More talent set to emerge from the Ladbrokes Future Stars Series

The fourth edition of the highly successful Ladbrokes Future Stars Series gets underway this Friday night, 9 January, when Southside Pakenham hosts the opening leg of Victoria’s lucrative 11-race program for maiden horses.

With the likes of Ciaron Maher’s Group 1 hero Gringotts and seven other stakes winners having graduated from the Future Stars Series, the initiative has rapidly earned a reputation for unearthing prodigious talent and the 2026 edition will again headline Southside Racing’s night program over the next two months.  

With 10 $65,000 heats held at Pakenham and Cranbourne ahead of the $250,000 Ladbrokes Future Stars Final, the series offers a grand total of $900,000 in prizemoney and serves to reinforce Racing Victoria’s (RV) commitment to ensuring the strength of the industry at grassroots level.    

The 2026 Ladbrokes Future Stars Series follows hot on the heels of the second edition of the $900,000 Emerging Stars Series for maidens in spring, which culminated in Phillip Stokes’ progressive filly Shystar claiming a cheque for $137,500 after winning the grand final on Ballarat Cup Day.  

This Friday night’s 3YO Maiden Plate over 1200m presents the first opportunity for connections to qualify their maiden horses for the Future Stars Final, a Class 3 Plate over 1400m which brings the curtain down on the series at Pakenham on Thursday night, 26 February.  

As well as Gringotts, who has accrued in excess of $6 million since breaking through in a Future Stars heat in early 2023, the likes of Marble Arch, Von Hauke, Eternal Flame and Kevin Daffy’s stable star Oh Too Good have all gone on to taste Group glory since making their mark in the popular series.

RV’s Chief Operating Officer, Vaughn Lynch, said: “Since its inception in 2023, the Future Stars Series has proved very popular with participants and punters alike. It’s a platform for stars to emerge as we’ve seen in its short history through Gringotts and others and it provides a great form line for punters to follow.

“We are delighted to renew our Future Stars partnership with Southside Racing and welcome on new sponsor Ladbrokes for what will again be a real highlight of the summer night racing circuit in Victoria.

“The Ladbrokes Future Stars Series is part of our ongoing commitment to invest in the grassroots to provide enhanced opportunities for connections to get an increased return for their horse’s maiden win.

“The Ladbrokes Future Stars and spring’s Emerging Stars Series come on top of the additional $7 million we’ve invested in maiden prizemoney this season to boost every professional country maiden by $5,000.”

Alastair Dwyer, General Manager - Racing at Southside Racing, said: “The Future Stars Series has quickly become a genuine pathway for emerging talent, and we’re proud to again host a series that gives maiden horses a meaningful opportunity to progress through the grades.

“With Ladbrokes on board as major sponsor, strong prizemoney and the excitement of night racing at Pakenham and Cranbourne, the series continues to deliver for owners, trainers and the broader industry.”

Andrew Hannan, Ladbrokes’ Executive Director – Industry & Commercial, said: “The Ladbrokes Future Stars Series has resonated with customers and participants alike since its inception.

“The series has become a proven breeding ground for the future stars of our sport, and Ladbrokes is thrilled to again be partnering with Racing Victoria and Southside Racing in 2026. We look forward to it continuing to grow as a key part of Victoria’s summer racing program.”

Nominations for Friday night’s opening heat closed at 12 noon today, with 59 entries received from a broad range of stables including Ciaron Maher, Chris Waller, Lindsay Park, Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman and Anthony & Sam Freedman. Acceptances will be taken at 9am on Wednesday, 7 January with the field to be released later that morning.

The full program for the 2026 Ladbrokes Future Stars Series is as follows: