The Australian Guineas is a relatively new race, having been inaugurated in 1986. Despite its relatively short history, it has become one of the favourite races in Melbourne during the Autumn Carnival, where some of this country's best three-year-olds contest the famous Flemington mile.

First run as the Australasian Guineas, the race has undergone a handful of name-changes before settling on its current moniker in 2011. Regardless of what the race has been called, a number of outstanding horses have greeted the judge, including Mahogany, Apache Cat and Miss Finland.

As well as these classy winners who had stellar racing careers, two of Australia's best sires have claimed victory in the Australian Guineas. Zabeel in 1990 and Reset in 2004 stamped their quality on this race, and have gone on since to produce a stable of multiple Group One-winning horses.

One knock on the Australian Guineas is that it often clashes with the Randwick Guineas up at Royal Randwick in Sydney, which is held a week later over the same distance. Both races are also equal in prize money, meaning that the best Sydney 3YOs tend to stay at home and contest their local version rather than journeying down to Melbourne.

While the "Flemington Guineas" would perhaps be a more accurate name, the Australian Guineas title has stuck. And despite rarely seeing top Sydney-based competitors, the Australian Guineas remains a highlight of the Group One races annually held at Flemington.

With the 1600m start at Flemington coming shortly before the long, sweeping bend that eventually leads into the home straight, horses drawn in the carpark can be disadvantaged in the Australian Guineas.

 

2018 Australian Guineas 

In 2018, Damien Oliver rode the powerful colt Grunt to victory, ahead of Peaceful State and Bring Me Roses.

Grunt and Peaceful State sustained strong runs from the top of the straight. But at the end of the day, Grunt just had too much grit and held off Peaceful State by half a length.