Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival - Calendar & Dates

Jamie Kah urges Zaaki to victory in the All-Star Mile 2022 at Flemington (Photo: Getty Images)

The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival was once completely overshadowed by the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

But some key moves from Racing Victoria over the last few years - including the development and introduction of the All-Star Mile - have ensured the Melbourne Carnival has plenty to offer, especially to Punters.

Boasting eight Group 1 races, along with the All-Star Mile, the Melbourne Autumn Carnival offers up some serious racing from early February through to the end of March.

In 2024, the carnival has a more familiar feel to it as Caulfield Racecourse returns as a racing venue after the renovation work done there throughout much of 2023.

It's hardly surprising then, that Caulfield gets its chance to host the All-Star Mile day properly after the venue was awarded the race in 2020, only for spectators to be banned from attending the day before it took place due to the early stages of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Along with Caulfield, there are meetings at Flemington Racecourse and Moonee Valley Racecourse, along with Pakenham as part of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.

All Star Mile 2024

One of the key races of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival is the All-Star Mile.

Originally designed as a race built on fan engagement - giving the public the chance to vote on the final field and choose the horses they wanted to feature - Racing Victoria have opted to do away with that model in 2024.

Instead, RV have chosen to go with several  'Win and you're in' races in a bid to ensure the best possible field is assembled for the race.

To our eyes, it feels like they've taken away a bit of the fun to go with the All-Star Mile - along with reducing the prizemoney from $5 million to $4 million dollars.

But RV's executive general manager for racing Matt Welsh - a former columnist for Punters - raised the valid point of this giving trainers and owners more certainty with planning their horses' schedules.

“Each year we review the All-Star Mile to ensure it is delivering on its key objectives. We’re revamping the 2024 All-Star Mile to provide greater certainty for connections, reduce frustrations around the changing composition of the field, and simplify engagement for fans," Welsh said in a media release.

“We want to attract the best field possible and ensure the race connects perfectly with the Australian Cup which will be run a fortnight after the All-Star Mile for the first time in 2024.

“The new mixture of ‘Win and You’re In’ races and wildcard selections provides greater flexibility in field selection, whist ensuring we retain intrigue around its composition.

“We’re excited to introduce ‘Win and You’re In’ races in New Zealand, particularly given the growing engagement of New Zealand fans and punters in our racing.

“Fans will still have a say in shaping the field with some input to be sought into wildcard spots through polls and engagement via our digital platforms and broadcast partners."

2023/2024 Group One and Features Racing Calendar
2023/2024 Group Two Racing Calendar
2023/2024 Group Three Racing Calendar
2023/2024 Listed Racing Calendar

The All-Star Mile 2023 voting launch at Melbourne's Federation Square involved AFL stars racing on scooters against Bossy! (Photo: Getty Images)

Melbourne Autumn Carnival History

The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival sees some seriously high-quality racing take place from late January to March every year.

It can't quite live up to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival at all - which features some of Australia's biggest races in the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate - now does it boast the riches of the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

But the Melbourne Autumn carnival is still a classy little run of events that delivers nine Group 1 races as well as the All-Star Mile.

One of the highlights of the carnival is the Blue Diamond Stakes, a Group 1 race for two-year-olds that is the richest of its kind in Melbourne. The race was first run in 1971 and has produced many champions, such as Manikato, Redoute's Choice and Sepoy. The Blue Diamond Stakes is held on Blue Diamond Stakes Day in February, which also features two other Group 1 races, the Oakleigh Plate and the Futurity Stakes.

The carnival also showcases some of the best sprinters in the country, with races such as the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, the Newmarket Handicap and the William Reid Stakes. These races are all run over 1000m or 1200m and are named after some of the legendary sprinters that have graced the Melbourne tracks.

The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival is not only about racing, but also about fashion, entertainment and social events. The carnival attracts thousands of spectators and punters who enjoy the festive atmosphere and the thrill of watching some of the best horses in action. 

Melbourne Autumn Carnival Races

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes - If you love speed and excitement, you won't want to miss the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, one of the most thrilling races of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.

