The Australian Jockey Club (AJC) was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony. Races were held at the newly established Homebush Course which was headquarters of NSW racing until 1860.

It is considered the senior racing club in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 and was responsible for founding the Australian Stud Book

Australian Stud Book

The Australian Stud Book , is the body responsible for ensuring the integrity of Thoroughbred breeding in Australia. Australia is the second-largest Thoroughbred breeding country in the world behind the US...

, which it still oversees today.

The club also, in conjunction with the Victoria Racing Club

Victoria Racing Club

The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual “race that stops a nation”, the Melbourne Cup, which was first contested in 1861.From its...

, formulated the Rules of Racing that are followed by all Australian race clubs.

Two courses are operated by the club being Randwick

Randwick Racecourse

Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters...

 and Warwick Farm

Warwick Farm Racecourse

Warwick Farm Racecourse is a racecourse at Warwick Farm a south-west suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used as a racecourse for Thoroughbred horse racing.- Races :...

 in Sydney.

Archives

Archival information is available from visiting the Australian Jockey Club Racing Museum in Randwick. Information is available in the form of photographs, journals, books and newspapers.

Major Races

Some of the major races staged today by the AJC include the Sydney Cup

Sydney Cup

The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May...

, AJC Derby

AJC Derby

The Australian Derby also known as AJC Derby, is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run by the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Open to three year olds, the race is held annually in the latter part of March or early April...

, Epsom Handicap

Epsom Handicap

The Epsom Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held over 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse. It is one of the major races of the Sydney Spring Carnival. Many great milers have won the race, including Chatham, Gunsynd, and Super Impose, who was also a dual winner of the...

, Doncaster Handicap

Doncaster Handicap

The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000...

, The Galaxy

The Galaxy (horse race)

The Galaxy is an Australian Jockey Club Group One Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in April...

, All Aged Stakes

All Aged Stakes

The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May...

 and the Chipping Norton Stakes

Chipping Norton Stakes

The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run at weight for age, over a distance of 1600 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in February or March.-Distance:* 1925 - 1972 held over 10 furlongs The Chipping Norton Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred...

.

AJC Easter Carnival

The AJC Easter Carnival is the 2nd major part of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Traditionally the carnival begins on Easter Saturday and contained up to four days of racing over a three week period. In 2008 the carnival was delayed by four weeks due to the 2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak.

Between 2004 and 2007, the carnival had been held over four days in the one week in an attempt to emulate the success of the VRC Melbourne Cup Carnival. This has been met with limited success with the Wednesday meeting in particular being poorly attended. For the 2009 season, the AJC reverted to a two week program over three Saturdays with a limited mid week or Easter Monday meeting. In addition to this decision, the principal body, Racing NSW, determined that the carnival will begin on the second Saturday in April regardless of the timing of Easter in a particular year. This decision goes against more than 100 years of tradition and has been protested by the AJC. A fixed date allows for a better coordinated national racing calendar, ensuring the best horses will be available for both the AJC Carnival and the STC Golden Slipper Carnival in addition to Melbourne and Adelaide carnivals.