Executives at Racing SA will explore ways to take the momentum from a record opening day of the 2026 Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival through to the state’s other Group 1 racedays next year.
Wagering, attendance, hospitality bookings and several other key metrics were at an all-time high at Morphettville on the final Saturday in April, a race meeting that was headlined by the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes and the G1 Australasian Oaks.
Much of the narrative in the build-up to the meeting centred around a rare SA appearance from champion jockey James McDonald, who notched his first elite level win in the state aboard Panova in the Oaks.
Wagering matched anecdotal interest in the raceday, with the state’s corporate wagering partner Sportsbet reporting its highest ever turnover on the meeting.
While wagering was up marginally across the entire three-week Carnival, there was a noticeable softening on Goodwood Day.
The opening day of the Carnival was run on a Good 4, while the track deteriorated to a Soft 7 on SA Derby Day and a Soft 6 on Goodwood Day due to inclement weather.
Racing SA CEO Nick Bawden said that while his team is yet to conduct a full review of the Carnival, there are plenty of positives to take away, as well as several challenges to address.
“Turnover across the Carnival as a whole was up year-on-year which is pleasing,” Bawden said.
“We had record wagering on Oaks and Sangster Day so that was a big tick.”
“There was such a high off that first day with some great stories, including the G1 win for Chris Waller and JMac.”
“I don’t think there’s any doubt, at least in my mind, that Oaks and Sangster Day is the best single day of racing in South Australia so it’s pleasing to see it resonating with punters and racing fans more broadly.”
“I think the challenge for us is to keep it building throughout the other weeks of the Carnival.”
For the South Australian Jockey Club, which runs Morphettville and hosts all three G1 racedays in SA, there were many positives to take from the Carnival.
SAJC CEO Grant Mayer said crowds would have been larger with better weather on SA Derby and Goodwood Day.
“It was the second best Autumn Racing Carnival in the last 15 years for the SAJC,” Mayer said.
“It was a massive result across all of our measures, whether that be crowds, hospitality turnover or nomination and acceptance fees.”
“That was despite two very wet days in there.”
“We certainly achieved our expectations but we were disappointed because we thought it could’ve been so much better if we’d got the weather on Derby and Goodwood Day.”
“Oaks and Sangster Day was an amazing raceday and the quality of the horses, jockeys and trainers competing at Morphettville was brilliant and we certainly benefited from that.”
