The Sydney Carnival, a.k.a. Sydney Autumn Carnival, is a major Australian
Thoroughbred racing
Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing i ...
series held in
Sydney in March and April each year. It consists of six weeks of racing conducted by
Australian Turf Club
Australian Turf Club (ATC) owns and operates thoroughbred racing, events and hospitality venues across Sydney, Australia. The ATC came into being on 7 February 2011 when the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) merged. The ...
across the city's two primary racecourses:
Royal Randwick and
Rosehill Gardens. The most important races include the AAMI
Golden Slipper Stakes
The Golden Slipper Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses run over 1,200 metres on turf at set weights conditions, held at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. It is the premier two y ...
, the world's richest race for two-year-old horses, the
BMW Stakes, the
Rosehill Guineas
The Rosehill Guineas is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney, Australia annually in March. Total prize money for t ...
, the
Australian Derby
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
, the
Doncaster Handicap
The Doncaster Mile, registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia. Although the ...
and the
Sydney Cup. The 2015 Sydney Autumn Carnival consists of 20 Group 1 races, and offers $26.5 million in prize money.
New Format - "The Championships"
Inaugurated in 2014 and dubbed "The Grand Finals of Australian Racing", The Championships is held on two days over the Easter Holiday period. The Championships have combined previous stand alone races such as the Doncaster Mile, The Australian Derby, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and The Sydney Cup into two weekends of racing with nearly $10 million prize money on offer each Saturday. The 2015 Championships will be hosted at
Royal Randwick, known as the home of Thoroughbred racing in Sydney. Racing days are 4 and 11 April 2015.
The Championships is attempting to attract global interest in Sydney Racing, and in 2015 six international horses will be participating. The Canterbury racetrack, after being granted federal government approval, is to be used as a quarantine training and stabling area for overseas horses.
In 2014, The
Queen Elizabeth Stakes prize money was raised to $4 million, becoming the richest race of the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
[http://www.australianturfclub.com.au/pdf/media/Media%20Release%20-%20The%20Championships.pdf ] Another iconic race is the
Doncaster Mile, which offers $3 million in prize money.
References
External links
Sydney CarnivalAustralian Turf ClubRosehill GardensRoyal Randwick
Horse racing in Australia
Horse racing meetings
Sports competitions in Sydney
Carnivals in Australia
Equestrian festivals
Autumn events in Australia
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