Horse Racing in Australia
Horse racing is among the top spectator sports in Australia, it rivals Australian Rules Football and Rugby in terms of popularity.
Through the years, Australia has consistently ranked among the top three leading horse racing nations of the world, behind the United States and Japan.
Horse Racing in Australia is governed by The Australian Racing Board. It is the only authority that is empowered to make the Australian Rules of Racing which for almost a century have provided common practices, conditions racing throughout Australia.
The Australian Racing Board's membership consists of the six State and two Territory racing authorities, which are recognised by the Australian Rules as Principal Racing Authorities.
The Principal Racing Authorities in each State and Territory are as:
| New South Wales | Racing NSW |
| Victoria Racing | Victoria Limited |
| Queensland | Queensland Racing |
| Western Australia | Racing & Wagering Western Australia |
| South Australia | Thoroughbred Racing S.A. Limited |
| Northern Territory | Thoroughbred Racing NT |
| Tasmania | Tasracing |
| Australian Capital Territory | Canberra Racing Club Inc. |
The world famous Melbourne Cup, the so-called race that stops a nation, has recently attracted many international entries. In country racing, records indicate that Goulburn commenced racing in 1834.
Australia's first country racing club was established at Wallabadah in 1852 and the Wallabadah Cup is still held on New Year's Day (the current racecourse was built in 1898).
In Australia, the most famous racehorse was Phar Lap (bred in New Zealand), who raced from 1928 to 1932. Phar Lap carried 9st 12 lb (62.5 kg) to win the 1930 Melbourne Cup. Australian steeplechaser Crisp is remembered for his battle with Irish champion Red Rum in the 1973 Grand National.
In 2003-2005 the mare Makybe Diva (bred in the United Kingdom) became the only racehorse to ever win the Melbourne Cup three times, let alone in consecutive years. In harness racing, Paleface Adios became a household name during the 1970s, while Cardigan Bay, a pacing horse from New Zealand, enjoyed great success at the highest levels of American harness racing in the 1960s.
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