Long regarded as the ultimate launching pad to Group 1 success, the carnival reinforced that status again last spring through the rise of Autumn Boy and Half Yours on the national stage.

The $6.5 million Stradbroke Day will again take centre stage as the Carnival’s crowning jewel, headlined by the state’s equal richest race – the $3 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

The 2025 edition saw favourite War Machine hold off a fast-finishing Yellow Brick to deliver Lindsay Park their first Stradbroke victory.

The raceday will also feature the $1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins, most recently taken out by local superstar Cool Archie in his fifth straight victory, alongside the $1.2 million Group 2 Q22.