Crown Oaks Thursday and Champions Day Saturday: Proxima Dea, Tempted, Autumn Glow and Cox Plate Rematch

Some links in this guide are affiliate links, if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Here’s our disclosure.

Why is the carnival not over after the Melbourne Cup?

The Melbourne Cup is the race that stops a nation, but it is not the end of the carnival. Flemington hosts four days in total: Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November, Crown Oaks Day on Thursday 5 November, and Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. The Cup itself, won by Point Of Law for Ciaron Maher and Ethan Brown, with a historic Maher trifecta, was day two. Two big days remain, and they are not afterthoughts. Thursday is a Group 1 staying classic for three year old fillies. Saturday is three Group 1 weight for age races in one afternoon, with the best sprinter, the best miler and the Cox Plate form all on the same card. If you only watched Tuesday, you missed half the carnival.

The timing also matters for fans outside Australia. Flemington races run in the Australian afternoon, which is early morning in Europe and late evening the night before in North America. That is why this post gives every feature time in London, Berlin and Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Karachi, not just Melbourne time. A fan in London who wants to watch the Oaks live needs to set an alarm for the early morning. A fan in New York watches the night before. The carnival is worth that effort, because Thursday and Saturday are proper Group 1 days, not consolation cards.

Who wins the Crown Oaks on Thursday?

The Group 1 Crown Oaks, also called the VRC Oaks, runs on Thursday 5 November at Flemington, over 2500 metres, for three year old fillies at set weights of 56 kilograms, for 1 million Australian dollars in prize money. It is race eight on a nine race card. First race is at 1:00pm Melbourne time, last race at 5:50pm, and the Oaks itself is scheduled for 5:10pm Melbourne time. That is the race to plan around, because it is the last feature of the day and the one that will decide whether the carnival produces another star filly.

Unbeaten filly Proxima Dea heads the market. Trained by David Payne and ridden by Zac Lloyd, she has won all five starts, including the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, and her trainer has declared her a stronger stayer than former stable star Montefilia. She drew barrier 19, which is wide, and that is the main question against her. A wide draw over 2500 metres at Flemington is not fatal, because the run to the first turn is long and jockeys have time to find a position, but it does mean Lloyd cannot afford to be trapped wide for the whole race. Proxima Dea was about 2.35 dollars in early betting on Wednesday, with some guides listing her around 2.70 dollars earlier in the week, so odds are moving and should be checked on the day, not taken as fixed.

The main danger is De Armas, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, from barrier 1. De Armas won the Wakeful Stakes at Flemington last Saturday in dominant fashion, which is the traditional Oaks lead up, and she gets the inside draw, the best jockey in Australia, and a trainer who knows how to win this race. She was about 2.90 to 3.20 dollars in Wednesday betting, so the market sees this as a two horse race at the top, with a gap to the rest. Icelady, trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Ethan Brown, fresh from his Melbourne Cup win, is the third line of betting at about 7 to 8 dollars, from barrier 4. She is ultra consistent, and Maher has already shown this week that he can dominate a Flemington feature.

Quick Finish, trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy and ridden by Jye McNeil, from barrier 5, is the value runner at about 11 to 13 dollars. She ran against the colts and geldings in the Victoria Derby, and proved she runs out a strong 2500 metres, which is exactly what the Oaks demands. The final field contains 16 runners and four emergencies, with all declared runners allocated 56 kilograms. Three runners were scratched by Wednesday afternoon in some field listings, so check the final field on Thursday morning before backing anyone, because emergencies only gain a start if enough runners are withdrawn, and their participation should not be assumed.

| Crown Oaks contender | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Why she matters | | Proxima Dea | David Payne | Zac Lloyd | 19 | Unbeaten in five starts, Spring Champion winner | | De Armas | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 1 | Dominant Wakeful Stakes winner, inside draw | | Icelady | Ciaron Maher | Ethan Brown | 4 | Consistent, Maher and Brown in Cup winning form | | Quick Finish | Tony and Calvin McEvoy | Jye McNeil | 5 | Derby form against the colts, proven at 2500 metres | | Salann | Ben Brisbourne | Rachel King | 12 | Roughie named in several previews |

