The Excitement Unfolds at Flemington This Autumn

Katie Cunningham | Presented by Victoria Racing Club

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Melbourne Cup day is famously known as the race that pauses the nation®. However, with it only gracing us once a year, waiting from one November to the next feels like an eternity.

Fortunately, you don’t have to bide your time until spring for exhilarating racing moments. The Flemington Racing Spectacular presents a stellar autumn racing schedule, highlighted by top-tier events such as The All-Star Mile. This means you can indulge in a whole three Saturdays of Group 1 racing at Flemington.

Prepare for electrifying on-track spectacles with three feature race days lined up. Here’s a comprehensive look at this year’s autumn racing calendar.

Howden Australian Guineas Day — Saturday March 1

The Group 1 Howden Australian Guineas will showcase the finest three-year-old horses competing over the iconic Flemington mile.

This race has a prestigious history, with notable past winners such as Hitotsu, Grunt, Miss Finland, and Apache Cat.

Sepals bolstered his credentials for the Guineas with a decisive victory at the Group 3 C.S Hayes Stakes (1400m) during Black Caviar Lightning Race Day. Since 2015, four Guineas champions have come from the ranks of C.S Hayes Stakes victors.

Angel Capital is currently leading the market and will be sporting new silks after being acquired by Yulong ahead of the Group 1 challenge. He recently placed just under four lengths behind Private Life in the 2024 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

Additionally, on the card is the $300,000 Group 2 TAB Blamey Stakes (1600m) and the $1 million Inglis Sprint (1200m).

Super Saturday featuring the All-Star Mile — Saturday March 8

Super Saturday represents the crown jewel of Flemington’s autumn racing programme.

This year’s highlight is the inclusion of the All-Star Mile, now holding Group 1 status for the first time. In August, it was revealed that Flemington has been selected as the All-Star Mile’s home for the next three years, setting the stage for even more spectacular Super Saturdays at Flemington.

The day also features the highly-anticipated Group 1 Yulong Newmarket Handicap (1200m), showcasing Australia’s premier sprinters. It’s widely regarded as the country’s most significant and prestigious sprint race and has even earned the title of the world’s best sprint event at the Longines World Racing Awards.

Marking its 152nd edition this year, the Yulong Newmarket Handicap boasts an impressive roster of legendary sprinters and unforgettable triumphs.

In the Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), it was the mares who outperformed the three-year-old colts, with Skybird causing a stir at the longest starting price in the sprint race’s history.

Following a strong fourth-place finish in the Lightning, 2024 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner Switzerland currently heads the betting markets for the Newmarket, with three-year-olds account for 48 wins in this six-furlong handicap since its inception at Flemington in 1874.

TAB Australian Cup Day — Saturday March 29

The Flemington Racing Spectacular culminates with excitement on Saturday, March 29, during TAB Australian Cup Day.

This flagship event permits attendees the thrill of the $2.5 million Group 1 TAB Australian Cup (2000m), where legends such as Dulcify, Bonecrusher, Octagonal, Lonhro, and Makybe Diva have made their mark over the years.

With last year’s champion, Cascadian, now a retiree, Flemington will crown a new hero of the Australian Cup as it wraps up the Flemington Racing Spectacular.

Trainer Chris Waller is set to influence the race with contenders like Atishu and Buckaroo, both aiming for the 2000-metre Group 1 feature.

Additionally, Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa, 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup champion Without A Fight, and last year’s Cup victor Knight’s Choice will also be in the mix.

But there’s more than just the main event to look forward to. The day’s undercard includes the eagerly awaited $500,000 Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m), which offers the first golden ticket for the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m).

It’s a packed day of racing, and just like all of Flemington’s autumn schedule, this is an event not to miss.

Tickets are available now at vrc.com.au.