First run in 1955, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes - aka the Black Caviar Lightning or just the Lightning Stakes - celebrates unbeaten three-time race winner Black Caviar, who also holds the race record time of 55.42 for the 1000m sprint down the Flemington straight.

Featuring $1,000,000 in prize money, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes attracts some of the country's best sprinters and is also the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, which includes races in England, Japan and Hong Kong.

Blue Diamond Stakes - The Blue Diamond Stakes is a prestigious race for two-year-old horses that takes place every year at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. It is the richest race of its kind in Victoria, with a prize money of $1.5 million in 2025.

The race was first held in 1971 and was won by Tolerance in a close finish. Since then, many champions have emerged from the Blue Diamond, such as Manikato, Zeditave, Alinghi, Sepoy and Redoute's Choice. The race is part of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival and showcases the future stars of Australian racing.


Dean Holland rides In Secret to perfection to a big win in the Newmarket Handicap 2023 at Flemington (Photo: Getty Images)

Newmarket Handicap - Another high-quality sprint race, the Newmarket Handicap is held every year at Flemington in Melbourne.

The race has a long and rich history, dating back to 1874, when it was first won by Maid Of Avenel. Since then, some of the greatest sprinters in Australian racing have won the Newmarket Handicap, such as Ajax, Bernborough, Black Caviar and Redkirk Warrior.

The race is run over 1200m, under handicap conditions, which means that the horses carry different weights according to their form and ratings.

The Newmarket Handicap used to be part of a Super Saturday Group 1 double at Flemington, along with the Australian Cup. But Racing Victoria have now pushed the Australian Cup to later in the Autumn to compete with Sydney.

One of the most memorable Newmarket Handicap moments occurred in 2023 when a race fall earlier in the day led to star jockey Jamie Kah heading to hospital. Kah had been booked to ride the race favourite In Secret for Godolphin, but now trainer James Cummings had to find a replacement in the hours before the race.

Ultimately, he opted for the only jockey who could ride at the weight allotted to Carr, Dean Holland, who rode In Secret to perfection to claim the Group 1 race.

Holland, though, refused to take any credit for the performance and instead focussed on wishing Kah and fellow jockey Craig Williams - who'd also been involved in the fall - all the best. 

Tragically, Holland would suffer a fall of his own on April 24 2023, just a few weeks later and pass away at just 34 years of age.

All-Star Mile - The All-Star Mile is a unique race that previously allowed fans to vote for their favourite horses to compete for a $4 million prize.

The race was inspired by the Arima Kinen, a popular fan-voted race in Japan, and was launched in 2019 by Racing Victoria with the support of three major racing clubs in Melbourne.

The race is meant to rotate annually among Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley racecourses.

But the 2023 redevelopment at Caulfield meant the race has only been run there on one occasion in March 2020. Even then, the All-Star Mile was run without spectators as the early stages of the Covid 19 pandemic saw crowds banned from sporting events during the middle stages of March, with the Australian Grand Prix being cancelled just the day before the All-Star Mile was scheduled to take place.

While voting on the All-Star Mile horses seemed popular with the public, it wasn't an ideal situation for trainers and owners who didn't have certainty over whether their runner would be racing on the day. In addition, over the last few years, several horses voted into the race were subsequently injured and the restrictions placed on the field by the voting process made it difficult to find quality replacements.

As a result, from 2024 Racing Victoria have now opted to develop eight 'win and you're in' races to qualify for the All-Star Mile, with the remaining eight members of the field chosen by Racing Victoria wild cards and reportedly a series of measures designed to create public engagement over the early parts of the year.

Australian Cup - The Australian Cup is a prestigious Group 1 race for open-class horses at weight-for-age conditions, held annually at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.

The race was first run in 1863 and won by Barwon, and has a rich history of attracting some of the best horses in Australia. The race distance is 2000 metres, which suits both stayers and middle-distance runners.

The Australian Cup is an important feature of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival and offers a prize money of $3 million. 


Preferment (yellow cap) won the Australian Cup 2016 on protest at Flemington over Awesome Rock (Photo: Getty Images)

Melbourne Autumn Carnival Dates 2024

The full Melbourne Autumn Carnival Dates 2024 calendar are below.

