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.
The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions. This is for all horses aged three years old and older. It takes place over a distance of 2400 metres at the Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in mid October. The prize money is A$5,000,000.
Rising Fast was a champion New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is the only horse to complete the Spring Grand Slam, winning the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, and Cox Plate in 1954. He also won the 1955 Caulfield Cup and came second in the 1955 Melbourne Cup.
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.
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, formerly known as the Queen's Plate, AJC Plate, and AJC King's Cup, is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race run over a distance of 2,000 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia, in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. Prize money in 2013 was A$500,000 and was increased to A$4,000,000 in 2014 to become the richest race of the Sydney Autumn Carnival and as of 2020 the third richest WFA race in Australia.
Peter Pan (1929–1941) was a chestnut Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion.
Amounis was an Australian Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse. He won 33 races over distances ranging from 6 to 12 furlongs. Of these wins, 27 were in "Principal Races", 16 of these races have since been promoted to Group One (G1) status. In winning the AJC Epsom Handicap he established a new Australasian record time.
Comic Court (1945–1973) was a most versatile post-war Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse who set race records at distances of 6 furlongs and 2 miles. He won the 1950 Melbourne Cup carrying 9 stone 5 pounds (59 kg) and set an Australasian record of 3 minutes 19½ seconds.
Hydrogen was a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse.
David Hugh "Darby" Munro also known as "the Demon" or the "Brown Bomber" was an Aboriginal Australian jockey born in Caulfield. He was a three-time winner of the Melbourne Cup. He has been described as "arguably Australia’s greatest jockey".
Beauford, was a brown Thoroughbred gelding, performing in Australia was best known for the races against the New Zealand champion Gloaming at Randwick Racecourse in 1922. Beauford raced exclusively in N.S.W from a three-year-old to a nine-year-old recording 17 wins from 6 furlongs to 1½ miles with regular jockey Albert Wood winning 12 races.
Carbon Copy was an Australian chestnut Thoroughbred horse, who raced from a two-year-old to a five year old recording 14 wins from 1 mile to 2 miles with regular jockey Scobie Breasley winning eight races was a member of a vintage crop of three year olds 1948–1949 including Comic Court, Foxzami, Vagabond and Bernbrook.
Hall Mark (1930−1953) was a versatile chestnut Thoroughbred stallion. He performed in Australia, trained by Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Holt. He raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old, recording 18 wins from 6 furlongs to 2 miles. Ridden mostly by champion jockeys Bill Duncan and Frank Dempsey. Hall Mark was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.
Gold Rod was a New Zealand bred chestnut thoroughbred stallion who raced in Australia from a two-year-old to a six-year-old recording 16 wins from 5 furlongs to 1¾ miles with Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee Maurice McCarten being his regular jockey.
Prince Cortauld, was a brown Thoroughbred stallion, performing in Australia trained by Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Maurice McCarten raced from a two-year-old to a five-year-old recording 25 wins from 5 furlongs to 1¾ miles with champion jockey Neville Sellwood winning 19 races.
Ammon Ra was a Bay New Zealand thoroughbred gelding. He raced in Australia. Ammon Ra competed from age two to five, recording 17 wins in races from 5 furlongs to 1½ miles. Champion jockey Maurice McCarten won 10 races and the Sydney Jockeys premiership in 1938–39. Later he became the leading Sydney trainer from 1948 to 1949 and 1951 to 1952.
San Domenico was a brown Australian thoroughbred gelding who raced for 7 seasons from a two-year-old to an eight-year-old recording 25 wins from 5 furlongs to 1 mile and regular jockey Arthur Ward 2007 Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee winning 14 races.
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.
Winooka was a bay Australian thoroughbred stallion who raced for 5 seasons from a two-year-old to a six-year-old including America recording major wins from 6 furlongs to 1 mile and winning jockeys being Stan Davidson from Newcastle and Sydney Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductees Jim Pike and Edgar Britt.
Gothic was a black Australian thoroughbred stallion who raced for 4 seasons from a three-year-old to a six-year-old, recording major wins from 6 furlongs to 1½ miles and champion Sydney jockey Jim Pike the Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductee 2002 winning 9 races.
