Randwick Racecourse
Encyclopedia
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Eastern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Suburbs can refer to the suburbs within the local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Dover...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club
Australian Jockey Club
The Australian Jockey Club was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony...
and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters. The racecourse is located approximately six kilometres from the Sydney Central Business District
Sydney central business district
The Sydney central business district is the main commercial centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It extends southwards for about 3 kilometres from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. Its north–south axis runs from Circular Quay in the north to Central railway station in...
in the suburb of Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
.
Races
The following is a list of Group racesGroup races
Group races are the highest standard of Thoroughbred horseraces in Australia. The Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board which races shall be designated as Group races...
which are contested at Randwick Racecourse.
| Grp | Race Name | Age | Sex | Weight | Distance | Date |
| 1 | Australian Derby | 3YO | Open | sw | 2400 | Mar/Apr |
| 1 | AJC Oaks AJC Oaks The AJC Oaks is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for three-year-old fillies at set weights contested over 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The AJC Australian Oaks is the premier staying race for three-year-old fillies during the Sydney autumn racing carnival. Total... |
3YO | Fillies | sw | 2400 | April |
| 1 | AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes The AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run at Weight for Age, over a distance of 2,000 metres in April or May at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... |
Open | Open | wfa | 2000 | April |
| 1 | AJC Sires Produce Stakes AJC Sires Produce Stakes The AJC Sires Produce Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horserace for two year olds at set weights run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The race was first run over one mile in 1867 and won by Glencoe... |
2YO | Open | sw | 1400 | April |
| 1 | All Aged Stakes All Aged Stakes The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May... |
Open | Open | wfa | 1400 | April |
| 1 | Champagne Stakes Champagne Stakes (Australia) The Champagne Stakes is a Group 1 horse race in Australia for two-year-old Thoroughbreds at set weights run at Randwick Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres during the Sydney Autumn Carnival... |
2YO | Open | sw | 1600 | April |
| 1 | Doncaster Handicap Doncaster Handicap The Doncaster Mile is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race held at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday, the race is now run on the third Saturday in April. The race is contested over 1,600 metres . The prizemoney in 2010 was A$1,510,000... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1600 | April |
| 1 | Epsom Handicap Epsom Handicap The Epsom Handicap is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held over 1,600 metres at Randwick Racecourse. It is one of the major races of the Sydney Spring Carnival. Many great milers have won the race, including Chatham, Gunsynd, and Super Impose, who was also a dual winner of the... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1600 | October |
| 1 | Flight Stakes Flight Stakes The Flight Stakes is an AJC Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, at set weights, run over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October... |
3YO | Fillies | sw | 1600 | October |
| 1 | George Main Stakes George Main Stakes The George Main Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 1600 metres at RandwickRacecourse, Sydney in September. Total prize money for the race is A$303,300.... |
Open | Open | wfa | 1600 | September |
| 1 | Randwick Guineas Randwick Guineas The Randwick Guineas is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights over a distance of 1600 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. This race replaces the former Canterbury Guineas which was discontinued after the 2005 running... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1600 | March |
| 1 | Spring Champion Stakes Spring Champion Stakes The Spring Champion Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights. First run in 1971, it is raced over a distance of 2000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October... |
3YO | Open | sw | 2000 | October |
| 1 | Sydney Cup Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian horse race, held for Thoroughbred horses and run over 3200 metres. It is run every year at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, New South Wales in April/May... |
Open | Open | hcp | 3200 | April |
| 1 | T J Smith Stakes T J Smith Stakes The T J Smith Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age run over a distance of 1200 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in March or April. The TJ Smith is named after trainer Tommy Smith... |
Open | Open | wfa | 1200 | March |
| 1 | The Galaxy The Galaxy (horse race) The Galaxy is an Australian Jockey Club Group One Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in April... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1100 | April |
| 1 | AJC Metropolitan Handicap | Open | Open | hcp | 2400 | October |
| 2 | AJC Chairmans Handicap AJC Chairmans Handicap The AJC Chairmans Handicap is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April. The event is an open handicap run over a distance of 2600 metres... |
Open | Open | hcp | 2600 | April |
| 2 | Breeders' Classic Breeders' Classic The Breeders' Classic is an AJC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for mares four-years old and upwards, at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney every February... |
4YO+ | Mares | sw+p | 1200 | February |
| 2 | Chelmsford Stakes Chelmsford Stakes The Chelmsford Stakes is an Australian Group 2 Thoroughbred horserace run over 1600 metres at Weight for Age at Randwick Racecourse Sydney in September... |
Open | Open | wfa | 1600 | September |
| 2 | Emancipation Stakes Emancipation Stakes The Emancipation Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards, over a distance of 1600 metres... |
3YO+ | F&M | sw+p | 1600 | April |
| 2 | Furious Stakes Furious Stakes The Furious Stakes is a Tattersalls NSW Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies, at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in September... |
3YO | Fillies | sw | 1400 | September |
| 2 | Light Fingers Stakes Light Fingers Stakes The Light Fingers Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three-year-old fillies, over a distance of 1200 metres.It is held at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney every February.... |
3YO | Fillies | sw+p | 1100 | February |
| 2 | Roman Consul Stakes Roman Consul Stakes The Roman Consul Stakes is an AJC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in September/October... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1200 | September |
