2016 has already seen some huge races and events and that is set to continue throughout this year’s racing season. With the Australia Day Cup drawing in massive crowds and the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival being kicked off with the Golden Slipper race last weekend, 2016 racing season is in full swing and trainers, jockeys, betting companies and spectators alike are buzzing with excitement.
The racing season may already be underway but there is still plenty to look forward to. The racing Landscape for 2016 is seeing some of the largest prize money up for grabs the sport has ever seen and with an open and competitive field; each race is anybody’s game.
The Sydney Autumn Racing Festival
This event started last weekend with the Golden Slipper but there is still much more to come. April 2nd and April 9th will see two full days of The Championship in which 8 Group 1 races will be run, attracting the best gallopers in the country and from around the world. The Championship has seen a cash injection of $18,000,000 to boost the prize money in each race with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes now being the richest weight-for-age in the country. The entire festival promises a wealth of tightly contested races and exciting hard fought finishes.
ANZAC Day Race day
There will be a plethora of events happening this ANZAC day on the 25th April to remember those who fought in World Wars I and II. ANZAC Race day is always a respectful and tasteful event and this year, Melbourne racetrack will be offering free entry and refreshments all day to any serving or retired service men of women. There will be a ceremony to mark the sacrifice given by many and then a full card of races to celebrate service men and women all over the world.
Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival
The Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival takes place in May and June with several of 2016’s biggest races being run at Doomben and Eagle Farm racecourses. The Doomben Cup, Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap are all run during these months and they attract some of the best sprinter from the southern states of Australia. The previous roll call of winners lists an impressive array of fine racehorses and the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival is definitely one to put on your calendar if you want to see some of the best racers and fastest sprinting horses in the country.
Melbourne Cup Carnival
Among the many activities on offer in Melbourne, the Melbourne Cup Carnival is perhaps one the most celebrated events on the racing calendar. Beginning in September and including the world-renowned Emirates Melbourne Cup race and the AAMI Victoria Derby Day, the Melbourne Cup Carnival is certainly worth the wait. AAMI Victoria Derby Day is considered by many to be the most prestigious day of the carnival and people travel from far and wide, put on their glad rags and head to Flemington for a day packed with superb racing. The highlight of the day is the Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby, which boasts prize money of over $1million. The day also plays host to the chance to gain a last minute entry in to the Emirates Melbourne Cup for the winners of the Longines Mackinnon Stakes and Lexus Stakes.
The Emirates Melbourne Cup itself is considered the best staying handicap in the world and it attracts horses and jockeys worldwide as they compete for a stake in the $6.2million prize money. This year, the Emirates Melbourne Cup will be run on November 1st and promises to pull in the biggest crowds of the year as they gather at Flemington Racecourse to see who will walk away with the 18 carat solid gold Hardy Brothers trophy valued at $175,000.