General Information
Australian horse racing takes place daily with meetings conducted daily by Metropolitan, Provincial and Country Race Clubs.
Saturday is considered the main day for racing in Australia with meetings held in each State every weekend. Each state also run Midweek racing which generally sees multiple Metropolitan, Provinical or Country meetings on any given day.
Racing Carnivals are run in each state of Australia throughout the year, with the biggest being the Melbourne spring racing carnival, with the ultimate race being the Melbourne Cup but also includes major races such as The Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, VRC Derby & VRC Oaks while New South Wales hosts the Sydney autumn racing carnival where the highlight is the Golden Slipper for two-year-olds.
The major racing States of Australia and relevant carnivals are outlined below:
- Melbourne spring racing carnival
- Melbourne autumn racing carnival
- Sydney spring racing carnival
- Sydney autumn racing carnival
- Brisbane winter carnival
- Adelaide autumn carnival
- Perth summer carnival
Australian Group Races are the highest class of thoroughbred race in Australia.
Group races are divided into 4 categories;
Group 1 – at least $250,000 prizemoney – 60+ races per season
Group 2 – at least $125,000 prizemoney – 80+ races per season
Group 3 – at least $75,000 prizemoney – 110+ races per season
Listed – at least $50,000 prizemoney – 280+ races per season
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is an annual Thoroughbred horse racing event held in Melbourne from September to November every year. The meetings include races from Caulfield, Geelong, Moonee Valley, Flemington and Sandown.
Caulfield key races are the Caulfield Guineas a set-weight race intended for horses that are three years of age. Followed by the Caulfield Thousand Guineas for three-year old fillies. The final race of th Caulfield Carnival is the Caulfield Cup, a major lead up race to the Melbourne Cup.
The feature race for the Moonee Valley Spring Carnival is the Weight for Age Cox Plate. The Cox Plate Race is a Group One race inspired by W.S. Cox, the founder of the Moonee Valley Racing Club. Only thoroughbred horses over three years of age are eligible to compete in this particular Spring Racing Carnival event.
The Flemington Spring Carnival is the most anticipated group of meetings held throughout the Spring Racing Carnival. These racees include the Victoria Derby a Group One set-weight race for colts & geldings three-years of age. The Melbourne Cup follows the Victoria Derby. The Melbourne Cup is arguably the most prestigious horse races in the world, & is dubbed “the race that stops a nation”. The handicap race is held on the first Tuesday of November, which is observed as a public holiday for residents of Victoria.
Another feature race is The Crown Oaks, formerly identified as the VRC Oaks, a Group One race for three-year old fillies. This race is held on a day widely known as “Ladies Day”, as it typically focuses on fashion.
The final days of the Carnival are generally held at Sandown with the Sandown Classic, which is a Group Two race. The Sandown Classic formerly identified as the Sandown Cup. Followed by the Sandown Stakes a Group Three race.
The Sydney Spring Racing Carnival revolves around two of the biggest jockey clubs in the country, the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club. Hosting the majority of the carnival’s races at Randwick and Rosehill racecourses, the season spans from August until late December.
Their is a selection of quality races that form this carnival. These include:
- The Golden Slipper is the richest race of the carnival and is worth $1 million in prize money.
- The Epsom Handicap is regarded as one the best mile races of the season.
- The Missile Stakes, Warwick Stakes, Gloaming Stakes, George Main Stakes, The San Domenico Stakes, The Up and Coming Stakes, The Silver Shadow Stakes, The Chelmsford Stakes, The Furious Stakes, The Tramway Quality Handicap, The Show County Quality Handicap, The Stan Fox Stakes, The Colin Stephen Quality, The Metropolitan, The Bill Ritchie Handicap, The 1600m Flight Stakes, The Spring Champion Stakes, The Shorts, The Roman Consul Stakes, The Craven Plate, The Villiers Stakes, The Premiere Stakes, The Golden Rose, The Run To The Rose, The Concorde Stakes, The Theo Marks Stakes, The 1200m Research Stakes, The Kingston Town Stakes, The Tea Rose Stakes The Gloaming Stakes, The Shannon Stakes, The Hill Stakes, The Newcastle Cameron Handicap, The Newcastle Spring Stakes, The Newcastle Gold Cup, The Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
