All the premier thoroughbred horse races in Australia are categorised into Group status according to their priority, level of competition the race attracts and prize money.
There are over 500 Group Races run each year in this country. These are Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 (Listed Races).
Group Races are the highest class of race run in which only the finest thoroughbreds compete in.
The Australian Racing Board is in charge of approving such races in which they are then published in The Blue Book by the Jockey Club in the USA. This then gives Australian Races worldwide acknowledgment.
The best known Group races in Australia are the Melbourne Cup, WS Cox Plate, Victoria Derby, Crown Oaks and the Australian Cup. These are all Group 1 races.
Majority of the major races in Australia are run at either Randwick Racecourse in Sydney or Flemington in Melbourne.
Prize money for Group 1 races is $350,000 and over, Group 2 Races $175,000 and over, Group 3 Races $115,000 and over, and Listed Races $80,000 and over.
Find below all the details of Australian Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 races. Listed Races are now being included.
Australian Turf Club (ATC) - A new era in horse racing. The merger of Sydney Turf Club and Australian Jockey Club
The Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) is the leading metropolitan horse racing club in Queensland, conducting 98 race meetings at Doomben Racecourse and Eagle Farm Racecourse and hosting over 300,000 patrons each year.
Darwin Turf Club. The Darwin Cup run in July in Darwin NT. All the winners of the Darwin Cup
Geelong staged its inaugural race meeting on 1st May 1841, at Corio. Geelong Racing Club
With 60 race meetings in the season, the Gold Coast Turf Club can boast having the most raced on track in Australia. Race events include the time honoured Prime Minister’s Cup meeting in early May, and the rich Magic Millions Raceday in January.
Gosford Race Club is the preferred sporting and function facility on the Central Coast and is recognised as the leading provincial race club in Australia
Hawkesbury Racing Club has two race meetings per month. The Hawkesbury Valley is one of the oldest Australian settlements and first explored by Governor Phillip in 1789.
Illawarra Turf Club is 10 minutes from Wollongong's CBD on the South Coast of NSW. The club hosts on average 30 race days a year at Kembla Grange Racecourse.
The Melbourne Racing Club conducts race meetings across its three racing centres – Caulfield Racecourse, Ladbrokes Park - Sandown Racecourse and Mornington Racecourse.
Moonee Valley Racing Club is the historic home of Australia’s most prestigious horse race, the Cox Plate, with past winners including Phar Lap, Kingston Town, Might and Power and Sunline.
The Newcastle Jockey Club, the Broadmeadow Racecourse is the social hub of Newcastle.
Perth Racing responsible for racing at Belmont Racecourse and Ascot Racecourse in Western Australia.
The South Australian Jockey Club is South Australia’s premier racing club.
The Tasmanian Racing Club conducts approximately 29 race meetings per year, including the AAMI Hobart Cup and the Bow Mistress Race Day.
Tasmanian Turf Club has only one Group race on the calander that being the Launceston Cup, a Group three event held each year on a Wednesday afternoon in February at Launceston racecourse.
Tattersalls Racing Club is a private membership club located in impressive freehold premises in the heart of the Brisbane.
The Victoria Racing Club (VRC) (1864) evolved from two earlier rival clubs, the Victoria Turf Club (1852) and Victoria Jockey Club (1857), who disbanded to create the new club.