Australian Group 1 Races are the premier races for thoroughbreds during the racing season in Australia. Group One races have the highest prizemoney on offer and owners, jockeys, and trainers set their sights on winning Group 1 races because of the prestige and value associated for winning horses, especially those horses and mares being set for a career at stud.

The most recognised Group 1 races in Australia are the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, WS Cox Plate, and Golden Slipper, which are all races offering the highest prizemoney in Australia each year.

Group 1 races are held in the 5 major states of Australia at the principal metropolitan tracks in each capital city, with the majority of Group 1 events taking place at the major racing carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney each autumn and spring.

Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth carnivals, although smaller in number Group 1 wise, provide some eagerly awaited Group 1 races throughout the year.

State	City
Victoria	Melbourne
New South Wales	Sydney
Queensland	Brisbane
South Australia	Adelaide
Western Australia	Perth

The Australian racing season runs from August to July each year and below you will find all the Group 1 races held each year on the racing calendar.

Australian Group 1 Races 2010/2011 Racing Season

The three most prestigious races on the racing calendar each year are the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and WS Cox Plate which all take place during the Melbourne spring racing carnival in Victoria.

VICTORIA - MELBOURNE
Date	Track	Race Name	Prizemoney	Distance	Race Type
Sep18-10	Caulfield	Underwood Stakes	$350,000	1800m	WFA
Sep18-10	Caulfield	Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes	$350,000	1400m	Open Hcp
Sep24-10	M. Valley	Manikato Stakes	$500,000	1200m	WFA
Oct02-10	Flemington	Turnbull Stakes	$500,000	2000m	4yo+ SW+P
Oct09-10	Caulfield	Caulfield Guineas	$1,000,000	1600m	3yo Open SW
Oct09-10	Caulfield	Yalumba Stakes	$400,000	2000m	WFA
Oct09-10	Caulfield	Toorak Handicap	$350,000	1600m	Open Hcp
Oct13-10	Caulfield	Thousand Guineas	$500,000	1600m	3yoF Open SW
Oct16-10	Caulfield	Caulfield Cup	$2,500,000	2400m	Open Hcp
Oct23-10	M. Valley	WS Cox Plate	$3,000,000	2040m	WFA
Oct30-10	Flemington	AAMI Victoria Derby	$1,500,000	2500m	3yo SW
Oct30-10	Flemington	Mackinnon Stakes	$750,000	2000m	WFA
Oct30-10	Flemington	Coolmore Stud Stakes	$500,000	1200m	3yo SW
Oct30-10	Flemington	Myer Classic	$500,000	1600m	F&M WFA
Nov02-10	Flemington	Melbourne Cup	$6,175,000	3200m	Open Hcp
Nov04-10	Flemington	Crown Oaks	$1,000,000	2500m	3yoF SW
Nov06-10	Flemington	Emirates Stakes	$1,000,000	1600m	Quality Hcp
Nov06-10	Flemington	Patinack Farm Classic	$500,000	1200m	WFA
Feb12-11	Caulfield	CF Orr Stakes	$400,000	1400m	Weight-for-age
Feb19-11	Flemington	Lightning Stakes	$500,000	1000m	Weight-for-age
Feb26-11	Caulfield	Blue Diamond Stakes	$1,000,000	1200m	2yo SW
Feb26-11	Caulfield	Futurity Stakes	$500,000	1600m	Weight-for-age
Feb26-11	Caulfield	Oakleigh Plate	$350,000	1100m	Open Hcp
Mar05-11	Flemington	Australian Guineas	$750,000	1600m	3yo SW
Mar12-11	Flemington	Australian Cup	$1,000,000	2000m	Weight-for-age
Mar12-11	Flemington	Newmarket Handicap	$1,000,000	1200m	Open Hcp
Mar25-11	M. Valley	William Reid Stakes	$500,000	1200m	Weight-for-age

