The Newcastle Gold Cup has brought the Spring Racing Carnival to Broadmeadow this weekend, with the main race day held at Newcastle Racecourse on Friday 18 September. The event remains one of the biggest dates on Newcastle’s racing calendar, combining a full afternoon of thoroughbred racing with trackside fashion, hospitality and the social side of the sport. Gates opened at 11.30am, with the first race at 1pm and the final race scheduled for 5.20pm.
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The feature was the A$300,000 Sharp Office Newcastle Gold Cup, a Group 3 race run over 2,300 metres on turf. Aethelwulf won the 2026 edition, ridden by Zac Lloyd and trained by Matthew Smith, recording a time of 2:22.02. The result adds another chapter to a race that dates back to 1898 and has previously been won by horses including Green Moon, Mugatoo, Durston, Military Mission and Soul Of Spain. The Gold Cup winner also receives an exemption from the ballot for The Metropolitan, adding an extra link to the wider spring racing program.
The carnival continues today, Saturday 19 September, with Ladies Day at Newcastle Racecourse. Gates opened at 11.30am, and the afternoon includes the Hungerford Hill Fashions on the Field on the Ascot Lawn, hosted by Jane Goldsmith. Categories include Best Dressed Female and Male, Best Millinery, Judges’ Choice and Best Dressed Duo. The main winners receive Melbourne Cup tickets, travel and accommodation vouchers, as well as a Hungerford Hill gift. The Oompah Loompa Band is also part of the entertainment, followed after the final race by the Australian Shania Twain Tribute Show.
For families, children aged 18 or under can attend when accompanied by a parent or guardian, although the event’s dress expectations still apply: children should be neatly dressed and wear closed footwear. Adults can choose between general admission and hospitality areas such as the Trackside Marquee, The Terraces and the Meadows Marquee, with the latter designated for Gold Cup Day. A two-day pass was available for A$40 using the code NJCSPRING26, while the first 500 arrivals on either day receive a complimentary glass of champagne, subject to availability. Newcastle Racecourse is on Darling Street, Broadmeadow, and the official event information is available through the Newcastle Racecourse website.
Published Date
19 September 2026
