Australian Horse Racing Calendar

Bets.com.au is home to a complete guide to the upcoming major horse racing fixtures, events and Group 1 racing in Australia.

Our Australian Horse Racing Calendar below ensures you don't miss the biggest races in Australia and abroad, from the Melbourne Cup to Royal Ascot. 

We have a full list of the Group 1 racing in Australia and more, with our horse racing calendar your go-to guide to what is coming up in the weeks and months ahead.

Upcoming Races

  • Date Race Name State Prize Money Distance Track

February 2025

March 2025

April 2025

May 2025

June 2025

August 2025

September 2025

October 2025


Australia has over 60 Group One races in a calendar year, which doesn't include features such as The Everest, a $15 million sprint which is the richest turf race in the world and The Golden Eagle, an $8 million race restricted to four-year-old's.

The lucrative Magic Millions race series and Inglis events also don't have Group One status due to their restricted nature.

Five Australian states host Group One racing, with the respective carnivals detailed below:

Melbourne Autumn Carnival


The Melbourne Autumn Carnival mainly focuses around sprinting and mile races for the Group One's, with the Australian Cup (2000m) the only exception among the majors.

The CF Orr Stakes is the first Group One of the calendar year in Australia, a 1400m WFA event at Caulfield and one that is traditionally a strong starting point for returning spring stars.

The Newmarket Handicap is the most prestigious sprinting handicap on the Australian calendar, with that Group One joining the Australian Cup to form Super Saturday.

Melbourne Autumn Carnival Group 1 races:

  • C.F. Orr Stakes
  • Lightning Stakes
  • Blue Diamond Stakes
  • Futurity Stakes
  • Oakleigh Plate
  • Australian Guineas
  • Newmarket Handicap
  • Australian Cup
  • William Reid Stakes

Sydney Autumn Carnival


The Sydney Autumn Carnival has 20 Group One races, with the first being the Chipping Norton and that generally forms a dual Group One card over late summer, along with the Surround Stakes.

With five Group One races on the one meeting, Golden Slipper Day is considered the biggest meeting of the year in Sydney, although since the introduction of The Championships, the strongest racing ends up at Randwick.

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Doncaster Mile and TJ Smith Stakes are three main events run over the two days of The Championships.

Sydney Autumn Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Chipping Norton Stakes
  • Surround Stakes
  • Canterbury Stakes
  • Randwick Guineas
  • Coolmore Classic
  • The Galaxy
  • Rosehill Guineas
  • Ranvet Stakes
  • George Ryder Stakes
  • Golden Slipper
  • Vinery Stud Stakes
  • Tancred Stakes

The Championships Group 1 races:

  • Queen Elizabeth Stakes
  • Doncaster Mile
  • Australian Oaks
  • T.J. Smith Stakes
  • Sydney Cup
  • Australian Derby
  • Sires' Produce Stakes
  • Queen of the Turf Stakes

Adelaide Autumn Carnival


Four Group One races are run and won over the Adelaide Autumn Carnival, which has now been split into four Saturday's, with each major now able to headline their respective meetings.

Being the only Group One sprint in Australia for fillies and mares, The Robert Sangster Stakes is unique in nature, while The Goodwood is undoubtedly the main race run in Adelaide.

Adelaide Autumn Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Australasian Oaks
  • Robert Sangster Stakes
  • South Australian Derby
  • The Goodwood

Brisbane Winter Carnival


The Brisbane Winter Carnival is one of the biggest racing carnivals in Australia, with eight Group One's run from late May.

The Queensland Derby is always an intriguing race from both a local and international view, with many Hong Kong Derby contenders sought from this winter three-year-old feature.

Worth $1.5 million, the Stradbroke Handicap is one of the more famous handicaps on the Australian racing calendar and is Queenland's premier race.

Brisbane Winter Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Doomben 10,000
  • Doomben Cup
  • Kingsford-Smith Cup
  • Queensland Oaks
  • J.J. Atkins
  • Queensland Derby
  • Stradbroke Handicap
  • Tattersalls Tiara

Sydney Spring Carnival


The Sydney Spring Carnival begins with the Winx Stakes, a 1400m WFA event in late August, with this feature also the first Group One of the Australian Racing Season.

Following the stallion-making Golden Rose and famous Epsom Handicap, the Sydney Spring Carnival got a massive boost with the introduction of the The Everest, a $15 million dollar sprint, which is now the richest turf race in the world.

Sydney Spring Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Warwick Stakes
  • George Main Stakes
  • Golden Rose Stakes
  • Flight Stakes
  • The Metropolitan
  • Epsom Handicap
  • Spring Champion Stakes
  • The Everest

Melbourne Spring Carnival


The Melbourne Spring Carnival is not only Australia's biggest racing carnival, but is one of the more recognised carnivals on the world stage, with 20 Group One's starting from late August via the Memsie Stakes.

Post the AFL season is when spring racing really heats up, with the Caulfield Cup Carnival the first major period, followed by the two-day Cox Plate Carnival and concluding with the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Derby Day is the most famous day on the calendar, where 100,000 racegoers pack out Flemington for day one of a famous week, with four Group One's on the first Saturday.

Melbourne Spring Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Memsie Stakes
  • Moir Stakes
  • Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
  • Underwood Stakes
  • Turnbull Stakes
  • Toorak Handicap
  • Caulfield Stakes
  • Caulfield Guineas
  • Thousand Guineas
  • Caulfield Cup
  • Manikato Stakes
  • Cox Plate

Melbourne Cup Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Cantala Stakes
  • Coolmore Stud Stakes
  • Victoria Derby
  • Victoria Oaks
  • Mackinnon Stakes
  • Melbourne Cup
  • VRC Sprint Classic
  • Empire Rose Stakes

Perth Summer Carnival


Group One racing for the Australian calendar year finishes in the west, with three majors run over the Perth Summer Carnival.

The 1600m Railway Stakes is Western Australia's most famous race, with this handicap also the first feature run on the Carnival.

Sprinters take the stage on day two via the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) before the carnival wraps up with the Kingston Town Classic (1800m).

Perth Summer Carnival Group 1 races:

  • Railway Stakes
  • Winterbottom Stakes
  • Kingston Town Classic