NEW SOUTH WALES - SYDNEY
Date	Track	Race Name	Prizemoney	Distance	Race Type
Aug28-10	Rosehill	Golden Rose	$1,000,000	1400m	3yo SW
Sep25-10	Randwick	George Main Stakes	$300,000	1600m	Weight-for-age
Oct02-10	Randwick	Epsom Handicap	$350,000	1600m	Open Hcp
Oct02-10	Randwick	The Metropolitan	$350,000	2400m	3yo&up Hcp
Oct02-10	Randwick	Flight Stakes	$300,000	1600m	3yoF SW
Oct02-10	Randwick	Spring Champion Stakes	$300,000	2000m	3yo SW
Mar05-11	W. Farm	Chipping Norton Stakes	$300,000	1600m	Weight-for-age
Mar12-11	Randwick	Randwick Guineas	$350,000	1600m	3yo SW
Mar19-11	Rosehill	Coolmore Stud Classic	$600,000	1500m	F&M Qlty
Mar19-11	Rosehill	Ranvet Stakes	$400,000	2000m	Weight-for-age
Mar26-11	Rosehill	Rosehill Guineas	$500,000	2000m	3yo SW
Apr02-11	Rosehill	Golden Slipper Stakes	$3,500,000	1200m	2yo SW
Apr02-11	Rosehill	The BMW	$2,250,000	2400m	Weight-for-age
Apr02-11	Rosehill	Queen Of The Turf Stakes	$400,000	1500m	F&M WFA
Apr02-11	Rosehill	Storm Queen Stakes	$400,000	2000m	3yoF SW
Apr02-11	Rosehill	George Ryder Stakes	$400,000	1500m	Weight-for-age
Apr09-11	Randwick	AJC Australian Derby	$1,300,000	2400m	3yo SW
Apr09-11	Randwick	TJ Smith Stakes	$500,000	1200m	Weight-for-age
Apr09-11	Randwick	AJC Sires Produce Stakes	$300,000	1400m	2yo SW
Apr16-11	Randwick	Doncaster Handicap	$1,500,000	1600m	Open Hcp
Apr16-11	Randwick	AJC Australian Oaks	$350,000	2400m	3yoF SW
Apr16-11	Randwick	The Galaxy	$300,000	1100m	Open Hcp
Apr23-11	Randwick	Sydney Cup	$400,000	3200m	Open Hcp
Apr23-11	Randwick	AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes	$350,000	2000m	Weight-for-age
Apr23-11	Randwick	All Aged Stakes	$300,000	1400m	Weight-for-age
Apr23-11	Randwick	AJC Champagne Stakes	$300,000	1600m	2yo SW

QUEENSLAND - BRISBANE
Date	Track	Race Name	Prizemoney	Distance	Race Type
May14-11	Doomben	BTC Cup	$400,000	1200m	Weight-for-age
May21-11	Doomben	XXXX Doomben Cup	$500,000	2020m	Weight-for-age
May28-11	Doomben	Doomben 10000	$650,000	1350m	Weight-for-age
Jun04-11	Eagle Farm	Queensland Oaks	$400,000	2400m	3yoF SW
Jun11-11	Eagle Farm	Stradbroke Handicap	$1,000,000	1400m	Open Hcp
Jun11-11	Eagle Farm	Queensland Derby	$500,000	2400m	3yo SW
Jun11-11	Eagle Farm	The TJ Smith	$500,000	1600m	2yo SW
Jun25-11	Eagle Farm	Winter Stakes	$500,000	1400m	F&M WFA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA - ADELAIDE
Date	Track	Race Name	Prizemoney	Distance	Race Type
Mar26-11	Morphettville	Australasian Oaks	$350,000	2000m	3yoF SW
Mar26-11	Morphettville	Robert Sangster Stakes	$350,000	1200m	F&M WFA
May07-11	Morphettville	SA Derby	$350,000	2500m	3yo SW
May07-11	Morphettville	Goodwood	$350,000	1200m	Open SW+P

WESTERN AUSTRALIA - PERTH
Date	Track	Race Name	Prizemoney	Distance	Race Type
Nov20-10	Ascot	Railway Stakes	$1,000,000	1600m	Open Hcp
Dec04-10	Ascot	Kingston Town Classic	$500,000	1800m	Weight-for-age
Mar26-11	Ascot	WATC Derby	$500,000	2400m	3yo SW

Visit our Australian Group Races page to see all feature group races held in Australia each year. For group racing results please go to our Group Races Results page where you will find winners and placegetters of all group races held in recent times.