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The 2026 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival is host to all of the best Queensland races across May and June with the focus moving to the Sunshine State after the action in Melbourne & Sydney over the autumn.

The festival – held at Doomben Racecourse & Eagle Farm Racecourse – is part of the larger Queensland Winter Racing Carnival that features earlier Group racing at the Gold Coast. Elite level racing during the winter in Brisbane now kicks off in mid-May with the Group 1 Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (1200m) – an early lead-up to the richest event of the carnival – the $3 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) – the following month.

For stayers the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) run under weight-for-age conditions in May is the feature, while there was a recent prize money boost to the now $1,000,000 Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) that was formerly known as the BTC Cup. Kingsford Smith Cup Day is also now host to the Group 1 Queensland Derby for the three-year-old stayers.

Ladbrokes Stradbroke Handicap Day is the most anticipated meeting of the winter in Brisbane running on a Saturday in early June and featuring a triple shot of Group 1 racing. The Stradbroke is accompanied by the J.J. Atkins (1600m) for the two-year-old milers.

Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival Race Days

There are a host of Group 1 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival race meetings featuring some lucrative betting opportunities for punters at Ladbrokes.com.au following the form out of the Sydney Autumn Carnival with both local and interstate performers on show.

2026 LADBROKES DOOMBEN 10,000 DAY

Saturday May 16, 2026 – Doomben Racecourse

From 2017 onwards the Doomben 10,000 has kicked off Group 1 racing at the Brisbane Winter Carnival. It is now worth $1,500,000 in prize money and is contested over a genuine 1200m sprint distance at Doomben Racecourse under weight-for-age conditions.

Other Group status races support the card include the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) for JJ Atkins-bound juveniles now run as the Spirit Of Boom Classic, the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) – named after Queensland’s most famous racehorses – serving as an early Queensland Derby lead-up for three-year-olds, and the Group 3 BRC Chairman’s Handicap (2000m).

• Group 1 $1,500,000 Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (1200m)
• Group 2 $300,000 Spirit of Boom Classic (1200m)
• Group 3 $250,000 Rough Habit Plate (2000m)
• Group 3 $250,000 BRC Chairman’s Handicap (2000m)

2026 DOOMBEN CUP DAY

Saturday May 23, 2026 – Doomben Racecourse

The Doomben Cup is a weight-for-age race run over a 2000m distance at Doomben Racecourse. Held late May, the Group 1 event is worth $1,000,000 in prize money and has been won by several champion horses including Might And Power (1998) and Rough Habit (1991-93).

The Group 2 The Roses for (2000m) for Queensland Oaks types and the Group 3 BRC Sprint (1350m) for Stradbroke Handicap hopefuls are the key support acts on the Doomben Cup Day card.

• Group 1 $1,000,000 Doomben Cup (2000m)
• Group 2 $300,000 The Roses (2000m)
• Group 3 $300,000 BRC Sprint (1350m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Fillies & Mares Plate (1600m)

2026 KINGSFORD SMITH CUP DAY

Saturday May 30, 2026 – Eagle Farm Racecourse

Formerly known as the BTC Cup and contested at Doomben earlier in the month over 1200m, the new-look Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup now traditionally runs at Eagle Farm Racecourse kicking off Group 1 racing at the track for the carnival.

The Stradbroke Handicap lead-up takes place over 1300m when run at Eagle Farm, under weight-for-age conditions and offers an increased $1,000,000 in total prize money.

A bumper line-up of other Group status Brisbane races also take place on Kingsford Smith Cup Day including the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) for the three-year-olds.

Kingsford Smith Cup Day also hosts the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce (1400m) – a final lead-up to the J.J. Atkins run over a mile on Stradbroke Handicap Day – now worth $1 million in stakes.

• Group 1 $1,000,000 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) – formerly the BTC Cup
• Group 1 $1,000,000 Queensland Derby (2400m)
• Group 2 $1,000,000 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m)
• Group 3 $300,000 Fred Best Classic (1400m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Premier’s Cup (2400m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m)

2026 QUEENSLAND OAKS DAY

Saturday June 6, 2026 – Eagle Farm Racecourse

Group 1 winter racing continues at Eagle Farm in early June with Queensland Oaks Day, headlined by the three-year-old fillies facing off in the $700,000 Group 1 Queensland Oaks over 2200m. The key support race on the card is the Group 2 $300,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) for sprint types who could possibly back-up in the Stradbroke field.

• Group 1 $700,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m)
• Group 2 $300,000 Moreton Cup (1200m) – previously the QTC Cup
• $500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m)

2026 LADBROKES STRADBROKE HANDICAP DAY

Saturday June 13, 2026 – Eagle Farm Racecourse

Worth $3 million after having its stakes doubled in 2023, the Ladbrokes Stradbroke Handicap is the richest race of the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival and is run in early to mid-June. Run over 1400 meters when contested at Eagle Farm, the Group 1 event is an open handicap that has been won by the likes of Daybreak Lover (1984 & 1986), Rough Habit (1991-92), Dane Ripper (1997), Black Piranha (2009-10), Srikandi (2015), and Under The Louvre (2016).

Two Group 1 races take place on Ladbrokes Stradbroke Day with top two-year-olds of the season doing battle in the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) over the mile. There is also plenty of hype on the Group 2 The Q22 – formerly the PJ O’Shea Stakes – offering $1.2 million and won in 2021 by star import Zaaki.

Also on the program the Brisbane Cup (3200m) offering $400,000 for the stayers over the two miles and the Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) for fillies & mares.

• Group 1 $3 million Ladbrokes Stradbroke Handicap (1400m)
• Group 1 $1,000,000 J.J. Atkins (1600m)
• Group 2 $1,200,000 The Q22 (2200m)
• Group 2 $400,000 Brisbane Cup (3200m)
• Group 2 $300,000 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Gunsynd Classic (1600m)

2026 TATTERSALL’S TIARA DAY

Saturday June 27, 2026 – Eagle Farm Racecourse

Group 1 racing in Brisbane for the winter comes to a close in late June with the running of the Tattersall’s Tiara over 1400m for fillies and mares. The $700,000 race is contested under weight-for-age conditions by a host of female gallopers out of the Stradbroke Handicap and Dane Ripper Stakes.

Two Group 3 events are also on the final major meeting of the winter in the form of the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) and Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m).

• Group 1 $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m)
• Group 3 $200,000 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m)
• Group 3 $200,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m)

2026 Tattersall’s Tiara Odds

2026 Tattersall’s Cup Odds

2026 W.J. Healy Stakes Odds

*Note race dates, tracks and distances are all for 2026 and subject to change