Horseracing in Australia
Encyclopedia
Thoroughbred horseracing is an important spectator sport
in Australia
, and gambling
on horseraces is a popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred
horseracing
in Australia are flat racing
, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia
. Thoroughbred
racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football
and rugby league
, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators
, starting gate
s and photo finish
cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
On an international scale Australia has more racecourses than any other nation. It is second to the United States
in the number of horses starting in races each year. Australia is third, after the U.S. and Japan
for the amount of prize money that is distributed annually.
, with each state
's Principal Racing Authority agreeing to abide by, and to enforce, the Australian Rules of Racing
.
Besides being a spectator sport, horseracing is also an industry, which provides full- or part-time employment for almost 250,000 people, the equivalent of 77,000 jobs. About 300,000 people have a direct interest as individual owners of, or members of syndicates which own, the 30,000 horses in training in Australia. There are bookmakers, over 3,600 registered trainers and more than 1,000 jockey
s, plus farriers and veterinarians involved at race meetings alone. Race meetings are oraganised by approximately 374 race clubs that conduct about 2,694 meetings on 360 racecourses around Australia for over $427,245,000 in prize-money.
and autumn racing carnivals, has been growing in recent years with over 100,000 attracted to the running of the Melbourne Cup
, the Victoria Derby
and the VRC Oaks
race meets. The Golden Slipper Stakes, Caulfield Cup
and W S Cox Plate
are also major attractions.
The first horses that came to Australia arrived on the “Lady Penrhyn
” with the First Fleet
on 26 January 1788. It is thought that they consisted of one stallion, one colt, three mares and two fillies from Cape Town
, South Africa
. (Young) Rockingham was one of the first bloodhorses to be imported into Australia, c.1797. In 1802 the stallion, Northumberland, and an English mare were imported, followed shortly thereafter by Washington, a stallion from America. (Old) Hector, was an important Arabian horse
that was imported to Australia c.1803 and whose bloodlines have survived in Australian Thoroughbred pedigrees. Northumberland and Hector were the two leading sires in Australia
until 1820. These sires and a number of other Arabian stallions contributed to the breeding up of the bloodhorse population prior to 1825. Manto, imported in 1825, was the first General Stud Book
recorded Thoroughbred mare known by name to arrive in Australia. Her family is still producing winners. In 1826 the Thoroughbred stallion Peter Fin, and mares Cutty Sark and Spaewife, were imported.
The first recorded public auction of bloodstock took place in 1805. After the 1830s more English bred horses were imported and racing, as more racing clubs were formed in the country areas of New South Wales.
Malua
, foaled in 1879, was the most versatile Australian Thoroughbred racehorse, winning classic races on the flat and the VRC Grand National Hurdle before becoming a good sire. The legendary New Zealand
bred Carbine
was one of the early champions of the Australian turf, and was later inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
and the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
. His descendants, the New Zealand bred horses, Phar Lap
and Tulloch
(the first horse to win more than ₤100,000 in Australia) also became champions of the Australian turf. Bernborough
, Kingston Town
, Heroic
and Makybe Diva
(bred in England) were other champions that have been inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
. On 31 March 2011 Black Caviar
was rated the best Thoroughbred racehorse in the world by Timeform
(with a 135 rating) for the period of 1 October 2010 to 27 March 2011.
Australian Thoroughbred breeding has long been involved in the importation of horses, especially from Europe and later the US. Initially the British importations were identified on records with (imp) or an asterisk (*) added as a suffix to indicate that they were not locally bred. With the advent of importations from other countries and the use of shuttle stallions that stand at stud in Australia during the northern hemisphere
’s winter, these suffixes were replaced by an abbreviated country suffix. These took the format of, e.g., (USA), (GB), (IRE) and (FR) etc.
Australian-bred stallions exported to America have proved very successful at stud there. Some of these exported horses include, Bernborough
, Shannon
, Sailor's Guide
, Noholme
, Tobin Bronze
and Royal Gem
.
Throughout its history, horseracing has become part of the Australian culture and has developed a rich and colourful language.
Horseracing had become well established in and around Sydney by 1810. The first official race meeting was organised by officers of Governor Macquarie's visiting 73rd Regiment and held at Hyde Park, Sydney in October 1810. The Australian Jockey Club (AJC) held its meetings at Homebush from 1842 to 1859, before moving to Randwick in 1860. The AJC has its headquarters at Randwick where it plays a major role in the regulation of the sport. The Sydney Turf Club
(STC) was formed in 1943 and holds races on the Rosehill Gardens track and at Canterbury. This club was the initiator of the world’s richest race for two-year-olds, the Golden Slipper Stakes.
In Victoria the first official races were held in March 1838 on a specially marked out course at Batman's Hill in Melbourne. The Victorian Racing Club (VRC) was formed from the amalgamation in 1864 of the Victoria Jockey Club and Victoria Turf Club.
Queensland’s first recorded race meeting was held at Cooper’s Plains in 1843. The major race club, the Queensland Turf Club
(QTC), was formed in 1863, followed by the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club (BATC) in 1923.
South Australia’s first meeting was held at Adelaide in 1843. The principal race club, the South Australian Jockey Club
(SAJC), was founded in 1856.
Organised racing was first held in Tasmania in 1814 at Newtown, near Hobart. The Tasmanian Turf Club (TTC) was formed in 1871, but the major club, the Tasmanian Racing Club (TRC), was not established until 1874.
Thoroughbred racing commenced in Western Australia in 1836. The Western Australian Turf Club (WATC) was established in 1852.
By 1883, 192 country clubs were registered to race under Australian Jockey Club rules.
In the Northern Territory
, the Darwin Turf Club was established in May 1955.
, Lieutenant William Lawson (explorer), John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
, John Piper (military officer)
and Dr D'Arcy Wentworth
.
Charles Smith established Bungarribee stud at Doonside, New South Wales, shortly after 1830, which only had pure-bred English horses. It was Charles Smith who bred the great colonial stallion, Sir Hercules who was foaled in 1843.
James White (1828–1890), owner of Kirkham Stud, was one of the most successful owner/breeders in Australian racing with his horses winning two Melbourne Cups, six VRC Derbies and five AJC Derbies.
The three eastern mainland states supply 85% of Australian racehorses with the Hunter River
valley being the favoured region for Thoroughbred horses in NSW. In Queensland the Darling Downs is the major nursery. Hurtle Fisher’s Maribyrnong Stud was a famous stud in Victoria where expensive imported horses were used until it was dispersed in 1866. The St Albans Stud at Geelong was established in the 1850s and was still operating over 100 years later. Tranquil Star
was bred here and Briseis
was bred, owned and trained by James Wilson at this stud.
The Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley, NSW was established by John Thompson in 1867. Since then Widden Stud has been home to some of the finest stallions and broodmares including the following who were all at various times Australia's champion sire; Lochiel (four times leading sire), Grafton (four times), Maltster (five times), Bletchingly
(three times), Vain
(once) and Marscay (twice). Heroic
, Ajax and Todman
were other famous Widden stallions. The stud has had a seven generation unbroken chain of ownership under the Thompson family.
Percy Miller (1879–1948) in 1914 established Kia Ora stud just east of Scone. Miller imported the leading sire, Magpie (GB) who ran second in the English 2,000 Guineas Stakes. This stallion sired Windbag, Amounis
and Talking. Kia-Ora stud had the leading imported sires, Midstream and Delville Wood who sired champions, Shannon
(exported to the US), Delta, Hydrogen and Evening Peal etc., plus a superb band of brood mares.
Stanley Wootton exerted a major influence on Australian racing when he imported the legendary stallion Star Kingdom
, now recognised as the most influential sire line in this country. Wootton also bred the outstanding Biscay
and Bletchingly
.
s are some of the best in the world and were among the first in the world to experiment with the crouched riding style. In the late 19th century Tot Flood and James Barden pioneered this crouch style in Australia independently of the American, Tod Sloan, after whom the style was named. Australian jockeys have successfully ridden on racecourses across the world. Some of the notable jockeys include, Scobie Breasley
(four times British champion jockey), Edgar Britt
, Mick Dittman
, Roy Higgins
, George T. D. Moore
, Nash Rawiller
, Neville Sellwood, Harry White
and Bill Williamson
.
