Royal Randwick will usher in the first major Saturday meeting of the calendar year on 3 January 2026, with a ten-race Australian Turf Club programme designed to set the tone for summer racing in Sydney. The fixture combines early-season feature support contests with a deep spread of competitive handicaps, drawing together emerging talent and established metropolitan performers.
Racing runs from 12.35pm to 5.55pm, progressing through sprints, mile, and middle-distance contests before concluding with a staying event, providing an early-season platform for yards to build momentum.
The card will begin with the Kia Ora Yearlings @ MMGC Plate, a two-year-old maiden over 1000 metres at 12.35pm with $160,000, offering an early-season gauge of juvenile potential. The second race, the TAB Highway Handicap over 1600 metres at 1.10pm, open to three-year-olds and upward, carries $120,000 and introduces older horses into the programme, shaping the middle-distance narrative for the afternoon.
Race three at 1.45pm, the Midway Handicap over 1100 metres with $120,000, returns to sprint conditions. The fourth race, the Spelling at Coolmore Mt White Handicap over 1600 metres at 2.20pm for three and four year olds, carries $160,000 and serves as a key early-season test for emerging horses with potential feature-season ambitions.
The middle portion of the card features high-value handicaps that provide early insights into form lines for upcoming feature races. The 2.55pm, Chandon Handicap over 1500 metres offers $160,000, bringing together a competitive open field. It is followed by the 2026 Inglis Yearling Sales Series Handicap at 3.30pm over 1400 metres, also with $160,000, highlighting the quality and depth of the meeting.
Sprint specialists return at 4.05pm for the Precise Air Handicap over 1200 metres with $160,000, followed by the 4.45pm, TAB Handicap over 1400 metres, again with $160,000. Both races provide horses the chance to build consistency and early-season fitness, guiding connections toward mid-summer engagements.
Race nine at 5.20pm, the Schweppes Handicap over 1100 metres with $160,000, is a late sprint testing tactical speed and positioning. The meeting concludes at 5.55pm with the Yarraman Park Handicap, a 2000-metre staying contest offering $160,000, giving longer-distance types a final early-summer opportunity to showcase stamina and finishing strength.
The Royal Randwick race cards 3 January presents a well-balanced, ten-race fixture combining juvenile talent, metropolitan handicappers, and staying types, reflecting the breadth and depth of Sydney summer racing.
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