A unique, international racing event will arrive in Sydney this autumn, bringing together the best of best in thoroughbred racing and one of the most festive racing carnivals in the world.  Held for the first time on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 April 2014 at the refurbished Royal Randwick race course, and supported by Destination NSW, the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency,  'The Championships' will be the pinnacle of autumn racing, and is part of the broader BMW Sydney Carnival.

Autumn racing in Sydney will see three iconic races that are the richest of their type in the world. The Championships will comprise ten 'Championship' races, a combination of established and traditional races on the Australian racing calendar plus relocated races from other dates in the wider autumn carnival.

The Championships Day 1 (12 April 2014) will become Australia's richest race day featuring four Championship races, including the world's richest open sprint race, the world's richest mile and iconic feature race the BMW Australian Derby.

The Championships Day 2 (19 April 2014) will include the world's richest 2000m turf race, the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the Group 1 Celebrations Queen of the Turf Stakes, the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes and Group 3 Royal Randwick Stakes.

Little Sydney
Sydney's answer to the Birdcage, Little Sydney, will see the best brands in Australian entertainment, food and publishing team up during The Championships to host an all-inclusive, marquee-laden precinct overlooking the Theatre of the Horse.

Little Sydney will include Channel 7 teaming up with Merivale, The Daily Telegraph with Icebergs, James Boags with Four in Hand, Clinique with Chiswick, and Adina with Longrain. As well as serving premium beverages and food throughout the day, Little Sydney will include a thriving central hub where DJs will entertain the crowds.

Royal Randwick Racecourse
There's no better place to stage 'The Championships' than the historic home of thoroughbred racing in Sydney, Royal Randwick Racecourse. With its $170 million dollar redevelopment, the venue features a luxury five level Grandstand, the 'Theatre of the Horse' outdoor tiered amphitheatre and the largest outdoor screen in the Southern Hemisphere.

Where to stay
Located five kilometres from the city and close to the eastern suburbs beaches of Bondi and Coogee, racegoers staying in Sydney for The Championships are spoilt for choice.

Bondi's hottest new address, Adina Apartment Hotel Bondi Beach, includes studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments, stylish interiors and premium lifestyle facilities right in the heart of Bondi. While the edgy Adge Boutique Apartment Hotel offers a collection of two bedroom, two bathroom fully-serviced apartments, in Sydney's inner-city Surry Hills.

CBD based options include the eclectic designer boutique hotel QT Sydney, a 200-room property that has lovingly incorporated the heritage features of the historic Gowings department store into its stylish and quirky design. Other options include the Park Hyatt Sydney which has recently undergone multi-million dollar renovations, and The Darling at The Star, with everything you would want in luxury accommodation.

Fashion
Day 1 of The Championships features the iconic Derby, with tradition dictating that racegoers embrace black and white fashion. Those wanting to dress to impress can visit one of Sydney's gorgeous boutiques, historic arcades, glamorous department stores and funky one off designer or vintage fashion shops.

Leafy and picturesque, the streets of Paddington and Woollahra are home to some of Sydney's best fashion shopping. Here you will find the who's who of Australian designers including Bassike, Ginger and Smart, Camilla and Marc, Sass and Bide, Ellery and Josh Goot.

Westfield Sydney is home to 3000+ brands from the international fashion world alongside top Australian designers, in the heart of the city. While Bondi's Tuchuzy, a name loved by every Sydney fashionista, has a range of amazing labels including Dion Lee, Bec and Bridge, Alexander Wang and Acne.

Dining
Sydney is renowned for fine food and wine and there are a host of restaurants in close proximity to Royal Randwick for racegoers to enjoy. Dine at one of Sydney's award-winning restaurants such as Quay, Momofuku Seiobo, est, Tetsuya's, Marque, Rockpool on George, Otto or Longrain.

Located in nearby Woollahra, Chiswick Gardens, boasts a seasonal menu, with much of the produce for the menu grown in the kitchen garden and tended to by a dedicated gardener. While The Apollo in Potts Point fuses ancient and modern Greek flavours in a pared back setting that features exposed concrete columns and vintage arched windows.

The Bondi Beach food scene has recently been revitalised with the opening of a number of new eateries.The new Bondi hub on Hall Street has seen the opening of Gelato Messina, Mr Moustache and Darlinghurst favourite A Tavola. Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta, also part of the new dining precinct, features pizzas straight out of the wood-fire oven and six-hour rotisserie porchetta.

Notes to Editor:

For more information on The Championships and to purchase tickets, visit www.theraces.com.au or www.thechampionships.com.au

For more information on Sydney and New South Wales, visit www.sydney.com or www.visitnsw.com

To access the image library and download images go to http://images.destinationnsw.com.au/