In the 1850s amateur “ladies only” events were held in Victoria, Australia but women were not permitted to ride as professional jockeys or on professional tracks. Although women jockeys were still barred from riding in the mid-20th century Wilhemena Smith rode as Bill Smith at north Queensland
racecourses.
During 1974 the VRC permitted female jockeys to be registered for professional “ladies only” events. Pam O’Neill and Linda Jones, in 1979, were the first women jockeys that were licensed to compete in registered races against men.
(trainer of 12 Melbourne Cup
winners) and Tommy Smith who had won 30 successive Sydney Trainers’ Premierships prior to his death. Other successful trainers include Jack Denham
, Lee Freedman
, Colin Hayes
, David Hayes, Etienne L. de Mestre
and Gai Waterhouse
.
In 1962 Betty Lane applied to the AJC for a metropolitan trainer's licence but was refused as “it's not our policy to licence women.” After the refusal she became a successful premiership winning trainer in the Western Districts of NSW, where she was permitted to train. In 1982 Betty Lane became the first woman trainer with a Number One Trainers Licence.
to the year 1874. The Australian Stud Book
(ASB) began in 1878 as a private venture by A. & William C. Yuille, Melbourne bloodstock agents who published nine volumes. New Zealand horses were included in the ASB until Volume VII appeared in 1900. The copyright was sold in 1910 to the AJC and VRC who now administer matters concerning the breeding of racehorses.
The outstanding ASB online database contains the records of over 860,000 horses, which includes every Australian foal born since 1972. This database includes 28,000 winners of major races in Australia and around the world. A 3,000 plus pages, printed version of volume 42 of the ASB contains the breeding records of 43,000 mares and 70,000 of their named offspring.
In the 1880s it was decided that all Thoroughbreds in Australasia should have their official ages calculated from 1 August.
The Registrar of Racehorses controls the naming, registration, leasing and transfers of all horses racing in Australia. Racehorses must be registered to race, but do not have to be purebred Thoroughbreds in order to be registered and race in Australia. Prior to 1980 it was not uncommon to see a racehorse registered as "by an unidentified sire out of a station mare". During 1980 it was regulated that horses without registered parents could not be officially named.
The registration of racing colours
is also handled by the Registrar of Racehorses.
. This body supersedes the power of the principal clubs, which were once the sovereign body of racing in every state until government reforms introduced separate governing bodies for the industry. The board is constituted of the various principal racing bodies in each state. The board is directly responsible for establishing the rules of racing (subject to additional local rules), the establishment and maintenance of the pattern racing committees, responsible for grading races and allocating black type status, as well as establishing a number of advisory groups to attempt to maintain uniformity in procedures between states and establish an accepted national racing calendar.
is considered to be the home of racing in Australia, with international races like the Melbourne Cup
. The governing body is Racing Victoria Limited
. The principal club is the Victoria Racing Club
, which races at Flemington
; the two other metropolitan clubs are the Melbourne Racing Club
, which races at Caulfield
and Sandown
, and the Moonee Valley Racing Club
, home of the Weight for Age
championship of Australasia, the Cox Plate
. The state boasts many top-class provincial and country racecourses including Cranbourne, Mornington, Geelong
, Ballarat, Bendigo, Mildura, Stony Creek, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Moe.
is governed by Racing NSW. The principal clubs are the Australian Jockey Club
, which races at Randwick
and Warwick Farm
and the Sydney Turf Club
, which races at Rosehill Gardens
and Canterbury Park
. The state's major provincial tracks are Newcastle and Kembla Grange, which alternate their meetings every second Saturday. Other notable tracks include Hawkesbury, Gosford and Grafton which hosts the largest race carnival in Australia outside of a capital city.
is governed by Thoroughbred Racing S.A. Limited. The principal club is the South Australian Jockey Club
, which races at Morphettville
(and previously Cheltenham
until its closure in 2009, and Victoria Park
until 2008). Additionally, the Oakbank Racing Club holds the highly popular Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival
with its two meetings on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.
is governed by the Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board, and the principal clubs are the Queensland Turf Club
, which races at Eagle Farm
, and the Brisbane Turf Club, which races at Doomben
. Outside of Brisbane, meetings are held each Saturday at the Gold Coast and Toowoomba racecourses.
Racing in Western Australia
is governed by Racing and Wagering Western Australia
, which is a government-owned body. The main racing club, Western Australian Turf Club now known as Perth Racing, holds racing at Belmont Park
and Ascot Racecourse
. Other popular courses with feature races in Western Australia are Bunbury, Pinjarra, York, Geraldton, Albany, Kalgoorlie and Northam.
The most popular race is the Perth Cup
, held each New Year's Day
at Ascot. There are three Group One
(G1) races contended, being the Railway Stakes, the Kingston Town Classic
, and the WATC Derby
.
is governed by the Tasmanian Thoroughbred Racing Council and the principal club is the Tasmanian Turf Club. There are Tasmanian meetings every Sunday usually alternating between Elwick Racecourse
near Hobart
, Tasman Park near Launceston
and Spreyton, Devonport.
is now governed by Thorougbred Racing NT (formerly the Darwin Turf Club, which races at Fannie Bay.)
is governed by the principal club, the Canberra Racing Club.
in Australia. Licensed on-track bookmaker
s offer fixed-odds betting, mostly on wins and places. Off-track betting was traditionally controlled by the various state government through organisation called "Totalisator Agency Boards" (TAB), which offered mainly parimutuel betting
- that is, the odds were not fixed but involved "the house" taking a fixed cut and distributing the remainder amongst people who made a winning bet. Many of these "TABs" have now been privatised, and many pubs now offer betting services linked to the privatised offshoots of the companies. In some parts of Australia there was a tradition of illegal off-course bookmaking, known as SP bookmaking
historically involving significant turnover, though it is unclear whether this is still the case. Finally, there is online person to person exchange betting, where members set their own prices and pay a percentage of their winnings in commission.
In 1913 one of the major developments in race wagering, the automatic totalisator
, which allowed the automatic calculation of race odds given betting patterns, was invented in Australia by George Julius
(later Sir).
As the largest racing country in the world, Australia has 66 of the world's 193 Group One races, recognised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
By tradition many state races have maintained higher gradings than they would otherwise be entitled to because of the poor quality of horses participating in them. The rapid growth in the Victorian and to a lesser extent, New South Wales racing carnivals has made the leading races of the other states less competitive in prizemoney and as a result prestige.
Given the self-interest of each state forming the Australian Racing Board, progress in properly grading races has been slow and controversy is often found in the decisions taken by the Pattern Racing Committee. In recent years, change has been occurring as the Pattern Racing Committee has taken a more scientific approach.
Criticism is also often made of a trend towards the promotion of sprint races over staying races. Many traditional staying races have been reduced in distance significantly over the last 30–40 years. Many parties have called for staying races to be given special dispensation in on-going reviews of race classifications to allow for a current lack of depth to encourage breeding and thus further depth in future.
The group 1 races (and selected other races) in Australia can generally be split into 3 groups, Australian races, state/city/track races and historically significant races.
