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 W. S. Cox Plate is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old and over under Weight for age conditions, over a distance of 2040 metres, that is held by the Moonee Valley Racing Club at Moonee Valley Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late October. The race has a purse of A$5,000,000.
Think Big was a Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in Australia, winning the Melbourne Cup in both 1974 and 1975.
Better Loosen Up was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse that won the Japan Cup in 1990 and was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1991. He campaigned from two to seven years of age, and won 17 of his 45 starts, including eight Group One races. In 2004, he was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
James Bartholomew Cummings, also known by his initials J. B. Cummings, was one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers. He was known as the Cups King, referring to the Melbourne Cup, as he won 'the race that stops a nation' a record twelve times. During his lifetime Cummings was considered an Australian cultural icon and an Australian National Living Treasure. His status as a racing icon in the 20th century was generally considered equivalent to that of Etienne L. de Mestre in the 19th century.
Brew is a small, plain bay Thoroughbred gelding who won the 2000 Melbourne Cup for trainer Mike Moroney and jockey Kerrin McEvoy. Brew's first stakes win was the Listed Japan Trophy at 2559 metres on Turnbull Stakes day. This race is now called The Bart Cummings and is run at Group 3 level. Brew carried the lightweight of 49 kilos and defeated the veteran Yippyio and the stablemate Second Coming in the Melbourne Cup. After finishing second to Yippyio in the Moonee Valley Cup, Brew qualified for the Melbourne Cup by winning The Group 2 Saab Quality at 2500 metres on Derby Day, three days before the Cup. When winning the Saab Quality, Brew achieved a Timeform rating of 113. Brew is a son of Sir Tristram and the champion New Zealand racemare and Japan Cup winner Horlicks but was gelded before showing his best form. The Melbourne Cup was Brew's last win. In the Melbourne Cup, Brew achieved a career peak Timeform rating of 114. Brew also ran in the previous Melbourne Cup in 1999 which was won by Rogan Josh A little known fact: Some time after winning the Melbourne Cup, Brew was spelled from racing and trained for duty as a police horse in Melbourne. He returned to racing but never found his previous form. Brew is now at Living Legends, the International Home of Rest for Champion Horses located in Woodlands Historic Park, Greenvale, Victoria, Australia.
Light Fingers (1961−1988) was a New Zealand bred thoroughbred racehorse who won the Melbourne Cup in 1965. In 2017 Light Fingers was inducted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Kingston Rule was an American-bred racehorse who raced in Australia, where he won the 1990 Melbourne Cup in a record time of 3:16:3. This time still stands as the record today.
Let's Elope was a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Australia.
Saintly was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was named Australia's champion racehorse in 1997. A giant chestnut gelding by Sky Chase out of All Grace, he was bred by his trainer, Bart Cummings, who owned him in partnership with a Malaysian businessman, Dato Tan Chin Nam. In 2017 Saintly was inducted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Flight (1940–1953) was an Australian Thoroughbred racemare that was the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia. Her courageous efforts made her a crowd favourite during the post World War II era and she had victories over some of the great horses of the time including Shannon, Bernborough, Royal Gem and Russia.
Viewed was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 148th Melbourne Cup on 4 November 2008.
Rogan Josh was an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse, who won the 1999 Melbourne Cup when ridden by John Marshall for the trainer Bart Cummings.
So You Think is a New Zealand-bred Thoroughbred racehorse, now majority owned by Coolmore Stud of Ireland. So You Think came to prominence through winning the 2009 and 2010 Cox Plates, Australia's premier weight for age race. His first Cox Plate win was at only his fifth career start. His second Cox Plate win came at just his tenth career start. He started as favourite for the 2010 Melbourne Cup but finished third, in his first race past 2,040 metres. So You Think was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2019.
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.
Tranquil Star was one of the hardiest and best performed Australian-bred Thoroughbred race-mares. She is the only mare to have won the double of the Caulfield Stakes, now known as the Yalumba Stakes, and the Cox Plate, which is the most prestigious weight-for-age (wfa) race in Australia. Tranquil Star had 111 starts and won over distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 14 furlongs. She was later inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.
Encosta De Lago was an Australian bred Thoroughbred racehorse that won three group races from eight starts including the Group One (G1), Vic Health Cup against older horses. He was the Leading sire in Australia during 2008 and 2009.
Tulloch was a champion Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the greatest Australian stayers.
Poetic Prince, known in Australia as Our Poetic Prince, was an Australian bred and New Zealand trained race-horse that was a top performer at Group 1 level.
Beau Zam was a New Zealand-bred and Australian-trained Thoroughbred racehorse that won five Group 1 races.
