The Big Dance returns to Royal Randwick in 2025, enticing punters and racing fans with its $3 million prize pool and a battle between country-trained champions on the most high-profile day in Australian racing.
Scheduled for Tuesday, November 4 at 2:20 PM AEDT, this 1600m showpiece features horses that earned entry by winning or placing in NSW Country Cups across the last year, making it a true celebration of grassroots racing beneath the city spotlight.
Big Dance Race Details and Format
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 2:20 PM AEDT
Venue: Royal Randwick Racecourse
Distance: 1600 metres (the famous Randwick mile)
Field: Restricted to 3YO+ horses, qualified via NSW Country Cups
Prize money: $3 million
How Horses Qualify
The Big Dance field draws on winners and runners-up from 25 designated country cup races throughout NSW. There’s also a “Wild Card” race in October at Randwick, providing an extra route for eligible horses.
Final acceptances use Benchmark ratings, with priority given to country cup winners over runners-up. Horses missing the cut can contest the “Little Dance” consolation.
Big Dance Recent Winners and Race Replay
The Big Dance continues to deliver big upsets and thrilling finishes. In 2024, the $3 million race saw Gringotts - trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Tommy Berry - hold on to win by three-quarters of a length, securing victory over stablemate Vivy Air and Suparazi in third.
Gringotts was one of the market leaders, having shown impressive form in the Tamworth Cup lead-in, and overcame barrier concerns with a strong mile performance.
The full replay and official results are available via Racing NSW and Sky Thoroughbred Central.
| YEAR | WINNER | JOCKEY | TRAINER | BARRIER | WEIGHT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Gringotts | Tommy Berry | Ciaron Maher | 19 | 58.5kg |
| 2023 | Attractable | Regan Bayliss | Sara Ryan | 7 | 56.5kg |
| 2022 | Rustic Steel | Nash Rawiller | Kris Lees | 7 | 59kg |
Big Dance 2025 odds and favourite
The latest odds for the 2025 Big Dance have Gringotts opening as the favourite, closely followed by Headley Grange and Tavi Time.
Odds correct as of 3/11/2025, courtesy of Neds.
| HORSE | WEIGHT | ODDS |
|---|---|---|
| Gringotts | 62kg | $3.30 |
| Headley Grange | 61kg | $5 |
| Tavi Time | 57kg | $7.50 |
| Vivy Air | 54.5kg | $11 |
| Les Vampires | 54kg | $31 |
| Ruby Flyer | 54kg | $51 |
| Lavish Empire | 54kg | $61 |
| Lugh | 53kg | $31 |
| Flywheel | 54kg | $136 |
| Matusalem | 53kg | $35 |
| Cristal Clear | 53kg | $10 |
| Lord Of Biscay | 53kg | $10 |
| Time Quest | 53kg | $27 |
| Cranky Harry | 53kg | $51 |
| Boys Night Out | 53kg | $101 |
| Justadeel | 53kg | $11 |
| Super Helpful | 53kg | $101 |
| Aix En Provence | 53kg | $126 |
| Hot Bandit | 53kg | $151 |
| Louie's Legacy | 53kg | $151 |
| Direct Fire | 53kg | $126 |
| Ring Ahoy | 53kg | $126 |
| Osipenko | 56.5kg | $14 |
| Belvedere Boys | 54kg | $26 |