Australian Oaks
- AJC Easter Carnival - 2,400m - 3yo
Australian Cup
- VRC Autumn Carnival - 2,000m - Open WFA
Australian Guineas
- VRC Autumn Carnival - 1,600m - 3yo
Australia Stakes
- Moonee Valley
- 1,200m - Open
Australian Sires Produce Stakes
- AJC Easter Carnival - 1,400 - 2yo
,
Victoria Oaks,
Victoria Sires Produce Stakes
,
Melbourne Cup
,
Caulfield Cup
,
Caulfield Guineas
,
1000 Guineas
,
Caulfield Stakes
,
Moonee Valley Cup,
Zipping Classic
,
Randwick Guineas
,
Rosehill Guineas
,
Storm Queen Stakes
,
Queensland Oaks
,
Queensland Cup
,
QTC Sires Produce Stakes
,
Queensland Guineas
,
Brisbane Cup
,
Doomben Cup
,
South Australian Oaks,
SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes
,
Adelaide Cup
,
Port Adelaide Cup,
Port Adelaide Guineas
Newmarket Handicap
,
Blue Diamond Stakes
,
MRC Futurity Stakes
C F Orr Stakes
,
Lightning Stakes
,
Manikato Stakes
,
Oakleigh Plate
,
Mackinnon Stakes,
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes,
Underwood Stakes
,
Turnbull Stakes
,
VRC Classic,
Myer Classic
,
Doncaster Handicap
,
Epsom Handicap
,
George Main Stakes
,
Metropolitan Handicap
,
Spring Champion Stakes
,
Flight Stakes
,
Chipping Norton Stakes
,
Coolmore Classic
,
Ranvet Stakes
,
Queen of the Turf Stakes
,
George Ryder Stakes
,
The BMW
,
All Aged Stakes
,
The Galaxy
,
TJ Smith Stakes,
Queen Elizabeth Stakes,
Champagne Stakes
,
BTC Cup
,
Doomben 10,000
,
Stradbroke Handicap
,
Winter Stakes
Spectator sport
A spectator sport is a sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. For instance, Tennis, Rugby, F-1, baseball, basketball, cricket, football , and ice hockey are spectator sports, while hunting or underwater hockey typically are not...
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 gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
on horseraces is a popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horseracing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
in Australia are flat racing
Flat racing
Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...
, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators
Tote board
A tote board is a large numeric or alphanumeric display used to convey information, typically at a race track or at a telethon .The term "tote board" comes from the colloquialism for totalizator , the name for the automated...
, starting gate
Starting gate
A starting gate is a machine used in horse racing and dog racing to ensure a fair start in a race.-Thoroughbred/quarter horse racing:...
s and photo finish
Photo finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race, when two competitors cross the finishing line at near the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to discriminate between which of the competitors crossed the line first, a strip photo, a series of rapidly triggered photographs, or a video taken at the...
cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
On an international scale Australia has more racecourses than any other nation. It is second to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the number of horses starting in races each year. Australia is third, after the U.S. and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the amount of prize money that is distributed annually.
Racing industry
Racing in Australia is administered by the Australian Racing BoardAustralian Racing Board
The Australian Racing Board is the peak national administration body for Thoroughbred racing in Australia. The statutory bodies for racing in each State or Territory, known as the Principal Racing Authorities, set up the Australian Racing Board by consensual agreement...
, with each state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
's Principal Racing Authority agreeing to abide by, and to enforce, the Australian Rules of Racing
Australian Rules of Racing
The Australian Rules of Racing are the rules approved by the Australian Racing Board to ensure that thoroughbred horse racing in all States and Territories of Australia is conducted according to the same general practices, conditions and integrity...
.
Besides being a spectator sport, horseracing is also an industry, which provides full- or part-time employment for almost 250,000 people, the equivalent of 77,000 jobs. About 300,000 people have a direct interest as individual owners of, or members of syndicates which own, the 30,000 horses in training in Australia. There are bookmakers, over 3,600 registered trainers and more than 1,000 jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s, plus farriers and veterinarians involved at race meetings alone. Race meetings are oraganised by approximately 374 race clubs that conduct about 2,694 meetings on 360 racecourses around Australia for over $427,245,000 in prize-money.
Important races
Public interest in Thoroughbred racing, especially during the main springMelbourne Spring Racing Carnival
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the name of a Melbourne, Australia Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually during October and November .-The Carnival and its status in the wider community:...
and autumn racing carnivals, has been growing in recent years with over 100,000 attracted to the running of the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
, the Victoria Derby
Victoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
and the VRC Oaks
VRC Oaks
The Crown Oaks , is the third day of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at Flemington Racecourse. Oaks Day is held on the Thursday directly following Melbourne Cup Day...
race meets. The Golden Slipper Stakes, Caulfield Cup
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
and W S Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
are also major attractions.
Horses
Lady Penrhyn (ship)
The Lady Penrhyn was a First Fleet transport ship of 333 tons, built on the River Thames in 1786. Her master, William Compton Sever, was part-owner. Nicholas anstis was second in command....
” with the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
on 26 January 1788. It is thought that they consisted of one stallion, one colt, three mares and two fillies from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. (Young) Rockingham was one of the first bloodhorses to be imported into Australia, c.1797. In 1802 the stallion, Northumberland, and an English mare were imported, followed shortly thereafter by Washington, a stallion from America. (Old) Hector, was an important Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
that was imported to Australia c.1803 and whose bloodlines have survived in Australian Thoroughbred pedigrees. Northumberland and Hector were the two leading sires in Australia
Leading sire in Australia
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia for each season since 1883–84. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season.----- References :* -See also:...
until 1820. These sires and a number of other Arabian stallions contributed to the breeding up of the bloodhorse population prior to 1825. Manto, imported in 1825, was the first General Stud Book
General Stud Book
The General Stud Book was the original breed registry of the United Kingdom for horses. It specifically was used to document the breeding of Thoroughbreds and related foundation bloodstock such as the Arabian horse....
recorded Thoroughbred mare known by name to arrive in Australia. Her family is still producing winners. In 1826 the Thoroughbred stallion Peter Fin, and mares Cutty Sark and Spaewife, were imported.
The first recorded public auction of bloodstock took place in 1805. After the 1830s more English bred horses were imported and racing, as more racing clubs were formed in the country areas of New South Wales.
Malua
Malua (horse)
Malua was the most versatile Australian Thoroughbred racehorse in history. Malua won over distances ranging from 5½ furlongs to 3¼ miles .-Breeding:He was a son of St. Albans from Edella by Peter Wilkins...
, foaled in 1879, was the most versatile Australian Thoroughbred racehorse, winning classic races on the flat and the VRC Grand National Hurdle before becoming a good sire. The legendary New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
bred Carbine
Carbine (horse)
Carbine , was an outstanding New Zealand bred Thoroughbred racehorse, who competed in New Zealand and later Australia. During his racing career he won 30 stakes or principal races...
was one of the early champions of the Australian turf, and was later inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
and the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame is an organization created to recognise and honour those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand Horse racing industry...
. His descendants, the New Zealand bred horses, Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
and Tulloch
Tulloch (horse)
Tulloch was a Thoroughbred racehorse, who is regarded as one of the three finest racehorses in Australian racing history...
(the first horse to win more than ₤100,000 in Australia) also became champions of the Australian turf. Bernborough
Bernborough
Bernborough was an outstanding Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from 1941 to 1946. He carried heavy weights to victory in a sequence of 15 consecutive wins that included the Doomben 10,000 carrying 10 stone 5 pounds....
, Kingston Town
Kingston Town
Kingston Town was an outstanding Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won a record three Cox Plates and 11 other Group One races in a career spanning from 1979 to 1982...
, Heroic
Heroic (horse)
Heroic was a great Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 21 races from 5 furlongs to 2 miles and was a Leading sire in Australia.-Breeding:...
and Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred who became the first racehorse to win the famed Melbourne Cup on three occasions: 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Makybe Diva is the highest stakes-earner in Australasian horse racing history, with winnings...
(bred in England) were other champions that have been inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
Australian Racing Hall of Fame
The Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
. On 31 March 2011 Black Caviar
Black Caviar (horse)
Black Caviar is an undefeated Australian Thoroughbred racehorse, considered to be the best sprinter in the world, having been named WTRR World Champion Sprinter in 2010. On 31 March 2011 Black Caviar was rated one of the top Thoroughbred racehorses in the world for the first quarter of 2011 by...
was rated the best Thoroughbred racehorse in the world by Timeform
Timeform
Timeform Publications is a publishing company in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England founded in 1948 to provide information to fans, bettors, and others involved in the horse racing industry...
(with a 135 rating) for the period of 1 October 2010 to 27 March 2011.
