Thoroughbred horse racing is a spectator sport in Australia, and gambling on horse races is a very popular pastime with A$14.3 billion wagered in 2009/10 with bookmakers and the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB). The two forms of Thoroughbred horseracing in Australia are flat racing, and races over fences or hurdles in Victoria and South Australia. Thoroughbred racing is the third most attended spectator sport in Australia, behind Australian rules football and rugby league, with almost two million admissions to 360 registered racecourses throughout Australia in 2009/10. Horseracing commenced soon after European settlement, and is now well-appointed with automatic totalizators, starting gates and photo finish cameras on nearly all Australian racecourses.
Carbine (1885–1914) was a champion New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won 30 principal races in New Zealand and Australia. He was very popular with racing fans, and sporting commentators of the day praised him for his gameness, versatility, stamina and weight-carrying ability, as well as for his speed. He was one of five inaugural inductees into both the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
High Caste was a Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion that was bred in New Zealand and was considered the best two-year-old in New Zealand after winning three of his four race starts. He was a good racehorse under handicap and weight for age conditions and combined this with wins in good races from 5 furlongs to 1+3⁄4 miles (2,800 m), carrying up to 10 stone 6 pounds.
Wakeful was one of the great Thoroughbred mares of the Australian turf. She had shown her versatility by defeating top racehorses at distances from 5½ furlongs to 3 miles. She was unplaced in only three races.
The Barb (1863–1888) was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse, famed for winning the 1866 Melbourne Cup, the Sydney Cup twice, and other quality races. He was bred by George Lee and foaled in 1863 at Leeholme, near Bathurst, New South Wales.
Poseidon was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He won 19 races over distances ranging from five furlongs to three miles. Sixteen of these wins were "Principal Races", eight of them now of Group 1 (G1) status.
Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won 21 races from 5 furlongs to 2 miles (3,200m) and was a leading sire in Australia.
Peter Pan (1929–1941) was a chestnut Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion.
Leilani was a champion thoroughbred racemare that was bred in New Zealand and raced in Australia. She won six Group One races and a total of 12 black type equivalent races, during her short racing career. At the time of her retirement she held the Australasian earnings record for a mare.
Baguette was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that was undefeated as a two-year-old and became the first winner of the Two Year Old Triple Crown. His wins included 14 Principal Races and he retired to become a good sire.
Chester (1874–1888) was an Australian thoroughbred racehorse and a leading sire. He defeated some of the best horses in training over distances ranging from five furlongs to three miles. He was the leading sire in Australia on four occasions.
Briseis foaled in 1873, was a brown Australian Thoroughbred filly that is regarded as one of the greatest mares ever foaled in Australia. As a two-year-old she won the AJC Doncaster Handicap and the weight for age (w.f.a.) AJC All Aged Stakes. Then as a three-year-old she won the VRC Victoria Derby, the 1876 Melbourne Cup and the VRC Oaks, all within six days.
Blue Spec was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who established a new record in winning the Melbourne Cup in 1905. He was a brown stallion bred by Augustus Hooke, jnr. and foaled in 1899 at his Tia River Station, Tia, near Walcha, New South Wales.
Grand Flaneur (1877–1900) was an outstanding Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, who won nine successive races, including the AJC Derby, the Victoria Derby and the 1880 Melbourne Cup, before he retired undefeated. He had won races over distances ranging from five furlongs to three miles. He was the Leading sire in Australia in 1895 and was close to the top of the list for a decade.
Kennaquhair was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Sydney Cup, and the AJC Metropolitan Handicap as well as finishing second in the 1918 Melbourne Cup.
Fisherman was a hardy English-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won 70 races including the Ascot Gold Cup on two occasions. Exported into Australia he became a leading sire there.
Eurythmic (1916–1925) was a versatile Australian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who had the ability to produce a brilliant finishing run in staying races and he also won important sprint races, too. At four he won 12 of his 13 starts including the Caulfield Cup and Sydney Cup. When Eurythmic finished racing he was the greatest stake-winner in Australia. He was later inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Tulloch was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the greatest Australian stayers.
Wenona Girl was a leading Australian Thoroughbred horse racemare that had 27 wins over distances ranging from 4½ furlongs to 1½ miles. She won 22 principal races, 15 of which were later designated group one (G1) races. Wenona Girl's principal wins included the VRC Sires Produce Stakes, AJC Sires Produce Stakes, George Adams Handicap, One Thousand Guineas, VATC Futurity Stakes, AJC George Main Stakes, AJC All Aged Stakes, AJC Adrian Knox Oaks Stakes, Rawson Stakes and Rosehill Guineas, all of which were later classified as G1 races. At the time of her retirement she was the highest stakes winning mare to have raced in Australia. At stud she was a good broodmare. Wenona Girl was later inducted into Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Yaralla was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who raced for 5 seasons from a two-year-old to a six-year-old recording major wins from 5 furlongs to 1¼ miles and regular Sydney jockey being Ted McMenamin.