| 2 | Royal Sovereign Stakes Royal Sovereign Stakes The Royal Sovereign Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race, for three year-old colts and geldings, over a distance of 1200 metres... |
3YO | C&G | sw+p | 1200 | February |
| 2 | Sapphire Stakes Sapphire Stakes (Australia) The Sapphire Stakes is an Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and upward, fillies and mares, at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in April... |
Open | F&M | sw+p | 1200 | April |
| 2 | Stan Fox Stakes Stan Fox Stakes The Stan Fox Stakes is an AJC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in September... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1400 | September |
| 2 | Villiers Stakes Villiers Stakes The Villiers Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in December. The event is an open handicap run over a distance of 1600 metres... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1600 | December |
| 3 | Adrian Knox Stakes Adrian Knox Stakes The Adrian Knox Stakes is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred quality handicap horse race for three year old fillies, over a distance of 2000 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in September... |
3YO | Fillies | qlty | 2000 | April |
| 3 | Bill Ritchie Handicap Bill Ritchie Handicap The Bill Ritchie Handicap is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred open quality handicap horse race for three year olds and upwards, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in September... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1400 | September |
| 3 | Colin Stephen Quality Handicap Colin Stephen Quality Handicap The Colin Stephen Quality Handicap is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred open quality handicap horse race for three year olds and upwards, over a distance of 2,400 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in September... |
Open | Open | hcp | 2400 | September |
| 3 | Craven Plate Craven Plate The Craven Plate is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race run over 2,000 metres, under Weight for Age conditions for horses aged three-year-old and upwards, at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in October. Total prize money for the race is A$125,000.... |
Open | Open | wfa | 2000 | October |
| 3 | Frank Packer Plate Frank Packer Plate The Frank Packer Plate is an Australian Jockey Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights run over a distance of 2000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April... |
3YO | Open | sw | 2000 | April |
| 3 | Southern Cross Stakes Southern Cross Stakes The Southern Cross Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in February.-Race history:... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1200 | February |
| 3 | Kindergarten Stakes Kindergarten Stakes The Kindergarten Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged two years old, at set weights, over a distance of 1100 metres.It is held annually in March at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.-Race history:... |
2YO | Open | sw | 1100 | March |
| 3 | Randwick Plate | Open | Open | hcp | 2000 | March |
| 3 | San Domenico Stakes San Domenico Stakes The San Domenico Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, run at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in August... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1000 | August |
| 3 | Skyline Stakes Skyline Stakes The Skyline Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for colts and geldings aged two years old, at set weights, over a distance of 1200 metres... |
2YO | C&G | sw | 1200 | March |
| 3 | South Pacific Classic South Pacific Classic The South Pacific Classic is a Australian Jockey Club Listed Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds, at set weights, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in April... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1400 | April |
| 3 | Summer Cup Summer Cup The Summer Cup is an AJC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in December. The event is an open handicap run over a distance of 2400 metres. Total prize money for the race is A$125,000... |
Open | Open | hcp | 2400 | December |
| 3 | Sweet Embrace Stakes Sweet Embrace Stakes The Sweet Embrace Stakes is a Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for fillies aged two years old, over a distance of 1200 metres. It is held annually at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney... |
2YO | Fillies | sw | 1200 | March |
| 3 | The Shorts The Shorts The Shorts was a pop group from the Netherlands consisting of Hans van Vondelen , Erik de Wildt , Hans Stokkermans and Peter Wezenbeek . The group was formed in 1976, and scored a 1983 international hit with "Comment ça va".... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1100 | October |
| 3 | Tramway Quality Handicap Tramway Quality Handicap The Tramway Quality Handicap is a Tattersalls NSW Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred quality handicap horse race for three year olds and upwards, over a distance of 1400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in September... |
Open | Open | hcp | 1400 | September |
Venue
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and religious mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
es.
In 1970, Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
celebrated mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
at Randwick as part of his pastoral visit to Australia. The Racecourse was also the site of a mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
held by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1995 for the Beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
ceremony of Australia's first potential saint Mary MacKillop
Mary MacKillop
Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on...
. It was also the site of the vigil and final mass of World Youth Day 2008
World Youth Day 2008
The 23rd World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival that started on 15 July and continued until 20 July 2008 in Sydney, Australia. It was the first World Youth Day held in Australia and the first World Youth Day in Oceania. This meeting was decided by Pope Benedict XVI, during the Cologne...
in July 2008. Racing was stopped for several weeks, due to the alterations needed to hold over 400,000 people. This move had been opposed by the Randwick Trainers Association, which holds lease interests over some areas intended to be used for the event. The dispute was resolved, by the federal government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
and the state government
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
jointly pledging $40 million as reimbursement to the racing industry. The famous racecourse has also appeared in several films, including Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible II is a 2000 action film directed by John Woo, and starring Tom Cruise, who also served as the film's producer...
.
Randwick Racecourse is also used as an exam venue by the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.