Australian Thoroughbred breeding has long been involved in the importation of horses, especially from Europe and later the US. Initially the British importations were identified on records with (imp) or an asterisk (*) added as a suffix to indicate that they were not locally bred. With the advent of importations from other countries and the use of shuttle stallions that stand at stud in Australia during the northern hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
’s winter, these suffixes were replaced by an abbreviated country suffix. These took the format of, e.g., (USA), (GB), (IRE) and (FR) etc.
Australian-bred stallions exported to America have proved very successful at stud there. Some of these exported horses include, Bernborough
Bernborough
Bernborough was an outstanding Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed from 1941 to 1946. He carried heavy weights to victory in a sequence of 15 consecutive wins that included the Doomben 10,000 carrying 10 stone 5 pounds....
, Shannon
Shannon (horse)
Shannon , named Shannon II in America, was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He created new racecourse records in Australia before he was sold to an American buyer who exported him to California in 1948...
, Sailor's Guide
Sailor's Guide
Sailor's Guide was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse that was conceived in England and foaled in Australia. He is notable in that he won races in the United States, Canada, and a number of principal Australian races, and was a high stakes earner....
, Noholme
Noholme
Noholme was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1959 Australian Horse of the Year and who took nearly a full second off the race record in winning the prestigious Cox Plate. In 1959 he was Australian Horse of the Year.He was sired by Star Kingdom , the Leading sire in Australia on...
, Tobin Bronze
Tobin Bronze
Tobin Bronze was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse who competed with great success during the 1960's.A chestnut son of Arctic Explorer from the Masthead mare Amarco he proved to be a crowd favourite due to his stunning good looks and winning 24 of his 44 Australian race starts.His...
and Royal Gem
Royal Gem
Royal Gem was a versatile Thoroughbred racehorse that won 23 races ranging from 5 furlongs to 12 furlongs...
.
Throughout its history, horseracing has become part of the Australian culture and has developed a rich and colourful language.
Early race meetings and clubs
Sydney Turf Club
The Sydney Turf Club was founded in 1943 and is the youngest of Australia's Principal Race Clubs. It was formed following an Act passed by the New South Wales parliament called the Sydney Turf Club Act...
(STC) was formed in 1943 and holds races on the Rosehill Gardens track and at Canterbury. This club was the initiator of the world’s richest race for two-year-olds, the Golden Slipper Stakes.
In Victoria the first official races were held in March 1838 on a specially marked out course at Batman's Hill in Melbourne. The Victorian Racing Club (VRC) was formed from the amalgamation in 1864 of the Victoria Jockey Club and Victoria Turf Club.
Queensland’s first recorded race meeting was held at Cooper’s Plains in 1843. The major race club, the Queensland Turf Club
Queensland Turf Club
The Queensland Turf Club was founded in August 1863.It began on a piece of land in Ascot, Queensland, later called Eagle Farm Racecourse, given to the club by government grant. The first meeting of the club was held on 14 August 1865....
(QTC), was formed in 1863, followed by the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club (BATC) in 1923.
South Australia’s first meeting was held at Adelaide in 1843. The principal race club, the South Australian Jockey Club
South Australian Jockey Club
South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia, Australia.The first incarnation of the South Australian Jockey Club was in 1850, when it ran a race programme at Brighton on 14 February. Thomas Shayle was the Hon. Sec...
(SAJC), was founded in 1856.
Organised racing was first held in Tasmania in 1814 at Newtown, near Hobart. The Tasmanian Turf Club (TTC) was formed in 1871, but the major club, the Tasmanian Racing Club (TRC), was not established until 1874.
Thoroughbred racing commenced in Western Australia in 1836. The Western Australian Turf Club (WATC) was established in 1852.
By 1883, 192 country clubs were registered to race under Australian Jockey Club rules.
In the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, the Darwin Turf Club was established in May 1955.
Breeders and stud farms
The early breeders of Australian bloodstock were men of historical significance such as Robert Campbell (1769–1846)Robert Campbell (1769–1846)
Robert Campbell was a pioneering and leading merchant in Sydney, a land-owner, a pastoralist, a philanthropist, and a politician being a member of the first New South Wales Legislative Council...
, Lieutenant William Lawson (explorer), John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
, John Piper (military officer)
John Piper (military officer)
John Piper was a military officer, public servant and landowner in the colony of New South Wales.Piper was born in Maybole, Ayrshire Scotland, son of Hugh Piper, a doctor; his family came from Cornwall. He was commissioned as an ensign in the New South Wales Corps in 1791, and sailed on the...
and Dr D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth
D'Arcy Wentworth was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Ireland and emigrated to Australia as an assistant surgeon to then-new colony of Sydney.- Emigration to Australia :...
.
Charles Smith established Bungarribee stud at Doonside, New South Wales, shortly after 1830, which only had pure-bred English horses. It was Charles Smith who bred the great colonial stallion, Sir Hercules who was foaled in 1843.
James White (1828–1890), owner of Kirkham Stud, was one of the most successful owner/breeders in Australian racing with his horses winning two Melbourne Cups, six VRC Derbies and five AJC Derbies.
The three eastern mainland states supply 85% of Australian racehorses with the Hunter River
Hunter River
The Hunter River is a major river in New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter River rises in the Liverpool Range and flows generally south and then east, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales and a major port....
valley being the favoured region for Thoroughbred horses in NSW. In Queensland the Darling Downs is the major nursery. Hurtle Fisher’s Maribyrnong Stud was a famous stud in Victoria where expensive imported horses were used until it was dispersed in 1866. The St Albans Stud at Geelong was established in the 1850s and was still operating over 100 years later. Tranquil Star
Tranquil Star
Tranquil Star was one of the hardiest and best performed Australian-bred Thoroughbred race-mares. She is the only mare to have won the double of the Caulfield Stakes, now known as the Yalumba Stakes, and the Cox Plate, which is the most prestigious weight-for-age race in Australia...
was bred here and Briseis
Briseis (horse)
Briseis foaled in 1873, was a brown Australian Thoroughbred filly that is regarded as one of the greatest mares ever foaled in Australia. As a two-year-old she won the AJC Doncaster Handicap and the weight for age AJC All Aged Stakes...
was bred, owned and trained by James Wilson at this stud.
Bletchingly
Bletchingly was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A brilliant sprinter, he was by the successful speed stallion Biscay out of Coogee . Bletchingly was bred by Stanley Wootton on the Baramul Stud in the Widden Valley, and was a three-quarter brother to another high-class...
(three times), Vain
Vain (horse)
Vain was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse that dominated Australian sprint racing in the period 1968–70, when he won 12 of the 14 races he contested and ran second in the other two...
(once) and Marscay (twice). Heroic
Heroic (horse)
Heroic was a great Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 21 races from 5 furlongs to 2 miles and was a Leading sire in Australia.-Breeding:...
, Ajax and Todman
Todman
Todman was one of the greatest Australian Thoroughbred racehorses and an important sire. He was perhaps best known as the winner of the inaugural STC Golden Slipper in 1957, being the first of Star Kingdom’s five successive winners of the race...
were other famous Widden stallions. The stud has had a seven generation unbroken chain of ownership under the Thompson family.
Percy Miller (1879–1948) in 1914 established Kia Ora stud just east of Scone. Miller imported the leading sire, Magpie (GB) who ran second in the English 2,000 Guineas Stakes. This stallion sired Windbag, Amounis
Amounis
Amounis was a good Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He won 33 races over distances ranging from 6 to 12 furlongs . Of these wins, 27 were in "Principal Races" , 16 of these races have since been promoted to Group One status...
and Talking. Kia-Ora stud had the leading imported sires, Midstream and Delville Wood who sired champions, Shannon
Shannon (horse)
Shannon , named Shannon II in America, was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He created new racecourse records in Australia before he was sold to an American buyer who exported him to California in 1948...
(exported to the US), Delta, Hydrogen and Evening Peal etc., plus a superb band of brood mares.
