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Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival 2026 | Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup & Tips
🏇 Latest: at Sandown on Saturday 14 November, Shadhavar won the CF Orr Stakes, Kingswood won the Zipping Classic and Consulate won the Sandown Guineas.
Earlier: Point Of Law won the Melbourne Cup on 3 November, our top pick at $6.50: all the Cup carnival results.
Earlier: Point Of Law won the Melbourne Cup on 3 November, our top pick at $6.50: all the Cup carnival results.
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the most prestigious block of racing on the Australian calendar, a 12-week showpiece running from late August through to late November across Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Sandown. Built around the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and the lead-in to the Melbourne Cup Carnival, it is the richest and most globally significant period in Australian thoroughbred racing.
Below you’ll find the 2026 Melbourne Spring Carnival schedule, race-by-race previews, betting markets and best bookmakers for spring racing. For our latest tips, visit our horse racing tips hub. For the Melbourne Cup week itself, see our Melbourne Cup Carnival guide.
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Melbourne Spring Carnival Structure
The carnival is built around four key phases:
- Early Spring (late Aug – mid-Sep): resuming block with the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield and the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
- Turnbull Stakes Day (early Oct): Flemington’s Group 1 Turnbull Stakes traditionally opens the carnival’s middle-distance program and is a key Melbourne Cup lead-in.
- Caulfield Guineas Day & Caulfield Cup Day (10 and 17 October): back-to-back Saturdays, with the Caulfield Guineas, Toorak Handicap and Caulfield Stakes on the first, then the Thousand Guineas and the $6m Caulfield Cup on the second.
- Cox Plate Day (24 October): the $6m Cox Plate, at Flemington in 2026 while The Valley is redeveloped. The Manikato Stakes, normally the Friday night before it, is run separately at Caulfield on Sunday 27 September this season.
The Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington follows in early November, covered in detail on our Melbourne Cup Carnival guide.
Group 1 Races at the Melbourne Spring Carnival
The full Group 1 program at the 2026 Melbourne Spring Carnival:
| Race | Distance | Class | Venue | Date Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memsie Stakes | 1400m | Group 1 WFA | Caulfield | 29 Aug (run) |
| Makybe Diva Stakes | 1600m | Group 1 WFA | Flemington | 12 Sep (run) |
| Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes | 1400m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | 19 Sep (run) |
| Underwood Stakes | 1800m | Group 1 WFA | Caulfield | 19 Sep (run) |
| Turnbull Stakes | 2000m | Group 1 WFA | Flemington | 3 Oct (run) |
| Caulfield Guineas | 1600m | Group 1 3YO SW | Caulfield | 10 Oct (run) |
| Thousand Guineas | 1600m | Group 1 3YO Fillies SW | Caulfield | 17 Oct (run) |
| Toorak Handicap | 1600m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | 10 Oct (run) |
| Caulfield Stakes | 2000m | Group 2 WFA | Caulfield | 10 Oct (run) |
| Caulfield Cup | 2400m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | 17 Oct (run) |
| Manikato Stakes | 1200m | Group 1 WFA | Caulfield | 27 Sep (run) |
| Moir Stakes | 1000m | Group 1 WFA | Sandown | 5 Sep (run) |
| Cox Plate | 2040m | Group 1 WFA | Flemington | 24 Oct (run) |
| Geelong Cup | 2400m | Group 3 Handicap | Geelong | 21 Oct (run) |
| Sandown Guineas | 1600m | Group 2 3YO SW | Sandown | 14 Nov (run) |
| CF Orr Stakes | 1400m | Group 1 WFA | Sandown | 14 Nov (run) |
| Zipping Classic | 2400m | Group 2 WFA | Sandown | 14 Nov (run) |
Why races have moved in 2026. Moonee Valley is closed for the whole season while it is redeveloped, so the Moir Stakes went to Sandown, the Manikato Stakes moves to Caulfield and the Cox Plate is at Flemington for the first time in its history. Separately, Caulfield closes for resurfacing after the Caulfield Cup, which sent the CF Orr Stakes, the Zipping Classic and the Sandown Guineas to Sandown on 14 November.
The Big Three: Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup & Melbourne Cup
Three races define the Melbourne spring and are run within a fortnight of each other:
- Caulfield Cup: $6 million Group 1 handicap over 2400m on Saturday 17 October, a record purse for its 150th running. Australia’s second-richest staying handicap after the Melbourne Cup, and a key Cup form line.
- Cox Plate: $6 million Group 1 weight-for-age over 2040m, at Flemington on Saturday 24 October 2026 and normally at Moonee Valley. Widely regarded as Australia’s definitive championship middle-distance race.
- Melbourne Cup: $8m+ Group 1 handicap over 3200m at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November. Covered in full on our Melbourne Cup Carnival page.
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival 2026 Results
- CF Orr Stakes 2026 result: won by Shadhavar (Sandown, 14 November)
- Zipping Classic 2026 result: won by Kingswood
- Sandown Guineas 2026 result: won by Consulate
- Melbourne Cup 2026 result: won by Point Of Law
- Melbourne Cup Carnival 2026 results: every group race winner, including Birdman (Champions Stakes), Autumn Glow (Champions Mile) and Point Barrow (Champions Sprint)
- Cox Plate 2026 result: won by Cosmic Crusader
- Caulfield Cup 2026 result: won by Kingswood
- Caulfield Guineas 2026 result: won by Warwoven
- Might And Power (Caulfield Stakes) 2026 result: won by Land Legend
- Toorak Handicap 2026 result: won by Lady Shenandoah
Melbourne Spring Carnival Betting Markets
Spring is the single heaviest betting block of the year on the Australian racing calendar. Key markets include:
- Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup Futures: all-in markets open months in advance.
- Cup Day Quaddies: see our Quaddie calculator guide.
- Same Race Multis: see our Same Race Multi guide.
- Each-Way & Exotics: place, quinella, exacta, trifecta and First 4 across every Group 1.
Melbourne Spring Carnival FAQs
When is the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival?
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival runs from late August through to late November each year across Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Sandown.
What is the biggest race of the Melbourne Spring Carnival?
The $6 million Cox Plate and the $6 million Caulfield Cup are the richest races of the main spring program, while the Melbourne Cup ($8m+, covered on its own hub) sit alongside it as the carnival’s defining events.
How many Group 1 races are at the Melbourne Spring Carnival?
The main spring program features 13 Group 1 races before the Melbourne Cup Carnival takes over at Flemington in early November.
Is the Melbourne Cup part of the Spring Carnival?
The Melbourne Cup is traditionally covered as part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the four-day showpiece at Flemington in early November that follows the main Spring Carnival. See our dedicated Melbourne Cup Carnival page.
Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the Melbourne Spring Carnival?
At BettingPro.com.au, we rank the best Australian online betting sites for horse racing throughout spring. For a full comparison, see our best horse racing betting sites in Australia guide.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au