C.F. Orr Stakes Prediction and Odds

Ciaron Maher has won the last two runnings of the Sportsbet C.F. Orr Stakes, and he goes for a hat-trick with defending champion Jimmysstar, who has drawn barrier one in an eight-horse field.

The $1 million weight-for-age sprint moves to Sandown while Caulfield is resurfaced, and Shadhavar, a mare who has won her last two, has been well supported in betting this week. At $1 million it sits among the sprints worth a look when you run down Australia's richest horse races.

Before we get to our full preview, here are the key details:

• Track: Sandown Hillside, Melbourne
• Race: Sportsbet C.F. Orr Stakes
• Distance: 1400m
• Class: Group 1, weight-for-age
• Prize Money: $1,000,000
• Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
• Jump Time: 4:20pm AEDT

Track Conditions and Speed Map

Sandown last hosted the Orr in 2023, and its long home straight is the big change from Caulfield. Maher reckons "the bigger the track the better" for Jimmysstar, who needs room, because he's a backmarker and Ethan Brown blamed a moderate tempo for his flat run at Randwick last start.

That's why barrier one is a mixed blessing. Shadhavar should roll forward from barrier two after Craig Williams rated her perfectly in front when she won on Cup Day, and Beiwacht from three will be handy, so Brown may have to wait for gaps along the rail. Check the track rating on race morning.

Runners to Watch

Shadhavar won the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield and then the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes at Flemington by more than four lengths, and trainer Tom Dabernig says she's "improving with every run". Kerrin McEvoy rides, and she gets in at 57kg against the 59kg the males carry.

Jimmysstar has won four Group 1s, three of them at Caulfield, including the Manikato Stakes there on 27 September.

Pericles beat him home in the Russell Balding Stakes at Randwick, running a track-record 1:14.05, and he won the Group 1 Futurity Stakes over this trip at Caulfield earlier in the year.

Beiwacht has three Group 1 wins, all of them at 1400m, including a three-length Memsie Stakes in August, and James McDonald takes over from Nash Rawiller after Beiwacht's third in the Golden Eagle. Angel Capital won the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m in September and placed in this race last year.

C.F. Orr Stakes Betting Markets

With five genuine chances in an eight-horse field, the win market is tight, which makes the quinella and exacta more appealing than usual, especially pairing a leader with a backmarker since the race could be decided by how the pace unfolds.

Place betting suits the likes of Angel Capital, who has placed in plenty of Group 1s but won only one. Barrier one has made Jimmysstar's chances harder to read, so the C.F. Orr Stakes odds are likely to move again on race morning.

C.F. Orr Stakes Prediction: Our Pick

We're taking Shadhavar. She has won her last two, both over 1400m, she gets a 2kg pull from the mare's allowance, and her draw lets her find the front without using up too much petrol. Her Flemington win was the kind of step up that puts her in this class.

The danger is Jimmysstar. If Brown finds a clear run in the straight, the defending champion has the Group 1 record to run them all down.

Tip: Shadhavar to win