Stanley Wootton exerted a major influence on Australian racing when he imported the legendary stallion Star Kingdom
Star Kingdom
Star Kingdom was a Thoroughbred race horse bred in Ireland in 1946. Exported to Australia he was an outstanding sire, being the leading sire for five seasons, the leading sire of two-year-olds seven times as well as heading the broodmare sires' list three times.Foaled on 30 April 1946, Star...
, now recognised as the most influential sire line in this country. Wootton also bred the outstanding Biscay
Biscay (horse)
Biscay was a brilliant two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse that was bred in Australia in 1965 and who easily won the Maribyrnong Plate by eight lengths....
and Bletchingly
Bletchingly
Bletchingly was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. A brilliant sprinter, he was by the successful speed stallion Biscay out of Coogee . Bletchingly was bred by Stanley Wootton on the Baramul Stud in the Widden Valley, and was a three-quarter brother to another high-class...
.
Jockeys
Australian jockeyJockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s are some of the best in the world and were among the first in the world to experiment with the crouched riding style. In the late 19th century Tot Flood and James Barden pioneered this crouch style in Australia independently of the American, Tod Sloan, after whom the style was named. Australian jockeys have successfully ridden on racecourses across the world. Some of the notable jockeys include, Scobie Breasley
Scobie Breasley
Arthur Edward "Scobie" Breasley was an Australian jockey. He won the Caulfield Cup in Melbourne five times: 1942-45 consecutively on Tranquil Star, Skipton, Counsel and St Fairy; then on Peshawar in 1952...
(four times British champion jockey), Edgar Britt
Edgar Britt
Edgar Britt, born 1913, was one of the first of many Australian jockeys who came to ride in Britain after World War II. He rode his first winner at Canterbury, in Sydney, in 1930, before riding for the Gaekwar of Baroda in India for a decade from 1935...
, Mick Dittman
Leonard Dittman
Leonard Ross "Mick" Dittman is a retired Australian Racing Hall of Fame jockey.Nicknamed “The Enforcer” due to his strong use of the whip, he was renowned for his vigour and strength in a tight finish...
, Roy Higgins
Roy Higgins
Roy Henry Higgins MBE is a former Australian jockey who rode in the late 1960s and the 1970s. He grew up in the southern New South Wales town of Deniliquin where he was apprenticed to local horse trainer Jim Watters...
, George T. D. Moore
George T. D. Moore
George Thomas Donald Moore OBE was an Australian jockey and Thoroughbred horse trainer. He began his career in racing in 1939 in Brisbane where he quickly became one of the top apprentice jockeys and where in 1943 he won the Senior Jockeys' Premiership. He then relocated to Sydney and in 1949 went...
, Nash Rawiller
Nash Rawiller
Nash Rawiller is a prominent Australian jockey who mainly rides at meetings in Sydney. He started his career riding in Melbourne but moved to Sydney to ride for prominent trainer Gai Waterhouse. His biggest win to date was riding Elvstroem to victory in the 2004 Caulfield Cup...
, Neville Sellwood, Harry White
Harry White (jockey)
Harry White was a top Australian jockey in the late 70s. He usually rode for the "cups king" Bart Cummings. He rode the winners of four Melbourne Cups on Think Big and Hyperno for Bart Cummings and also on Arwon for George Hanlon....
and Bill Williamson
Bill Williamson
Bill Williamson born William James Williamson was an Australian jockey who enjoyed considerable success in Australia during the 1950s and in Europe during the 1960s...
.
In the 1850s amateur “ladies only” events were held in Victoria, Australia but women were not permitted to ride as professional jockeys or on professional tracks. Although women jockeys were still barred from riding in the mid-20th century Wilhemena Smith rode as Bill Smith at north Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
racecourses.
During 1974 the VRC permitted female jockeys to be registered for professional “ladies only” events. Pam O’Neill and Linda Jones, in 1979, were the first women jockeys that were licensed to compete in registered races against men.
Trainers
The most notable trainers in Australia are Bart CummingsBart Cummings
James Bartholomew 'Bart' Cummings, AM is one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He is known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as the he has won the 'race that stops a nation' a record 12 times....
(trainer of 12 Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
winners) and Tommy Smith who had won 30 successive Sydney Trainers’ Premierships prior to his death. Other successful trainers include Jack Denham
Jack Denham
Jack Denham was a leading Australian horse trainer and businessman.A member of a Sydney training dynasty, Denham first rode as a jockey for his brother, and then took out his own training licence in 1948....
, Lee Freedman
Lee Freedman
David Lee Freedman is a prominent Australian racehorse trainer. In partnership with brothers Anthony, Michael, and Richard, he has been a prolific winner of Australia's major races in past 20 years, with four Golden Slippers, four Caulfield Cups, two Cox Plates, and five Melbourne Cups,...
, Colin Hayes
Colin Hayes
Colin Sidney Hayes was a champion trainer of thoroughbred racehorses based in Adelaide, Australia.During his career he trained 5,333 winners including 524 individual Group or Listed winners. He won 28 Adelaide and 13 Melbourne Trainers' Premierships.-Early days:Colin was born in Semaphore, South...
, David Hayes, Etienne L. de Mestre
Etienne L. de Mestre
Etienne de Mestre , a 19th century trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses, was Australia's first outstanding racehorse trainer. In his 30 year career he experienced all the highs and the lows of the turf in a career which ended with him dependent on donations from racing friends.With the five wins de...
and Gai Waterhouse
Gai Waterhouse
Gai Waterhouse is a Scottish-born, Australian resident horse trainer, businesswoman and a former actress-Career:...
.
In 1962 Betty Lane applied to the AJC for a metropolitan trainer's licence but was refused as “it's not our policy to licence women.” After the refusal she became a successful premiership winning trainer in the Western Districts of NSW, where she was permitted to train. In 1982 Betty Lane became the first woman trainer with a Number One Trainers Licence.
Stud books and registrations
The Stud Book of New South Wales by Fowler Boyd Price was published in 1859, and was the first official attempt to document the pedigrees of the colony's bloodhorses. The Victorian Stud Book was then published in Volumes 1-2 which were edited by William Levey to the year 1864 and volumes 3-4 edited by William Cross YuilleWilliam Cross Yuille
William Cross Yuille was an Australian pastoralist who helped establish the horse racing industry in Victoria, Australia...
to the year 1874. 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...
(ASB) began in 1878 as a private venture by A. & William C. Yuille, Melbourne bloodstock agents who published nine volumes. New Zealand horses were included in the ASB until Volume VII appeared in 1900. The copyright was sold in 1910 to the AJC and VRC who now administer matters concerning the breeding of racehorses.
The outstanding ASB online database contains the records of over 860,000 horses, which includes every Australian foal born since 1972. This database includes 28,000 winners of major races in Australia and around the world. A 3,000 plus pages, printed version of volume 42 of the ASB contains the breeding records of 43,000 mares and 70,000 of their named offspring.
In the 1880s it was decided that all Thoroughbreds in Australasia should have their official ages calculated from 1 August.
The Registrar of Racehorses controls the naming, registration, leasing and transfers of all horses racing in Australia. Racehorses must be registered to race, but do not have to be purebred Thoroughbreds in order to be registered and race in Australia. Prior to 1980 it was not uncommon to see a racehorse registered as "by an unidentified sire out of a station mare". During 1980 it was regulated that horses without registered parents could not be officially named.
The registration of racing colours
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
is also handled by the Registrar of Racehorses.
EI outbreak
Equine influenza (EI) was initially discovered in a metropolitan Sydney horse complex in late August 2007, and spread to many areas of New South Wales and southern Queensland. This immediately stopped all equine pursuits nationwide, but soon racing in those states without EI cases resumed. The entire racing industry was put under great pressure because of a lack of racing for Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds.Australia
Racing in the Australian continent is governed by the Australian Racing BoardAustralian Racing Board
The Australian Racing Board is the peak national administration body for Thoroughbred racing in Australia. The statutory bodies for racing in each State or Territory, known as the Principal Racing Authorities, set up the Australian Racing Board by consensual agreement...