Click on any of the races below to check out the most recent winner, along with a replay of the race finish.

Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Calendar 2024

Friday, 26 January 2024	CAULFIELD AUSTRALIA DAY	Caulfield
GROUP 3	Blue Diamond Preview (fillies)	1000m
GROUP 3	Manfred Stakes	1200m
LISTED	Blue Diamond Preview (c & g)	1000m
LISTED	John Dillon Stakes	1400m
LISTED	WJ Adams Stakes	1000m
Saturday, 27 January 2024	AUSTRALIA STAKES DAY	Moonee Valley
GROUP 2	Australia Stakes	1200m
Saturday, 3 February 2024	CAULFIELD MEMBERS DAY	Caulfield
GROUP 3	Chairman's Stakes	1000m
GROUP 3	Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes	1200m
Saturday, 10 February 2024	CAULFIELD FAMILY DAY	Caulfield
GROUP 1	C.F. Orr Stakes	1400m
GROUP 2	Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies)	1100m
GROUP 2	Rubiton Stakes	1100m
GROUP 2	Autumn Stakes	1400m
GROUP 3	Kevin Hayes Stakes	1200m
GROUP 3	Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G)	1100m
GROUP 3	Carlyon Cup	1600m
Friday, 16 February 2024	FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS	Moonee Valley
LISTED	MV Torney Night Cup	2500m
Saturday, 17 February 2024	BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING DAY	Flemington
GROUP 1	Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1000m
GROUP 3	Frances Tressady Stakes	1400m
GROUP 3	CS Hayes Stakes	1400m
GROUP 3	The Vanity	1400m
LISTED	Talindert Stakes	1100m
LISTED	VRC March Stakes	1400m
Saturday, 24 February 2024	CAULFIELD BLUE DIAMOND	Caulfield
GROUP 1	Blue Diamond Stakes	1200m
GROUP 1	Oakleigh Plate	1100m
GROUP 1	Futurity Stakes	1400m
GROUP 2	Angus Armanasco Stakes	1400m
GROUP 2	Peter Young Stakes	1800m
GROUP 2	Caulfield Autumn Classic	1800m
GROUP 3	Mannerism Stakes	1400m
GROUP 3	Zeditave Stakes	1200m
LISTED	Mornington Cup Prelude	2000m
Saturday, 2 March 2024	AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS DAY	Flemington
GROUP 1	Australian Guineas	1600m
GROUP 2	Blamey Stakes	1600m
LISTED	Festival Of Racing Stakes	1000m
RESTRICTED LISTED	Inglis Sprint	1200m
Saturday, 9 March 2024	NEWMARKET HANDICAP DAY	Flemington
GROUP 1	Newmarket Handicap	1200m
GROUP 2	VRC Sires' Produce Stakes	1400m
GROUP 2	Kewney Stakes	1400m
GROUP 3	Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap	1400m
GROUP 3	Matron Stakes	1600m
Friday, 15 March 2024	2024 SPORTSBET PAKENHAM CUP	Pakenham
LISTED	Pakenham Cup	2500m
Saturday, 16 March 2024	ALL-STAR MILE DAY	Caulfield
SPECIAL CONDITONS	All-Star Mile	1600m
LISTED	Redoutes Choice Stakes	1100m
Saturday, 23 March 2024	WILLIAM REID STAKES DAY	Moonee Valley
GROUP 1	William Reid Stakes	1200m
GROUP 2	Sunline Stakes	1600m
GROUP 2	Alister Clark Stakes	2040m
GROUP 3	Alexandra Stakes	1600m
GROUP 3	Typhoon Tracy Stakes	1200m
LISTED	Valley Pearl	1200m
Saturday, 30 March 2024	AUSTRALIAN CUP DAY	Flemington
GROUP 1	Australian Cup	2000m
GROUP 3	TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes	1200m
LISTED	The Roy Higgins	2600m
LISTED	Bob Hoysted Stakes	1000m
LISTED	Sunlight Classic	1100m

Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Racecourses

The majority of the races during the Melbourne Autumn carnival take place at the three main Melbourne tracks of Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley, which is now often referred to more as just The Valley.

There are additional Autumn racing days that take place at Sandown, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat, though. 