Oaks Day is also known as Ladies Day, and it is a fashion and hospitality day as much as a racing day. Australian music icon Vanessa Amorosi headlines the Elms Live Stage after the last race, with access included in a general admission ticket. General admission for Oaks Day was listed from 50 Australian dollars, with a two day pass from 130 dollars, Hill Stand from 100 dollars, and hospitality packages up to the Marmont at 1795 dollars, according to Ticketmaster listings for the carnival. That range is the point. You can watch a Group 1 classic for the price of a general admission ticket, or you can pay for a dining room. The race is the same either way.

What is on Champions Day on Saturday?

Champions Day on Saturday 7 November closes the carnival with nine races, three of them Group 1, all worth 3 million Australian dollars each. The three features run in the Melbourne afternoon, in this order: the Champions Sprint at 3:50pm, the Champions Mile at 4:30pm, and the Champions Stakes at 5:10pm, all Melbourne time. The full card starts at 12:40pm and finishes at 5:50pm, with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1:50pm and the Matriarch Stakes at 3:10pm adding depth before the Group 1 races begin.

| Champions Day feature | Time Melbourne | Distance | Prize money | Headline horse | | Champions Sprint, Group 1 | 3:50pm Saturday | 1200 metres | 3 million dollars | Tempted | | Champions Mile, Group 1 | 4:30pm Saturday | 1600 metres | 3 million dollars | Autumn Glow | | Champions Stakes, Group 1 | 5:10pm Saturday | 2000 metres | 3 million dollars | Cosmic Crusader, Birdman, Aeliana |

Tempted, trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Chad Schofield, from barrier 9, carrying 56.5 kilograms, is the headline sprinter. She won The Everest at Randwick on 17 October, over 1200 metres on a rain affected track, beating Ka Ying Rising by a head, after winning the Premiere Stakes at Randwick on 3 October by three lengths. She is on a six run winning streak, and Racing.com notes that Saturday will be her first look at the Flemington straight, which is a test in itself. Straight track sprinting is different from bend racing, because there is no turn to help a horse balance, and jockeys must judge pace without a bend to regroup. Tempted was about 1.90 dollars in Wednesday betting, with Joliestar, who ran third in The Everest, next at about 4.40 dollars. The question is not whether Tempted is the best sprinter in Australia. The question is whether she is as dynamic in a straight line as she was around a bend in Sydney.

Autumn Glow, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, from barrier 2, carrying 57 kilograms, is the headline miler, and she may be the best horse in Australia. She has tasted defeat just once in 15 starts, according to Racing.com, and she was breathtaking winning the King Charles III Stakes last month. She was about 1.26 to 1.28 dollars in Wednesday betting, which is very short, and previews describe her as simply too good for Tom Kitten, Lindermann, Buckaroo and Sepals, who are classy opposition but not, on current form, up to Waller's mare. If Autumn Glow wins, it will be another step towards a reputation as one of the top horses in the world. If she loses, it will be the upset of the carnival.

The Champions Stakes is the most open of the three Group 1 races, because it is a Cox Plate rematch. Cox Plate winner Cosmic Crusader lines up again against Birdman and Aeliana, who were second and third in the Cox Plate, according to Neds and Racing.com previews. Aeliana, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, from barrier 4, carrying 57 kilograms, was about 3.10 dollars in Wednesday betting. Another Wil, trained by Ciaron Maher, and Birdman, also trained by Waller, are also accepted. The Stakes is over 2000 metres, weight for age, and it is the final major feature of the carnival, so the winner will be remembered as the horse that closed Cup Week. That is a different kind of pressure from a normal Group 1, because every other carnival winner has already been crowned, and the Stakes winner gets the last word.

How can fans watch Oaks Day and Champions Day, and what does Cheltenham have to do with it?

