Melbourne also hosts an Autumn Racing Carnival, which can start as early as late January and continue right through to April, featuring some tremendous racing, including numerous Group 1 & Feature races, across the familiar Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley racecourses.
Listed here are the races worthy of note:
Blue Diamond Stakes | 1,200m | G1 | 2yrs | $2m | Caulfield&& |
Black Caviar Lightning Stakes | 1,000m | G1 | Open WFA | $1m | Flemington |
Oakleigh Plate | 1,100m | G1 | H´cap | $750k | Caulfield&& |
Newmarket Handicap + | 1,200m | G1 | H´cap | $1.5m | Flemington |
(+ The only other Flemington race where 24 horses are permitted to start) |
Futurity Stakes | 1,400m | G1 | 3yrs and up WFA | $750k | Caulfield&& |
All Star Mile * | 1,600m | Other | WFA | $5m | Rotates |
(* Racing fans vote for 10 of the horses in the race with 4 reserved for wild card entries) |
William Reid Stakes | 1,200m | G1 | WFA | $1m | Mne Valley |
Lexus Roy Higgins ++ | 2,600m | Listed | 3yrs and up | $500k | Flemington |
Australian Cup | 2,000m | G1 | 3yrs and up WFA | $3m | Flemington |
Sunlight Classic | 1,100m | Listed | 3yrs H´cap | $500k | Flemington |
Underwood Stakes | 1,800m | G1 | 3 yrs and up WFA | $1m | Sandown&& |
The (VOBIS Sires) Showdown** | 1,200m | Other | 2yrs | $1m | Caulfield&& |
VOBIS Sires Guineas ** | 1,600m | Other | 3yrs | $475k | Caulfield&& |
(** Both races are only for descendants of VOBIS Sires nominated stallions) |
The Australian Cup today is run over 2,000 metres but until the 1940s it was Australia´s premium long distance race, run over a longer distance (3,600 metres) than the Melbourne Cup.
One other race of note in Victoria during the Autumn is:
The Country Discovery | 1,100m | Other | Open H´cap | $500k | Geelong |
(It is worth noting that Caulfield was due to close for six months in 2022 as part the Melbourne Racing Club's plan to build a second track at the venue and this has meant that 10 race meetings have moved temporarily to Sandown (including the Blue Diamond Stakes.)