The Caulfield Cup is one of the most important races in Australia, not only owing to its long history and sizable prize, but also because of its position leading up to the Melbourne Cup, the country’s premier annual race. Here are some tips for Caulfield, and some of the general information on the race.

Winning the Caulfield Cup is one way for a horse to get an invitation to the Melbourne cup, which takes place only sixteen days afterwards, making it an important opportunity for Melbourne hopefuls. If you’re planning on betting in the Melbourne Cup, the Caulfield Cup will also give you a chance to see some of the top contenders in action. The Caulfield Cup has been running for well over a century, and in that time eleven of its winners have gone on to win the Melbourne Cup in the same year.

The Caulfield Cup is one part of the Spring Racing Carnival, a series of important Australian races including the Melbourne Carnival, which contains the Melbourne Cup and almost every other Australian group one race. (Some group one races are held during the fall carnival as well.) The Melbourne Cup is even a public holiday in Victoria, and viewers tune in from all over the world to watch it.

It’s a 2400 meter race on a left-handed turf track, with a fastest-ever run of 2 minutes and 25.3 seconds by Diatribe in 2000. Horses must be at least three years old to participate, and handicap weights are used to give them equal chances, and is being transitioned to weight for age conditions, where a set weight is placed on each horse depending on age. The prize money totals 5,000,000 dollars and was increased from 3,000,000 in 2018. The Caulfield cup field will likely have 18 runners and 4 emergencies in place to stand in for any horses scratched from the race. The Caulfield Cup will host horses from Ireland, New Zealand, France, Japan, Germany, the United States, and of course, Australia.

The race will be held at Caulfield Racecourse, known by locals as “The Heath.” Visitors and tourists can get there via tram route 3 from Melbourne city centre, or using the rail line, which has a station just a hop over from the racecourse itself. Caulfield Racecourse has a seating capacity of 46,000, but don’t rely on that to save you a spot if you want to watch in person. Tickets sell fast.

The current favourites for the race are Master of Wine, Verry Elleegant, and Russian Camelot. Master of Wine has won 5 out of 15 races, Verry Elleegant has won 8 out of 20, and Russian Camelot has won 3 out of 5, one of which was a group one race. By the time of the Caulfield Cup, Russian Camelot will only be barely old enough to participate, having been born on march 27th of 2017. Earlier in 2020, Russian Camelot won the South Australian Derby and was the first northern hemisphere horse to do so. With such an impressive record for such a young horse, Russian Camelot has been attracting a lot of attention, but there’s no telling whether he’ll be able to stand up to some of the more seasoned horses racing, like the other two favorites. You can find more Caulfield racing tips online, or in local publications, nearer to the day of the race.

It’s a must-see event for any fan, and it will air nationally on channel seven on October 17th, 2020. The time of the race has yet to be announced and could be affected by unexpected horse behaviour and other factors. Remember to adjust the race time for your timezone, so you don’t miss it. The winning horse will only run for between two and three minutes, so the race could pass you by if you’re not careful.