Flemington Racecourse

Flemington racecourse, also known as HQ, is Melbourne's largest and most famous racing venue.

Established in 1840, just five years after the founding of the Melbourne colony, on a flat land near the Maribyrnong River. The racecourse is adjacent to the Racing Victoria offices.

The Victoria Turf Club leased the 1.27 kilometres of Crown land in 1848 and later merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 to create the Victoria Racing Club (VRC). The VRC gained legal authority over Flemington Racecourse in 1871 through the Victoria Racing Club Act. In 2022, the racecourse faced controversy when a flood barrier was constructed at Flemington, while nearby suburbs suffered from severe flooding due to record-breaking rainfalls in Autumn.

Flemington has three major grandstands and excellent facilities. It has a pear-shaped track with a famous straight of six furlongs (1200m), which is called the Flemington Straight or The Straight Six. The races are run anti-clockwise and the track has a total length of 2312m and a final straight of 450m for races over 1200m.

Flemington has also been the site of some significant cultural events, such as the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1986 and the Soundwave music festivals in recent years.

Caulfield Racecourse

Caulfield, also known as The Heath, is where the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) operates. The land was first used for racing in 1959, when the Melbourne Hunt Club raced on a bush track there. The club's kennels were later replaced by the racecourse.

The MRC's predecessor, the Victorian Amateur Turf Club, started in Ballarat in 1975 and ran races at the nearby Dowling Forest. The next year, the VATC bought land at Caulfield and built the course, which hosted its first Caulfield Cup in 1879. The racecourse underwent major renovations in 1995 and 1996 and then again in 2022 and 2023.

Caulfield's races run anti-clockwise on a triangular course with three straights. The course is 30m wide and has a total length of 2080m. The final straight is 367m long.

Moonee Valley Racecourse

One of Australia's most distinctive racecourses is Moonee Valley Racecourse, now more often referred to by its marketing name of just The Valley.

It is located in Moonee Ponds, next to the Tullamarine Freeway, and was founded by William Samuel Cox in 1883. Cox bought the land from John F. Feehan, a farmer, and named two of the most prestigious races at the venue after himself and Feehan: the Cox Plate and the Feehan Stakes.

The racecourse underwent expansion in the 1960s and became the home of harness racing in the 1970s, when night trotting moved from the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds.

The Valley has the shortest straight in Australia, measuring only 173m. The track's circumference is 1805m.

How To Bet on the Melbourne Autumn Carnival 2024 

We're always here to show you how to bet on the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.

Firstly, you'll need to choose a bookie and we think TAB is worth a go for placing a bet on the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival.

Once you've chosen a bookmaker, you'll need to sign up and make a deposit (it will only take a couple of minutes).

Once you have money in your account you can place your bet!

Popular Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Betting bet types

Win Bet: select the horse you think will finish 1st in the race.

Place Bet: select a horse you think will finish either 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the race.

Each-way Bet: put an equal amount of money on a horse to both Win or Place in the race.

Exacta Bet: select the 2 horses you think will finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order in the race.

Quinella Bet: select the 2 horses you think will finish 1st and 2nd in any order in the race.

Trifecta Bet: select the 3 horses you think will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order in the race.

Quaddie Bet: select the winning horses of four nominated races at the same track

Multi Bet: select the winning horses of multiple legs or bets across a number of different events/races.

How To Watch the Melbourne Autumn Carnival Live

There's heaps of ways to watch the Melbourne Autumn Carnival live in Australia.

This is split among free-to-air broadcasters, pay TV and streaming services:

• Free-to-air: Channel 7 has been the free-to-air home of racing for almost the last 20 years and do a great coverage on Saturday afternoons, although you sometimes have to switch between Channel 7 and 73. You can also watch horse racing events aired by Channel 7 on the 7plus app, while Racing.com is broadcast on Channel 78 but is generally limited to just Victorian and South Australian racing, which is perfect for the Melbourne Autumn carnival.
  
  
• Pay TV: In terms of Pay TV, one of the following channels: Sky Racing 1, Sky Racing 2 and Sky Thoroughbred Central will broadcast the Racing Carnival.
  
