Royal Randwick Spring Carnival
While Melbourne steals the spring carnival racing glory towards the end of the year, Sydney is host to its own amount of superb events on the track, with the Royal Randwick Spring Carnival a certain highlight.
Held by the prestigious Australian Jockey Club, the Randwick Spring Carnival is spread over four days of racing – three consecutive Saturdays, culminating on the Tuesday following the final Saturday which falls on Melbourne Cup Day.
George Main Stakes Day
Towards the end of September, or early October, the Royal Randwick Spring Carnival gets underway with the George Main Stakes Day. Made up of four group races, the headlining event is the $300,000 George Main Stakes, and under weight-for-age conditions over 1,600 metres, draws a strong field every year. Also taking place on George Main Stakes Day is the Stan Fox Stakes, the Colin Stephen Quality Handicap and the Bill Ritchie Handicap.
The Epsom Day
The Saturday following the George Main Stakes Day is traditionally the Epsom Handicap Day also known as Super Saturday, and is host to seven top quality races, four of which are Group One. Headlined by the Epsom Handicap, which is open to horses three years and over, the day is worth around $2 million in prize money, making it one of the richest days on Sydney Racing throughout the year. Other races making up the top quality day of racing are the Metropolitan, the Flight Stakes, the Spring Champion Stakes, The Shorts, the Roman Consul Stakes and the Craven Plate.
The City Tattersalls Club Cup Day
The third day of the Royal Randwick Spring Carnival takes place on the Saturday two weeks after the Epsom Day, and sees three listed races go ahead. Headlined by the City Tattersalls Club Cup, there is also the City Tattersalls Lightning and the Brian Cowley Stakes.
Melbourne Cup Day at Royal Randwick
Rounding off the Carnival, the Melbourne Cup Day at Royal Randwick takes place on the same day as the Melbourne Cup race goes ahead in the Victorian Capital. More for racing enthusiasts to feel a part of the action in the neighbouring state, it is a day of fun and fashion on the fields of Randwick.
