Record wagering turnover, the presence of racing’s biggest names and growing field sizes were highlights of an Adelaide Racing Carnival that is ushering South Australian racing back to the national spotlight.

Four Group 1s, accompanied by 12 stakes races and four finals, were held at Morphettville from April 25 to May 9 across three weeks of elite thoroughbred racing.

From a monster Oaks-Sangster day that saw SA wagering records tumble to the world’s best jockey, James McDonald, landing his first major win in Adelaide, the 2026 Adelaide Carnival “ticked a lot of boxes” for Racing SA chief executive Nick Bawden as the organisation reviews how it can maintain momentum going forward.

A targeted strategy has ensured Adelaide’s carnival lands between Sydney and Brisbane’s autumn-winter carnivals, allowing the state to get clear air with all eyes on Morphettville, with stars of the turf on show, on and off the track.

• Dwyer swings gear changes for Different Gravy ‘hope job’

“When you look at the first day of the carnival, having J-Mac and (Chris) Waller here … having J-Mac win his first Group 1 here and the buzz that was around that was incredible,” Bawden said.

“The second day, you had the World Pool (betting) in action, and people from around the world betting into your races on those three races – which is fantastic.

“Goodwood day, when you’ve got Bruce (McAvaney) and Richo (Jason Richardson) hosting the national coverage from Morphettville, it just ticks all of those boxes in terms of relevance and performance of racing in SA on a national stage, and on Derby Day, an international stage.”

The three-day carnival saw wagering up a “small amount”, but there was a landmark result on Oaks-Sangster day, the biggest day in SA racing, featuring two $1m Group 1s.

Wagering turnover jumped a hefty 15 per cent year-on-year for Oaks-Sangster day, which is “the biggest day ever done” in SA racing.

• Marvelous old boy scores win at start 172

Weather challenges saw a softening on Derby and Goodwood day, and while that is an uncontrollable factor, Bawden and his team are working on how they can propel the Oaks-Sangster momentum on to Derby and Goodwood day.

“The challenge and opportunity we have is to keep that momentum going. We really started on a high, how we keep the pattern of that going through to the third day,” he said.

“Another headline act or two (for the Goodwood) may have helped us a little bit more, but having Rey Magnerio scratched a couple of days out didn’t necessarily help us – that’s out of everyone’s control.

There will be no “copy and paste” approach to next year, with changes to the Derby Day program a possibility to help the carnival maintain momentum.

Alongside two Group 1s, Oaks-Sangster day hosts five Group races, while the Derby Day undercard is smaller, with two Listed contests and three local finals.

Goodwood day features four Group races and one Listed race alongside the Group 1 feature.

• Port Augusta abandoned after flight chaos

“Derby Day is definitely worth looking at in terms of the racing program, and what support could be added to that day,” Bawden said.

“At the same time, it’s a strong day for local participation, which is great to showcase those stories and participants to the national stage.

“All the black-type races, we’ll be running our eye over to make sure it’s the best sequencing.”

Bawden was buoyed by field sizes across the carnival, a marker that Racing SA values significantly, having recorded the nation’s leading field size numbers three years running.

Starter numbers were up six per cent year-on-year across the carnival, with feature race numbers up nine per cent year-on-year.

“It was basically full fields, in the Derby and Oaks, and large fields in the Goodwood and Sangster,” he said.

“You had 20 start in the Hawkes, which is just an amazing spectacle in itself.”

Interstate raiders boosted starter numbers across the carnival, and while Bawden acknowledges it presents a challenge for local participants, he was thrilled to see local competitors bounce back throughout the carnival.

• Eye for Jai: Group 1 mission to benefit Arrow’s MND battle

“To see that interstate participation, and international, with New Zealand participation, I think it shows that it’s back on the radar as a target carnival,” he said

“Oaks and Sangster day was a tough day locally, but from then on, the (local) riders and trainers were able to absolutely compete with people that were here to chase the prizemoney and did an amazing job.”

Elite broadcast coverage across the three days shone a light on the locals, with Channel 7 hosting its broadcast from Morphettville on Goodwood day, along with overhead drone footage and “jockey cam” on Racing.com throughout the carnival.

“The ultimate aim for us is to make as many people in South Australia household names,” Bawden said.

“We know we’ve got good stories, very good trainers and very good riders.

“It (coverage) all helped elevate it, and put it all on the same standard that you see during the Spring Carnival.

“The club did a magnificent job with the track. I thought it raced really fair, there were some of the most amazing, close finishes you’ve seen throughout the carnival.

“It made for a magnificent spectacle.”

• ‘Questions should be raised’ – Jockeys weigh into J-Mac suspension

Three years into a seven-year partnership with Sportsbet, Bawden is thrilled to have such invested partners and feels like racing in the state is “in a good spot”.

“We’ve got ownership and participation growing,” he said.

“I think it does mean a lot to the industry, presenting a product and a carnival that has some relevance on a national level, I think it just shows that we are on the right track.”

Bawden expressed gratitude for the effort made by McDonald, overcoming a logistical challenge in flying back to Sydney before jetting out to Hong Kong just hours after riding at Morphettville.

“To see people lining up for signature and photos with not just J-Mac, but Zac Lloyd and Craig Williams,” he said.

“I feed off that as much as anything.

“It’s putting us in that national conversation, which is great and what we need.”

Read related topics:Adelaide