. This body supersedes the power of the principal clubs, which were once the sovereign body of racing in every state until government reforms introduced separate governing bodies for the industry. The board is constituted of the various principal racing bodies in each state. The board is directly responsible for establishing the rules of racing (subject to additional local rules), the establishment and maintenance of the pattern racing committees, responsible for grading races and allocating black type status, as well as establishing a number of advisory groups to attempt to maintain uniformity in procedures between states and establish an accepted national racing calendar.
Victoria
VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
is considered to be the home of racing in Australia, with international races like the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
. The governing body is Racing Victoria Limited
Racing Victoria Limited
Racing Victoria Limited, as the governing Principal Racing Authority, has responsibilities to develop, encourage, promote and manage the conduct of Thoroughbred horseracing in the State of Victoria, Australia...
. The principal club is 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...
, which races at Flemington
Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River...
; the two other metropolitan clubs are the Melbourne Racing Club
Melbourne Racing Club
The Melbourne Racing Club is one of three metropolitan horse racing clubs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It began life as the Victoria Amateur Turf Club in 1875 with Mr. E.C. Moore as the Club's first Secretary. The Dowling Forest Racecourse in Ballarat was the location for the first VATC race...
, which races at Caulfield
Caulfield Racecourse
Caulfield Racecourse is one of Melbourne, Australia's best-known horse-racing tracks. Commonly known as "The Heath" by local racegoers, it is located eight kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, on the boundary of Caulfield and Caulfield East in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs...
and Sandown
Sandown Racecourse
Sandown Racecourse is one of the four horse racing venues located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Built for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, it is the only metropolitan racecourse built in the 20th century and was opened before a crowd of 52,000, in June 1965.Sandown Racecourse is situated 25...
, and the Moonee Valley Racing Club
Moonee Valley Racing Club
The Moonee Valley Racing Club is located at the Moonee Valley racecourse on McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds . It is one of three racing clubs in the Melbourne metropolitan area; the others are the Victoria Racing Club and the Melbourne Racing Club...
, home of the Weight for Age
Weight for Age
Weight for Age is a term in Thoroughbred horse racing which is one of the conditions for a race. It means that a horse will carry a set weight in accordance with the Weight for Age Scale. This weight varies depending on the horse’s age, its sex, the race distance and the month of the year...
championship of Australasia, the Cox Plate
Cox Plate
The W.S. Cox Plate is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne every October by the Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour W.S. Cox, the club's founder. For three-year-olds and over, the race is considered to be the Weight for Age championship of Australasia...
. The state boasts many top-class provincial and country racecourses including Cranbourne, Mornington, Geelong
Geelong Racecourse
The Geelong Racecourse is a major regional horse racing venue in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The current racecourse dates to 1908. The annual Geelong Cup is held at the course every October, as well as a number of other race meets through the year.-History:...
, Ballarat, Bendigo, Mildura, Stony Creek, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Moe.
New South Wales
Racing in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
is governed by Racing NSW. The principal clubs are the Australian Jockey Club
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club 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...
, which races at 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 :...
and the Sydney Turf Club
Sydney Turf Club
The Sydney Turf Club was founded in 1943 and is the youngest of Australia's Principal Race Clubs. It was formed following an Act passed by the New South Wales parliament called the Sydney Turf Club Act...
, which races at Rosehill Gardens
Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse is located in the Western Sydney suburb of Rosehill, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is home of the Sydney Turf Club. Rosehill holds horse races for thoroughbred gallopers on a grass surface. It is one of the two premier racecourses in Sydney, the...
and Canterbury Park
Canterbury Park Racecourse
Canterbury Park Racecourse is a racecourse for horse racing in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located 11 km from the Sydney Central Business District, in the suburb of Canterbury, adjacent to Canterbury railway station.- Races :...
. The state's major provincial tracks are Newcastle and Kembla Grange, which alternate their meetings every second Saturday. Other notable tracks include Hawkesbury, Gosford and Grafton which hosts the largest race carnival in Australia outside of a capital city.
South Australia
Racing in South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
is governed by Thoroughbred Racing S.A. Limited. The principal club is the South Australian Jockey Club
South Australian Jockey Club
South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in South Australia, Australia.The first incarnation of the South Australian Jockey Club was in 1850, when it ran a race programme at Brighton on 14 February. Thomas Shayle was the Hon. Sec...
, which races at Morphettville
Morphettville Racecourse
Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing track for South Australia. It is situated in the suburb of Morphettville in Adelaide, Australia, and is about 10km from the centre of the city....
(and previously Cheltenham
Cheltenham Park Racecourse
Cheltenham Park Racecourse was a horse racing track located in the suburb of Cheltenham in Adelaide, South Australia. It is situated north-west of the centre of the city and approximately five kilometres from Port Adelaide...
until its closure in 2009, and Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Adelaide
Victoria Park, also known as Park 16, is a park located in the Southeastern Parklands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is bordered by Fullarton Road, Greenhill Road, East Terrace and Wakefield Road...
until 2008). Additionally, the Oakbank Racing Club holds the highly popular Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival
Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival
The Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival is a horse-racing meeting held over two days by the Oakbank Racing Club at the Oakbank Racecourse located in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia...
with its two meetings on Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.
Queensland
Racing in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
is governed by the Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board, and the principal clubs are the Queensland Turf Club
Queensland Turf Club
The Queensland Turf Club was founded in August 1863.It began on a piece of land in Ascot, Queensland, later called Eagle Farm Racecourse, given to the club by government grant. The first meeting of the club was held on 14 August 1865....
, which races at Eagle Farm
Eagle Farm Racecourse
Eagle Farm Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Ascot, 7 km from the Brisbane central business district....
, and the Brisbane Turf Club, which races at Doomben
Doomben Racecourse
Doomben Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Ascot, 7 kilometres north of the Brisbane central business district....
. Outside of Brisbane, meetings are held each Saturday at the Gold Coast and Toowoomba racecourses.
Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
is governed by Racing and Wagering Western Australia
Racing and Wagering Western Australia
Racing and Wagering Western Australia, or RWWA is a controlling authority for thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing in the state of Western Australia....
, which is a government-owned body. The main racing club, Western Australian Turf Club now known as Perth Racing, holds racing at Belmont Park
Belmont Park, Western Australia
Belmont Park Racecourse is one of the two major horse racing venues within the Perth, Western Australia metropolitan area, the other being Ascot Racecourse. The track has a circumference of 1,699 metres with a 333 metre straight...
and Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse, Western Australia
Ascot Racecourse is the major racecourse in Perth, Western Australia, situated approximately 8 kilometres east of the Perth central business district, with the headquarters of the Western Australian Turf Club positioned directly opposite....
. Other popular courses with feature races in Western Australia are Bunbury, Pinjarra, York, Geraldton, Albany, Kalgoorlie and Northam.
The most popular race is the Perth Cup
Perth Cup
The Perth Cup is Western Australia's premier Thoroughbred horse race and is held at Ascot Racecourse on New Year's Day each year. It has been run since 1887....
, held each New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
at Ascot. There are three Group One
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
(G1) races contended, being the Railway Stakes, the Kingston Town Classic
Kingston Town Classic
The Kingston Town Classic is an 1800 metre Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions. It is named in honor of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame horse, Kingston Town who won the race in 1982....
, and the WATC Derby
WATC Derby
The WATC Derby is an Australian Group 1 thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, held at Ascot Racecourse in Perth. It is run each year in April...
.
Tasmania
Racing in TasmaniaTasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
is governed by the Tasmanian Thoroughbred Racing Council and the principal club is the Tasmanian Turf Club. There are Tasmanian meetings every Sunday usually alternating between Elwick Racecourse
Tattersalls Park
Tattersalls Park is a Thoroughbred horse-racing venue located on Goodwood Road within Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia. It is located in close proximity to the Brooker Highway, the Hobart Showground, the Derwent Entertainment Centre and the Derwent River...
near Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, Tasman Park near Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
and Spreyton, Devonport.
Northern Territory
Racing in the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
is now governed by Thorougbred Racing NT (formerly the Darwin Turf Club, which races at Fannie Bay.)