  
• Streaming services: People also have the option to stream Sky Racing through their bookie accounts, while Victorian and South Australian racing can be streamed via the Racing.com website or app on their device or desktop computer.
  
  

Lastly, most pubs in Australia will be showing live horse racing, but arguably the best place to watch any Group One race is trackside.

Melbourne Autumn Carnival Replays

You can find all the Melbourne Autumn Carnival replays and indeed all Victorian horse racing replays you need by heading to Racing.com.

Racing.com are the official media partner for racing in Victoria and they will have all the replays you need for that state and also for South Australia.

Punters can also access many of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival race replays almost straight away by hitting up Twitter, where the last 30 seconds of a race are often replayed on the handle @racing.

The racing.com site and app offer a serious treasure trove of replays though, along with the ability to search for horses and check their individual replays. There are also post-race jockey and trainer interviews to further understand the context behind a win and what this means for the rest of the Autumn period.

"HERE COMES ANAMOE!"

THAT WAS EPIC! 🔥 @godolphin @mcacajamez pic.twitter.com/AKyj2OTmmU

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 8, 2022

There is one catch, though, with Racing.com and that is people require a Racing+ account to view replays and live coverage on racing.com and you will need to be logged in to view any vision. There are also sometimes pre-roll ads to go through prior to watching many replays.

As a user experience, though, there's a few ways to find the latest replays on Racing.com. One of those is simply loading the home page on the desktop site or the Racing.com app.

On the desktop site, you can access replays in two ways. Along the top of the page there are menu options. If you hover your mouse over 'Racing' you will see three columns of options appear. The third column on the right-hand side is 'Racing Videos' which includes 'Latest Race Replays', 'Replay Search', 'Post-race Interviews' and 'Watch Live Racing'.

Just below those menu options and the racing calendar links are some quick link icons for things like 'Watch Live', 'Racing Calendar' and 'Race Replays'. Given that Racing.com is also a broadcast TV station, they also have a 'Catchup TV' icon where you can find full episodes of programs like 'After The Last' which provides a higher level of analysis for the races and better tipping information for Melbourne Autumn Carnival races.

If you just want to quickly go to Victorian race replays, you can also just click HERE but make sure you are logged into your Racing+ account. 

The desktop probably allows people a better viewing experience for videos, but the app also provides a streamlined experience in finding race replays, with a quick link icon for 'Race Replays' presented just below the main news story photograph on the app.

For more information head to our dedicated Victorian Race Replays page.

Watch FREE race replays of Victorian horse racing!

Melbourne Autumn Carnival FAQs

What is the Melbourne Autumn Carnival?

The Melbourne Autumn Carnival is one of the biggest horse racing carnivals in Australia. Along with boasting 10 Group 1 races from early February through to the end of March, the Melbourne Autumn Carnival also features the All-Star Mile.

When does the Melbourne Autumn Carnival Start?

The Group 1 racing in the Melbourne Autumn Carnival starts in February with the CF Orr Stakes. The last Group 1 race of the carnival takes place in March with the Australian Cup.

What is the biggest race at the Melbourne Autumn Carnival?

The two biggest races in the Melbourne Autumn Carnival when it comes to prize money are the $4 million dollar All-Star Mile and the $3 million dollar Australian Cup.

How do I bet on the Melbourne Autumn Carnival?

You can bet on Melbourne Autumn Carnival with TAB.

When does the Melbourne Autumn Carnival finish?

Group 1 racing in the Melbourne Autumn Carnival finishes with Australian Cup on March 30, 2024.

Where does the Melbourne Autumn Carnival take place?

The Melbourne Autumn Carnival mainly takes place at Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley racecourses. There's also usually meetings at places like Pakenham and Sandown as well. 

How do I watch the Melbourne Autumn Carnival live?

In 2024, Channel 7 will be broadcasting almost all the races from the Melbourne Autumn Carnival in conjunction with Racing.com. Both channels can be streamed online via the 7PLay and Racing.com apps respectively. Racing.com can also be streamed through Kayo.



Hugh Bowman celebrates winning the All-Star Mile 2021 on Mugatoo at Moonee Valley (Photo: Getty Images)