A smorgasbord of stakes racing is set to unfold over the next few days with G1 racing in Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand on Saturday, followed by the Canberra Black Opal meeting on Sunday and the Adelaide Cup meeting on Monday with the Black Type action starting at Newcastle later today.

The Victorian breeding industry lost an unsung hero and a link with history with the recent passing of Bill Birch, stud manager for 27 years at the famed Mornmoot Stud at Whittlesea.