Spring shuffle – Tweaks made to Melbourne schedule

Melbourne’s 2026 Spring Racing Carnival has had a reshuffle of its feature-race program, with Racing Victoria confirming the relocation of several black-type races as major track works impact the traditional schedule.

The carnival will run from August 29 to November 29 and include 22 Group 1 races, headed by the $10.2 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 3.

Flemington will also host the Cox Plate on October 24 while Moonee Valley undergoes redevelopment, while Caulfield’s landmark 150th edition of the Caulfield Cup remains a centrepiece of the spring.

Following the Caulfield Cup, the venue will close for a planned resurfacing, forcing feature meetings on November 14 and 28 to Sandown.

Among the key changes, the Group 2 Zipping Classic has been brought forward two weeks to November 14 and will sit alongside the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at Sandown. The Sandown Cup moves from its June slot to November 28, filling the vacancy created by the Zipping Classic’s shift.

Caulfield Cup Day receives a boost with the Blue Sapphire Stakes transferring to the meeting, and sitting alongside the Caulfield Cup and the Group 1 Thousand Guineas.

Racing Victoria has confirmed sprint features traditionally run at Moonee Valley have also been relocated, with Group 1 Moir Stakes to be staged at Sandown on September 5, while the Manikato Stakes moves to Caulfield on September 27, the day after the AFL Grand Final.

The revised schedule also increases Melbourne Cup qualifying opportunities, with the Moonee Valley Gold Cup becoming a third Flemington-based golden-ticket race during the carnival.

A range of supporting races have been adjusted. The Testa Rossa Stakes switches to AFL Grand Final weekend, the Sandown Stakes returns to Sandown over 1400 metres, while the Village Stakes increases in distance from 1100m to 1200m.

Melbourne Racing Club has also reshaped its three-year-old program, swapping the positions of the Thousand Guineas Prelude and Jim Moloney Stakes, returning the Gothic Stakes to 1400 metres and shortening the Melbourne Classic to 1800 metres.

As part of MRC’s 150th anniversary celebrations, two feature races have been renamed. The Cockram Stakes becomes the Courtza Stakes, while the Moonga Stakes will honour Hall of Fame jockey Harry White, a four-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider.

“The Spring Racing Carnival programs are the culmination of extensive consultation with stakeholders who each presented their views on the optimum pattern of races and prizemoney,” RV Head of Racing, Paul Bloodworth said.

“This is a unique year with The Valley offline throughout and Caulfield undergoing a major renovation following their Cup. That’s been a catalyst for a raft of changes this spring.

“The race programs assembled for Cox Plate Day at Flemington and Manikato Stakes Day at Caulfield are exceptional. They are rightly going to command plenty of interest.”

Melbourne Racing Club Chief Executive Officer Tanya Fullarton said the club was looking forward to marking its 150th-year celebration with an unprecedented level of black-type racing at Caulfield and Sandown.

“For 150 years, members and racegoers at the Melbourne Racing Club have witnessed and enjoyed many of the stories, characters and moments that have shaped Australian racing,” she said.

“Our marquee race is the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup, which is one of Australia’s great races. In this milestone year, we have increased its prizemoney to a record $6 million, reflecting its standing in Australian and international racing,” Fullarton said.