Australian Capital Territory
Racing in the Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
is governed by the principal club, the Canberra Racing Club.
Betting
There are four main avenues for race bettingSports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.-United States of America:Aside from simple wagers such as betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl, sports betting is...
in Australia. Licensed on-track bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
s offer fixed-odds betting, mostly on wins and places. Off-track betting was traditionally controlled by the various state government through organisation called "Totalisator Agency Boards" (TAB), which offered mainly parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
- that is, the odds were not fixed but involved "the house" taking a fixed cut and distributing the remainder amongst people who made a winning bet. Many of these "TABs" have now been privatised, and many pubs now offer betting services linked to the privatised offshoots of the companies. In some parts of Australia there was a tradition of illegal off-course bookmaking, known as SP bookmaking
SP bookmaking
Starting price or SP bookmaking literally refers to taking bets at fixed odds, i.e. a fixed starting price, as opposed to the totalisator model of betting...
historically involving significant turnover, though it is unclear whether this is still the case. Finally, there is online person to person exchange betting, where members set their own prices and pay a percentage of their winnings in commission.
In 1913 one of the major developments in race wagering, the automatic totalisator
Tote board
A tote board is a large numeric or alphanumeric display used to convey information, typically at a race track or at a telethon .The term "tote board" comes from the colloquialism for totalizator , the name for the automated...
, which allowed the automatic calculation of race odds given betting patterns, was invented in Australia by George Julius
George Julius
Sir George Alfred Julius was the founder of Julius Poole & Gibson Pty Ltd and Automatic Totalisators Ltd, and invented the world's first automatic totalisator.-Early years:...
(later Sir).
Group races
- Group 1 races: 67
- Group 2 races: 83
- Group 3 races: 110
- Listed races: 282
- Black Type races: 542
Breeding
- Stallions: 840
- Mares: 28,134
- Live Foals: 16,112
- Gross Yearling Sales: A$Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
245 million - Median sale price: A$19,000
- Champion Sire: Encosta De LagoEncosta De LagoEncosta De Lago is an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won three group races from eight starts including the Group One , Vic Health Cup against older horses. He was the Leading sire in Australia during 2008 and 2009....
Prizemoney and earnings
- Total Prizemoney: A$421 million
- Leading Prizemoney Earner: ViewedViewedViewed was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 148th Melbourne Cup on 4 November 2008. Prior to the Cup, Viewed won the AJC JRA Plate and qualified by winning the Brisbane Cup on 9 June 2008....
- Total number of racehorses: 31,659
- Number of horses which earned over $100,000: 674
- Number of horses which earned less than $2,000: 22,300
- Number of horses with 4 or more wins: 634
- Number of horses with 0 wins: 19,579
Wagering
- Totalisator: $9,897 million
- Win: 47.4%
- Place: 15.7%
- Trifecta: 16.3%
- Quinella: 5.2%
- Exacta: 2.6%
- Doubles: 2.2%
- Quadrella: 4.0%
- Other: 6.5%
- Bookmakers: A$4,536 million
The season's winners
- Racehorse of the year: Scenic BlastScenic BlastScenic Blast is a Thoroughbred racehorse trained in Australia. His first group win was in the HDF McNeil Stakes. In 2009, he won two group one races, the Lightning Stakes and the King's Stand Stakes.-References:**...
- Leading Trainer by Group wins: Gai WaterhouseGai WaterhouseGai Waterhouse is a Scottish-born, Australian resident horse trainer, businesswoman and a former actress-Career:...
- Leading Trainer by wins: David A. Hayes
- Leading Jockey by Group wins: Nash RawillerNash RawillerNash Rawiller is a prominent Australian jockey who mainly rides at meetings in Sydney. He started his career riding in Melbourne but moved to Sydney to ride for prominent trainer Gai Waterhouse. His biggest win to date was riding Elvstroem to victory in the 2004 Caulfield Cup...
- Leading Jockey by wins: Hugh Bowman
Elite and black type racing in Australia
The Australian Pattern Racing Committee is responsible for grading races under the auspices of the Australian Racing Board. Traditionally, until the late 1970s, a series of stakes races were recognised as black type but there was no grading of races within this grouping. Historically, handicaps have been extremely popular among Australian punters, owners and industry participants. As a result a large number of handicap races still exist within the list of group and listed races. Small efforts have been made to downgrade handicaps and promote set weights and weight for age races however the strength of fields that most handicaps attract make them better punting races than possible under even conditions.As the largest racing country in the world, Australia has 66 of the world's 193 Group One races, recognised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities.
By tradition many state races have maintained higher gradings than they would otherwise be entitled to because of the poor quality of horses participating in them. The rapid growth in the Victorian and to a lesser extent, New South Wales racing carnivals has made the leading races of the other states less competitive in prizemoney and as a result prestige.
Given the self-interest of each state forming the Australian Racing Board, progress in properly grading races has been slow and controversy is often found in the decisions taken by the Pattern Racing Committee. In recent years, change has been occurring as the Pattern Racing Committee has taken a more scientific approach.
Criticism is also often made of a trend towards the promotion of sprint races over staying races. Many traditional staying races have been reduced in distance significantly over the last 30–40 years. Many parties have called for staying races to be given special dispensation in on-going reviews of race classifications to allow for a current lack of depth to encourage breeding and thus further depth in future.
The group 1 races (and selected other races) in Australia can generally be split into 3 groups, Australian races, state/city/track races and historically significant races.
National races
Australian Derby - AJC Easter Carnival - 2,400m - 3yoAustralian Oaks
AJC Oaks
The AJC Oaks is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old fillies at set weights contested over 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The AJC Australian Oaks is the premier staying race for three-year-old fillies during the Sydney autumn racing carnival. Total...
- AJC Easter Carnival - 2,400m - 3yo
Australian Cup
Australian Cup
The Australian Cup is a Group 1 Weight for Age race for Thoroughbred racehorses run over 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in March...
- VRC Autumn Carnival - 2,000m - Open WFA
Australian Guineas
Australian Guineas
The Australian Guineas is a VRC Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne in March...
- VRC Autumn Carnival - 1,600m - 3yo
Australia Stakes
Australia Stakes
The William Reid Stakes, formerly Australia Stakes, is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1200 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Prizemoney in 2010 was A$500,000....
- Moonee Valley
Moonee Valley Racecourse
Moonee Valley Racecourse is a horse-racing track in Melbourne, Australia which hosts races for Thoroughbreds. Located six kilometers from the Melbourne CBD, it is the home of the Moonee Valley Racing Club...
- 1,200m - Open
Australian Sires Produce Stakes
AJC Sires Produce Stakes
The AJC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for two year olds at set weights run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The race was first run over one mile in 1867 and won by Glencoe...
- AJC Easter Carnival - 1,400 - 2yo
Victorian races
Victoria DerbyVictoria Derby
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually on the first day of Melbourne's annual Spring Racing Carnival, Victorian Derby Day, held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. A Group One race for three-year-old horses, it is raced on a left-handed turf course at a...
,
Victoria Oaks,
Victoria Sires Produce Stakes
VRC Sires Produce Stakes
The VRC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres, at Flemington Racecourse in March each year. The total prizemoney is A$302,000...
,
Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
,
Caulfield Cup
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's richest Thoroughbred horse races and the richest of its type in the world is held annually by the Melbourne Racing Club. The race is a handicap like the Melbourne Cup, which means that horses that compete in the Caulfield Cup are capable of running on the...
,
Caulfield Guineas
Caulfield Guineas
The Caulfield Guineas is a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held over 1600 metres at set weights for three-year-old horses, held annually on the second Saturday in October and forms part of the Spring Carnival at Caulfield Racecourse. Total prize money is A$1 million...
,
1000 Guineas
The Thousand Guineas
The Thousand Guineas is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 1600 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne on a Wednesday in October.-Distance:...
,
Caulfield Stakes
Caulfield Stakes
The VATC Caulfield Stakes is now a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, at Caulfield Racecourse. The race was previously known as the Caulfield Stakes but since 1997 it has been referred to as the...
