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Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival 2026 | Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup & Tips
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 (mid-Oct) — back-to-back Saturdays featuring the Caulfield Guineas, Toorak Handicap, Thousand Guineas and the $5m Caulfield Cup.
- Cox Plate weekend (late Oct) — Moonee Valley’s showpiece, with the Manikato Stakes on Friday night and the $6m Cox Plate on Saturday.
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 | Late Aug |
| Makybe Diva Stakes | 1600m | Group 1 WFA | Flemington | Early Sep |
| Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes | 1400m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | Mid-Sep |
| Underwood Stakes | 1800m | Group 1 WFA | Sandown | Mid-Sep |
| Turnbull Stakes | 2000m | Group 1 WFA | Flemington | Early Oct (Turnbull Day) |
| Caulfield Guineas | 1600m | Group 1 3YO SW | Caulfield | Mid-Oct (CG Day) |
| Thousand Guineas | 1600m | Group 1 3YO Fillies SW | Caulfield | Mid-Oct |
| Toorak Handicap | 1600m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | Mid-Oct (CG Day) |
| Caulfield Stakes | 2000m | Group 2 WFA | Caulfield | Mid-Oct |
| Caulfield Cup | 2400m | Group 1 Handicap | Caulfield | Mid-Oct (Cup Day) |
| Manikato Stakes | 1200m | Group 1 WFA | Moonee Valley | Late Oct (Cox Plate eve) |
| Moir Stakes | 1000m | Group 1 WFA | Moonee Valley | Late Sep |
| Cox Plate | 2040m | Group 1 WFA | Moonee Valley | Late Oct |
| Geelong Cup | 2400m | Listed Handicap | Geelong | Late Oct |
| Zipping Classic | 2400m | Group 2 WFA | Sandown | Late Nov |
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 — $5 million Group 1 handicap over 2400m in mid-October. 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 Moonee Valley in late October. 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 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 is the richest race of the main spring program, though the Caulfield Cup ($5m) and 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