This article has been sponsored and produced by Racing Queensland.
The nation’s premier Winter Carnival will take centre stage from May 3 until July 5, with more than $28 million in prize money on offer across the Queensland Racing Carnival.
The Carnival is headlined by nine million-dollar races and 55 black-type features – including eight Group 1 events – across 11 race meetings.
The $3 million The Star Stradbroke Handicap is one of a trio of million-dollar sprints that will attract Australia’s premier gallopers to the Sunshine State, together with the $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 and $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup.
There will be six marquee racedays hosted by the Brisbane Racing Club with the $6.5 million Stradbroke Day acting as the crowning jewel, with the feature sprint supported by the $1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins and the $1.2 million Group 2 Q22.
The Gold Coast Turf Club will play a leading role, with a new meeting under lights to be held on May 23, headlined by the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic – coinciding with the Gold Coast National Weanling, Broodmare and Yearling Sale.
At the front-end of the programme, the $500,000 Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes returns to Aquis Park, providing the perfect platform for middle-distance gallopers into both the $1 million Group 1 Doomben Cup and the Q22.
The Ipswich Cup Raceday on June 21 – featuring the $250,000 Ipswich Cup – looks set to draw another bumper crowd, while the Sunshine Coast Turf Club’s Group 3 Winx Guineas, alongside the Listed Caloundra Cup and Glasshouse Handicap, will close out the Winter Carnival on July 5.
The famous Tattersall’s meeting at Eagle Farm on June 28 will play host to the final Group 1 of the Australian racing season – the $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara – alongside the Battle of the Bush Final, where country horses battle it out on the metropolitan stage for $200,000 in stakes.
Racing Queensland Acting CEO Lachlan Murray said that the Queensland Racing Carnival continues to forge a reputation of where the nation’s champions shine brightest.
“The Queensland Racing Carnival champions the best of racing in the Sunshine State, both on and off the track,” Murray said.
“The stars of our sport continue to make their mark on the Winter Carnival, and there’s no better example than the two most recent Everest champions – Bella Nipotina and Think About It – each claiming a pair of Group 1s in Queensland before going on to dominate the world’s richest race on turf.
“For the first time in 2025, night racing comes to the fore with a new meeting under lights at the Gold Coast to be held in May, headlined by the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic.
“Already we have seen incredibly strong wagering interest in the Gold Coast’s Friday night timeslot, presently sitting only behind metropolitan Saturdays as the state’s most wagered on meeting.”
“The Queensland Racing Carnival champions the best of racing in the Sunshine State, both on and off the track,"- Racing Queensland Acting CEO Lachlan Murray
Brisbane Racing Club CEO Karl deKroo said The Star Stradbroke Season was increasingly being recognised as one of Australia’s premier and must-attend racing carnivals.
“The Star Stradbroke Season had traditionally had a reputation for unearthing the next wave of racing stars, but increasingly we are seeing top trainers and stables from across Australia making it a priority to bring their best horses north for the winter,” deKroo said.
“They’re not just chasing significant prize money— they’re strategically setting up their runners for The Everest, Cox Plate, and Melbourne Cup campaigns.
"We are consistently attracting top-class talent to be pitted against a quality crop of hometown heroes and giving racing fans - both local and from interstate - an unparalleled experience at the Queensland Racing Carnival.”
Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander said the State Government is proud to support the Queensland Racing Carnival.
“The Queensland Racing Carnival helps drive racing’s $2.4 billion economic contribution to the state each year,” he said.
“Not only is it renowned as one of Australia’s great racing carnivals, but it’s also recognised globally with the Doomben 10,000, Kingsford Smith Cup and Stradbroke Handicap all sitting inside the world’s top-100 Group 1 races.
“The eyes of the world are on our great state in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Queensland Racing Carnival is a key opportunity to showcase Queensland to a global audience.”
Click here to see the full 2025 Queensland Racing Carnival programme.
This article has been sponsored and produced by Racing Queensland.