,
Moonee Valley Cup,
Zipping Classic
New South Wales Races
Sydney CupSydney 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...
,
Randwick Guineas
Randwick Guineas
The Randwick Guineas is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. This race replaces the former Canterbury Guineas which was discontinued after the 2005 running...
,
Rosehill Guineas
Rosehill Guineas
The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in March at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney. A race for three-year-olds at set weights, it is contested on turf over a distance of 2000 metres .-Distance:...
,
Storm Queen Stakes
Storm Queen Stakes
The Storm Queen Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in April. Currently known as the Vinery Stud Stakes, it is the main lead-up race for the AJC Oaks...
Queensland Races
Queensland DerbyQueensland Derby
The Queensland Derby is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds at, set weights, run over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June...
,
Queensland Oaks
Queensland Oaks
The Queensland Oaks is a Brisbane Racing Club Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, at set weights, run over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June. Total prizemoney is A$400,000....
,
Queensland Cup
Queensland Cup
The Queensland Cup is the premier rugby league football competition in the State of Queensland, Australia.It is a statewide competition with the majority of teams based in South East Queensland but also including sides based in Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton.The competition began in 1996 as a...
,
QTC Sires Produce Stakes
QTC Sires Produce Stakes
The QTC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year olds run at set weights over 1400 metres, at Eagle Farm Racecourse in June each year...
,
Queensland Guineas
Queensland Guineas
The Queensland Guineas is a Queensland Turf Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held over 1600 metres , at set weights, for three year old horses. The race is held each year as part of the Brisbane Winter Carnival at Eagle Farm Racecourse in Brisbane, Australia, on the Monday of the Queen's...
,
Brisbane Cup
Brisbane Cup
The Brisbane Cup is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and upwards, run under handicap conditions over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June...
,
Doomben Cup
Doomben Cup
The Doomben Cup is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and over, run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2020 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane in May...
South Australian Races
South Australian DerbySouth Australian Derby
The South Australian Derby is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, held at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.It is run each year in April. Before 2006 it was held in May...
,
South Australian Oaks,
SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes
SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes
The SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged two years old, at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres.It is held annually at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide.-Race history:...
,
Adelaide Cup
Adelaide Cup
The Adelaide Cup is a SAJC Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held in South Australia. It is handicap race run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide Australia. Total prize money for the race is A$400,000....
,
Port Adelaide Cup,
Port Adelaide Guineas
Victoria
WS Cox Plate,Newmarket Handicap
Newmarket Handicap
The Newmarket Handicap is a VRC Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia. The event is an open handicap race over 1200 metres...
,
Blue Diamond Stakes
Blue Diamond Stakes
The Blue Diamond Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two year olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The race was first run in 1971 and is Victoria's richest two year old race with total prizemoney of A$1.0 million...
,
MRC Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes (Australia)
The Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 Australian weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. For most of its history it was a 1400 metre race but since 2006 it has become the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge series, and its distance has changed to 1600 metres...
C F Orr Stakes
C F Orr Stakes
The C F Orr Stakes is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1400 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Prizemoney in 2010 is A$400,000...
,
Lightning Stakes
Lightning Stakes
The Lightning Stakes is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1000 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Prizemoney is A$750,000...
,
Manikato Stakes
Manikato Stakes
The Manikato Stakes is a MVRC Group One Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1200 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne in September...
,
Oakleigh Plate
Oakleigh Plate
The Oakleigh Plate is a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne in February. Its prizemoney in 2010 was A$351,000...
,
Mackinnon Stakes,
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes,
Underwood Stakes
Underwood Stakes
The Underwood Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne Australia. It is run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions in late September each year...
,
Turnbull Stakes
Turnbull Stakes
The Turnbull Stakes is a 2000 metre Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, run under set weights with penalties conditions. The race is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October. Total prize money is A$502,000. It is one of the important races of the Spring Racing Carnival along...
,
VRC Classic,
Myer Classic
Myer Classic
The Myer Classic is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under Weight for Age conditions, for fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards, over a distance of 1600 metres. It is held at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne in October...
New South Wales
Golden SlipperGolden Slipper
The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race for two year old horses held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights. It is the premier two year old race in Australia and is the world's richest race for two-year-old Thoroughbreds....
,
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...
,
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...
,
George Main Stakes
George Main Stakes
The George Main Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1600 metres at RandwickRacecourse, Sydney in September. Total prize money for the race is A$303,300....
,
Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
,
Spring Champion Stakes
Spring Champion Stakes
The Spring Champion Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights. First run in 1971, it is raced over a distance of 2000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October...
,
Flight Stakes
Flight Stakes
The Flight Stakes is an AJC Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, at set weights, run over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October...
,
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...
,
Coolmore Classic
Coolmore Classic
The Coolmore Classic is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three year old and upwards. It is a set weights race, run over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in April. Prior to 2008, it was held in March...
,
Ranvet Stakes
Ranvet Stakes
The Ranvet Stakes is a 2000 metre weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and over, run at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney Australia, early in March each year...
,
Queen of the Turf Stakes
Queen Of The Turf Stakes
The Queen of the Turf Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three years old and upwards. It is a Weight for age race, run over a distance of 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in April.-Race History:...
,
George Ryder Stakes
George Ryder Stakes
The George Ryder Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for age run over a distance of 1,500 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in April...
,
The BMW
The BMW
The BMW is a Sydney Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held over 2,400m at Weight for Age. It is held each year in April at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney Australia. The prizemoney in 2008 was A$2,271,400...
,
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...
,
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...
,
TJ Smith Stakes,
Queen Elizabeth Stakes,
Champagne Stakes
Champagne Stakes (Australia)
The Champagne Stakes is a Group 1 horse race in Australia for two-year-old Thoroughbreds at set weights run at Randwick Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres during the Sydney Autumn Carnival...
Queensland
The T J SmithThe T J Smith
The T J Smith is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for 2 year olds first run in 1897 as the Claret Stakes. It is run over a distance of 1600 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June...
,
BTC Cup
BTC Cup
The BTC Cup is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1200 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane in April/May...
,
Doomben 10,000
Doomben 10,000
The Doomben 10,000 is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1350 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane in May. The race was originally called the T.M. Ahearn Memorial but was changed to the Doomben 10,000 after the 10,000 pounds prize money on offer. ...
,
Stradbroke Handicap
Stradbroke Handicap
The Stradbroke Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run on the first Saturday in June, over a distance of 1,400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane...
,
Winter Stakes
Winter Stakes
The Tattersall's Tiara is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under Weight for Age conditions, for fillies and mares aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1400 metres. Formerly known as the Winter Stakes, the race was first run in 1989. Total prizemoney for the race is...
See also
- Australian and New Zealand punting glossaryAustralian and New Zealand punting glossaryThe Australian and New Zealand punting glossary explains some of the terms, jargon and slang which are commonly used and heard on Australian and New Zealand racecourses, in TABs, on radio, and in the horse racing media...
- Australian Champion Racehorse of the YearAustralian Champion Racehorse of the YearThe Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year is awarded to the Thoroughbred horse who is voted to be the champion horse within an Australian racing season. This award is open to all racehorses racing within Australia, regardless of age and sex, and includes overseas performances.This award...
- Australian Racing Hall of FameAustralian Racing Hall of FameThe Australian Racing Hall of Fame is part of the Australian Racing Museum which documents and honours the horseracing legends of Australia. The museum officially opened in 1981 and created the Hall of Fame in 2000....
- List of Australian Group races
- Millionaire Racehorses in AustraliaMillionaire racehorses in Australia-Highest 50:Currently out-of-date*Delta Blues has mainly won his prizemoney in Japan. Elegant Fashion has mainly won hers in Hong Kong. Cape of Good Hope has mainly won his prizemoney in the UK and Hong Kong...
- Spring Grand SlamSpring Grand SlamThe Spring Gland Slam is the name used by many punters to informally describe the big three Thoroughbred horse races held in Melbourne, Australia, each Southern Hemisphere spring...
- Thoroughbred racing in New Zealand
- Triple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingTriple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingThe Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...