The 2017 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 from Australia Day on January 26 and the following day’s Australia Stakes Day meeting at Moonee Valley Racecourse through until the end of March. The headline meetings include 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 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) lights-up Caulfield Racecourse in 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.
BLUE DIAMOND PREVIEW DAY
Thursday January 26, 2017 – Caulfield Racecourse
Caulfield hosts Melbourne’s major Australia Day meeting and the line-up is headlined by the:
- $150,000 Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m)
- $150,000 Listed Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Preview (1000m)
AUSTRALIA STAKES DAY
Friday January 27, 2017 – Moonee Valley Racecourse
The carnival’s opening Group 2 event runs at the Valley with the season’s top sprinters contesting the
- $200,000 Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m)
CHAIRMAN’S STAKES DAY
Saturday February 4, 2017 – Caulfield Racecourse
The MRC Chairman’s Stakes Day card features two Group 3 sprints for horses heading towards Group 1 autumn features:
- $150,000 Group 3 MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m)
CF ORR STAKES DAY
Saturday February 11, 2017 – Caulfield Racecourse
The countdown to the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes heats up with the two Prelude races held on the year’s opening Group 1 race meeting. CF Orr Stakes Day features a total of eight Group status autumn features:
- $500,000 Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m)
- $200,000 Group 3 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude (1100m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m)
- $150,000 Group 3 TS Carlyon Cup (1600m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Geoffrey Belmaine Stakes (1200m)
BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING DAY
Saturday February 18, 2017 – Flemington Racecourse
The Group 1 autumn racing action in Melbourne moves to the famous Flemington track for this meeting headlined by three Group races:
- $750,000 Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m)
- $150,000 Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m)
- $150,000 Group 3 The Vanity (1400m)
TYPHOON TRACY STAKES NIGHT
Friday February 24, 2017 – Moonee Valley Racecourse
Moonee Valley night racing takes place on the eve of Blue Diamond Stakes Day at this Friday evening meet featuring just the one black-type autumn race:
- $150,000 Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes (1200m)
BLUE DIAMOND STAKES DAY
Saturday February 25, 2017 – Caulfield Racecourse
The autumn Melbourne racing action heats up in late Feburary with 2017 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 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m)
- $500,000 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m)
- $500,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Caulfield Autumn Classic (1800m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Zeditave Stakes (1200m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m)
AUSTRALIAN GUINEAS DAY
Saturday March 4, 2017 – Flemington Racecourse
Flemington is in the spotlight again on the first Saturday in March for 2017 Australian Guineas Day headlined by the mile race for three-year-olds. There are three Group events on the card in total:
- $750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Shaftsbury Avenue (1400m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m)
FLEMINGTON SUPER SATURDAY
Saturday March 11, 2017 – 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 three Group events supporting the elite level races on the card:
- $1.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m)
- $1.25 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m)
- $200,000 Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1400m)
ALISTER CLARK STAKES NIGHT
Friday March 17, 2017 – Moonee Valley Racecourse
Moonee Valley night racing is back in late March with this under-the-lights autumn meeting featuring one Group status feature:
- $200,000 Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m)
BLAMEY STAKES DAY
Saturday March 18, 2017 – 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 2017 Doncaster Mile and another Group 3 support act:
- $200,000 Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m)
WILLIAM REID STAKES NIGHT
Friday March 24, 2017 – Moonee Valley Racecourse
The biggest autumn meeting at Moonee Valley is held on the final Friday in March and features two Group races:
- $500,000 Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m)
- $200,000 Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m)
EASTER CUP DAY
Saturday April 15, 2017 – 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:
- $150,000 Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m)
- $150,000 Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m)