This means looking into the form guide and understanding information like the horse’s success rate at the track, distance, and more.
• Make Use of Promotions - Each bookie will always have a raft of racing promotions that you can take advantage of. These promotions can help you get more bang for your buck and different bookies usually have a different range of promotions, so it’s a good idea to explore what’s out there.
• Look for Value - It can be easy to simply follow the favourite. However, the favourite doesn’t always win and you could be missing out on value. If you’ve found a runner you think presents good value, you can play it safe by opting for a place bet, or even an each-way bet.
• Choose the Right Bet Type - We will go into this in more detail later on this page, but it is important to stick with the betting markets you understand. There are many different bet types available and choosing the right type for you can make all the difference.

In Australia, you are truly spoiled for choice. There are so many different horse racing betting sites available for you to choose from. Not all betting sites are created equal though and we have taken the time to go through and find some of the best bookies for all your Epsom Handicap betting needs.

When you head to a bookie and go to their Epsom Handicap markets, you’ll see that there are a lot of different options available. There are the most popular bet types like win, place and each-way. On top of this, the best bookies will offer exotic bet types, like exacta, quinella, first four and more.

Here are all the main betting markets that are available for the Epsom Handicap:

Each year, the Epsom Handicap field will be announced a couple of days before the race. When the field is announced, you get access to other important pieces of the puzzle, like the barrier draw, for example. The barrier draw can have a fairly significant impact on how the race will potentially play out.

When the final field is announced, it is a good idea to look into the form guide of each runner. Information like recent results, success at the same track/ distance, jockey relationship and more are all helpful pieces of information that can point you in the direction of a runner who should perform well.

Check out all the runners that were included in the most recent Epsom Handicap:

Horse racing odds are a very fickle thing. For races like the Epsom Handicap, you’ll notice that all the best betting sites will provide early markets for the race. This is what is known as “Futures” markets and you can sometimes even bet months before the event is due to take place.

From whenever the markets are released up until the race jump, the odds for every runner will constantly change. Many factors influence a chance in the odds and it could be something as simple as the barrier draw that can change a runner’s odds.

You’ll also notice that different bookies might offer different odds for the same runners. This is because bookies have different ranking factors that they use which dictates what the odds will be. So, if you’ve got a little bit of time up your sleeve, one of the things we recommend is to shop around.

While the difference in odds might not be that much, it really does all add up in the end. This is especially the case if you prefer to bet on roughies, where the difference in odds between bookies can be more significant.

The 2025 Epsom Handicap was taken out by the heavy $1.75 favourite, Autumn Glow. Jumping from the widest barrier of them all couldn’t slow down the 4YO mare, and she finished 1.44L ahead of the pack. Her victory in the Epsom Handicap comes after winning the Theo Marks Stakes, which is a Group Two.

After Autumn Glow, $31 chance, Fully Lit, finished in second place. Rounding out the final minor placing was Pericles, who jumped from barrier four. In the end, there was a total of 5.31L that split the first and last runners across the finishing post, and the race was run in a time of 1:33.14.

See where every runner in the Epsom Handicap finished here:

Ready to relive all the action? Check out the Epsom Handicap race as it unfolded:

See which runners have etched their numbers in Epsom Handicap history here:

Still have some questions about the Epsom Handicap? You have come to the right place! We have gone through all the most commonly asked questions about the Epsom Handicap and answered them in this section.