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The 2018 Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival features a host of top level racing in the early months of the year alongside and preceding the classic Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.

The Melbourne Autumn Festival runs late January until the end of March. The headline meetings include Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day at Caulfield in February and Flemington’s ‘Super Saturday’ in March featuring the Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap.

All of the autumn race meetings in Victoria are hosted by the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) and take place at the major metropolitan tracks around the state. The carnival is also host to the first Group 1 race of the new season when the Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes (1400m) lights-up Caulfield Racecourse in early to mid-February.

Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Days

The Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival race days feature some of the country’s top Group 1 events and give punters a host of stars to enjoy a bet on at Ladbrokes.com.au over the start of the year.

AUSTRALIA STAKES DAY

Friday January 26, 2018 – Moonee Valley Racecourse

The carnival’s opening Group 2 event runs at The Valley with the season’s top sprinters contesting the:

• Group 2 $200,000 Australia Stakes (1200m)

LADBROKES BLUE DIAMOND PREVIEW DAY

Saturday January 27, 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse 

Caulfield hosts Melbourne’s major Australia Day weekend meeting and the line-up is headlined by the:

• Group 3 $150,000 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m)
• Listed $150,000 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Preview (1000m)

CHAIRMAN’S STAKES DAY

Saturday February 3, 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse

The MRC Chairman’s Stakes Day card features two Group 3 sprints for horses heading towards Group 1 autumn features:

• Group 3 $150,000 MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Manfred Stakes (1200m)

LADBROKES CF ORR STAKES DAY

Saturday February 10, 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse

The countdown to the 2018 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes heats up with the two Prelude races held on the year’s opening Group 1 race meeting. Ladbrokes CF Orr Stakes Day features a total of eight Group status autumn features including the year’s first elite level race:

• Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m)
• Group 2 $200,000 Rubiton Stakes (1100m)
• Group 2 $200,000 Autumn Stakes (1400m)
• Group 2$200,000 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude (1100m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m)
• Group 3$150,000 TS Carlyon Cup (1600m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Geoffrey Belmaine Stakes (1200m)

BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING DAY

Saturday February 17, 2018 – Flemington Racecourse

The Group 1 autumn racing action in Melbourne moves to the famous Flemington track for this meeting headlined by  three Group races:

• Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m)
• Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m)
• Group 3 $150,000 The Vanity (1400m)

TYPHOON TRACY STAKES NIGHT

Friday February 23, 2018- Moonee Valley Racecourse

Moonee Valley night racing takes place on the eve of Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day at this Friday evening meet featuring just the one black-type autumn race:

• Group 3 $150,000 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m)

LADBROKES BLUE DIAMOND STAKES DAY

Saturday February 24, 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse

The autumn Melbourne racing action heats up in late Feburary with 2018 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day headlined by the carnival’s feature race for three-year-olds. There are a total of eight Group races on the card including a trio of Group 1 races:

• $1.5 million Group 1 $1.5 millionLadbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m)
• Group 1  $500,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m)
• Group 1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m)
• Group 2 $200,000 Caulfield Autumn Classic (1800m)
• Group 2$200,000 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m)
• Group 2 $200,000 Peter Young Stakes (1800m)
• Group 3$150,000 Ladbrokes Zeditave Stakes (1200m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Mannerism Stakes (1400m)

AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS DAY

Saturday March 3, 2018 – Flemington Racecourse

Flemington is in the spotlight again on the first Saturday in March for 2018 Australian Guineas Day headlined by the mile race for three-year-olds. There are three Group events on the card in total:

• Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Shaftsbury Avenue (1400m)
• Group 3 4150,000 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m)

FLEMINGTON SUPER SATURDAY

Saturday March 10, 2018 – Flemington Racecourse

‘Super Saturday’ at Flemington brings the Victorian autumn racing action to a peak with a double shot of Group 1 racing plus a subsequent four Group events supporting the elite level races on the card:

• Group 1 $1.5 million Australian Cup (2000m)
• Group 1 $1.25 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m)
• Group 2 $200,000 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m)
• Group 2 $200,000  Kewney Stakes (1400m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Matron Stakes (1600m)

ALISTER CLARK STAKES NIGHT

Friday March 16, 2018 – Moonee Valley Racecourse

Moonee Valley night racing is back in late March with this under-the-lights autumn meeting featuring one Group status feature:

• Group 2 $200,000 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m)

BLAMEY STAKES DAY

Saturday March 17, 2018 – Flemington Racecourse

One of the final Melbourne Autumn Racing meetings features the one mile Group status race for hopefuls that could be Sydney-bound for a race like the 2018 Doncaster Mile and another Group 3 support act:

• Group 2 $200,000 Blamey Stakes (1600m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m)

WILLIAM REID STAKES NIGHT

Friday March 23, 2018 – Moonee Valley Racecourse

The biggest autumn meeting at Moonee Valley is held on the final Friday in March and features three Group races:

• Group 1 $500,000 William Reid Stakes (1200m)
• Group 2 $200,000 Sunline Stakes (1600m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Alexandra Stakes (1600m)

EASTER CUP DAY

Saturday March 31, 2018 – Caulfield Racecourse

Officially the last of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival feature race days, this meeting runs on Easter Saturday each year and is headlined by two Group races:

• Group 3 $150,000 Easter Cup (2000m)
• Group 3 $150,000 Victoria Handicap (1400m)