Racing Carnivals

Racing Carnivals are held each year in every state of Australia and the biggest of them all is the Melbourne spring racing carnival, held during the months of September, October & November in Melbourne, Victoria.

Home to the Melbourne Cup, WS Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup, the spring racing carnival in Melbourne is the highlight of the racing year in Australia.

Melbourne also hosts the Melbourne autumn racing carnival during February and March each year. Feature races include the Group 1 Australian Cup and Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

The second biggest racing carnival in Australia is the Sydney autumn racing carnival in Sydney, New South Wales. The Australian Turf Club's racing showcase takes place during March and April, highlighted by the Group 1 Golden Slipper for two-year-olds and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at weight-for-age.

In June, the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival takes centre stage in Brisbane, Queensland. The Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm is the feature event of the winter carnival.

The Perth racing carnival in Western Australia and Adelaide racing carnival in South Australia are smaller in stature than the eastern states extravaganzas, but they have a number of highly rated Group 1 races. These include the Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth and the Goodwood sprint at Morphettville in Adelaide.

Major Australian Racing Carnivals

Below are the major racing carnivals held in Australia each year. To find out group races taking place at any particular carnival, simply click any of the links below.

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