The Randwick Guineas is run at Sydney’s Randwick Racecourse in March each year and is an important part of the Sydney Autumn Carnival. It is run by the Australian Turf Club and is a Group One event for Thoroughbreds, meaning it is the highest-level race possible. For this reason, it tends to attract premier horses and riders and offers a correspondingly impressive purse of 600,000.00 Australian Dollars. The distance to be run has changed over the years, but has been set at 1,600 metres since 2006. Horses must be 3 years old and a set weight, which evens out the playing field and makes for very exciting races and nail-biting finishes. The Randwick race is exciting in itself, but also forms part of the Australian Triple Crown (ATC) and grants the winner automatic qualification for both the ATC Australian Derby and the Doncaster Handicap. With a great line-up of runs, facilities and other events, the Randwick Guineas is a grand day out for riders, spectators and punters alike.

Some Background to the Randwick Guineas

The Canterbury Guineas race was inaugurated in 1935 and discontinued after 2005, when the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club (who finally merged in 2011) were looking at streamlining the country’s big races. To this end they made major changes, including having the Canterbury Guineas be assumed by the Randwick event. The race is thus now run under the current name, and has long been seen as a good indicator of the action that will be seen over the test of the Sydney Autumn Carnival so serious punters should pay careful attention to the performance of the Thoroughbreds and their jockeys at the Randwick Guineas. The event was a Principle Race until 1979 and then became a Group One Race, and has also been held in several venues over the years. From 2014 onwards, its fixed address has been the Randwick course.

Randwick Makes for a Great Day Out

Aside from the racing and punting, there is plenty more to be enjoyed at the Randwick Guineas event, and planning the day properly should help spectators enjoy it as much as possible. A map of the grounds and some guidelines to the elegant fashion that the event is known for are both available online, real money online pokies,  which should help everyone to organise their day at the races and to look the part. Public transport to and from the Randwick grounds is probably the easiest option, and visitors should decide on this and on what kind of ticket to buy – they can choose from General Admission, Concession and Members’ Guest options, which each offer different levels of access. It all depends how much they want to do on the day, but they should consider everything that’s available before making a decision. There are several quality dining and viewing options to choose from, whether visitors feel like first-class luxury in the Chairman’s Club or Private Suites, homely hospitality in the Centennial Reserve, or anything in between. The Theatre of the Horse is a moving tribute to Thoroughbred racing and a great way to gain insight into this historical sport. It is inspired by leading international races such as Ascot, and takes place at the Queen Elizabeth II Grandstand. The horses are lead into the magnificent Theatre, and the atmosphere becomes incredibly exciting as viewers get to see the steeds up-close-and-personal and get to anticipate how they will perform. It’s an event not to be missed, and will give punters the full sense of history and heritage that this day embodies.