In Australia, Nine shows all four carnival days free on Channel 9 and on 9Now, according to the VRC broadcast guide, and Racing.com is free on its website and app, and on channel 78 in metropolitan areas and 68 in regional areas. Sky Racing is not free to air, but you do not need it to watch Flemington, because Nine and Racing.com cover the carnival. For fans outside Australia, check local racing channels and streaming services, because rights vary by country and this post does not claim one global channel.

| Feature race | Melbourne AEDT | London GMT | Berlin and Paris CET | New York EST, night before | Los Angeles PST, night before | Karachi PKT | | Crown Oaks, Thursday 5 November | 5:10pm Thursday | 6:10am Thursday | 7:10am Thursday | 1:10am Thursday | 10:10pm Wednesday | 11:10am Thursday | | Champions Sprint, Saturday 7 November | 3:50pm Saturday | 4:50am Saturday | 5:50am Saturday | 11:50pm Friday | 8:50pm Friday | 9:50am Saturday | | Champions Mile, Saturday 7 November | 4:30pm Saturday | 5:30am Saturday | 6:30am Saturday | 12:30am Saturday | 9:30pm Friday | 10:30am Saturday | | Champions Stakes, Saturday 7 November | 5:10pm Saturday | 6:10am Saturday | 7:10am Saturday | 1:10am Saturday | 10:10pm Friday | 11:10am Saturday |

Note on times: Melbourne is on Australian Eastern Daylight Time, which is 11 hours ahead of London, 10 hours ahead of Berlin and Paris, 16 hours ahead of New York, and 19 hours ahead of Los Angeles in November, and 6 hours ahead of Karachi. If a time in the table looks surprising, it is because Flemington's afternoon is Europe's early morning and North America's late night. Set an alarm, do not assume you will catch it on a replay without spoilers.

While Flemington finishes, Cheltenham is building. The Cheltenham November Meeting runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November, with the Paddy Power Gold Cup on Saturday 14 November at 2:20pm as the feature. The handicap weights for that race were due to be published on Wednesday 4 November, according to Eventmasters, with confirmation on Monday 9 November and final declarations on Thursday 12 November. Early market leaders, from 27 October sponsor prices, are Meetmebythesea at 4 to 1, Blueking D'Oroux at 6 to 1, Madara at 8 to 1, and Regent's Stroll and Vincenzo at 10 to 1, with 41 horses entered in total. Meetmebythesea, trained by Ben Pauling, won the Jack Richards Novices Limited Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and Pauling has identified the Paddy Power Gold Cup as his principal early season target. Dan Skelton has the strongest numerical hand with six entries, including Madara and Blueking D'Oroux. The prize fund is 160,000 pounds, with 91,120 pounds to the winner. One important change for 2026 is that the Cross Country Chase will not take place at this meeting, because the cross country course will not be ready following the exceptionally dry summer, with the race moved to January Trials Day. That is a practical point for fans planning a Cheltenham trip: check the race list, not just the meeting dates, because the programme has changed.

For now, though, the focus is Flemington. Thursday asks whether an unbeaten filly can handle a wide draw over 2500 metres. Saturday asks whether the best sprinter can handle the straight, whether the best miler can keep winning, and whether the Cox Plate form holds up over 2000 metres. Those are four proper questions, and they are why the carnival does not end with the Cup.

Related live posts: Point Of Law Wins Melbourne Cup as Maher Trains Historic Trifecta: Full Results, Dividends and What Happens Next, and Melbourne Cup 2026 Final Preview: Point Of Law Favourite, Trustyourinstinct Threat and Start Times by Country.

Sources: Victoria Racing Club, Melbourne Cup Carnival dates and broadcast guide, 2026; Racing.com, Saturday Snapshot Champions Day at Flemington, 4 November 2026; Neds Blog, 2026 Champions Day Tips and Preview, 4 November 2026; Bets, Champions Day 2026 Full Fields, 4 November 2026; Just Horse Racing, Crown Oaks Field and Odds 2026, updated 4 November 2026; Ladbrokes, VRC Crown Oaks Tips, 3 November 2026; Eventmasters, Paddy Power Gold Cup Early Contenders, October 2026; Sporting Life, Paddy Power Gold Cup Latest Odds, 27 October 2026.