Australia's Great Greyhound Races: The Group 1 Calendar

Racing Culture · 7 min read · Updated 2026-09-05

The Melbourne Cup

Run over 525m at The Meadows, the greyhound Melbourne Cup is the sport's Australian flagship. First run in the 1950s and elevated to Group 1 status, it attracts the best middle-distance greyhounds from every state, with final night under lights one of the great occasions on the racing calendar. The Cup's history is a roll call of legends — the great stayers and sprinters of each era have all saluted at The Meadows.

The Golden Easter Egg

Sydney's richest and most famous greyhound race is the Golden Easter Egg at Wentworth Park, staged during the Easter carnival. The series format, with heats and a rich final, creates a fortnight of top-class racing and enormous betting turnover. The tight Wentworth Park circuit means the Egg often falls to a dog with brilliant early pace and courage in traffic.

The Australian Cup

Also at The Meadows, the Australian Cup ranks alongside the Melbourne Cup at the summit of Victorian greyhound racing. The two races between them define the Melbourne autumn carnival, and a dog that can claim both in a career joins rare company indeed.

The Brisbane Cup

Queensland's premier greyhound event is run at Albion Park, where the 520m trip under lights has staged some of the most dramatic finishes in the sport. The Cup anchors the Brisbane winter carnival and regularly lures southern stars north chasing the rich prizemoney.

The Adelaide Cup

South Australia's great race at Angle Park is among the oldest continuously run feature events in Australian greyhound racing. The Adelaide Cup's honour roll stretches back generations, and the race remains the pinnacle for SA greyhounds, with interstate raiders a constant threat.

The Perth Cup

Western Australia's feature, staged at Cannington, tests genuine strength over the testing Perth 520m. The Perth Cup has grown steadily in stature and prizemoney, and the long trip west means local stars usually start favourites against eastern visitors — a bias that has held remarkably firm over the decades.

The Hobart Thousand

Tasmania's crown jewel at Elwick is one of the oldest rich races in the sport, with a history stretching back to the 1930s. The Hobart Thousand's unique character comes from its venue: the tight Elwick circuit rewards Tasmanian course specialists, and local heroes have claimed far more than their share of Thousands.

Following the carnival circuit

For punters, the Group 1 calendar offers a season-long narrative: watch the lead-up form at each venue, note which trainers target which carnivals, and track the paths of the genuine stars. The dogs that peak for the majors rarely do so by accident — their form is telegraphed weeks in advance in the heats and preludes, and that is where the betting value lives.