Flemington Racecourse


Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River. The area was first used for horse racing in March 1840.

Overview

The Flemington Racecourse site comprises 1.27 square kilometres of Crown land. The course was originally leased to the Victoria Turf Club in 1848, which merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 to form the Victoria Racing Club. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861. In 1871 the Victoria Racing Club Act was passed, giving the VRC legal control over Flemington Racecourse.
The racecourse is shaped not unlike a pear, and boasts a six-furlong straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of and a final straight of for race distances over. Races are run in an anti-clockwise direction.
The course has a crowd capacity of over 120,000 and contains three grandstands. The biggest ever attendance was on Victoria Derby Day in 2006 when 129,069 people saw Efficient win the Victoria Derby. On 28 November, 1986, Pope John Paul II celebrated the Mass on the racetrack inner oval. The racecourse has undergone a facelift in recent years, with the opening of a new $45 million grandstand in 2000 and the opening of a new members' grandstand in 2018. It also contains a bronze statue of the famous racehorse Phar Lap, which was donated to the Club as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations in 1988. Also in celebration was the commission of Harold Freedman's seven panel mural which traces the History of Racing. The mural is housed is in The Hill Stand, built in 1977.
Flemington Racecourse was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 7 November 2006, announced during the 2006 Melbourne Cup. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Flemington Racecourse today hosts many of Australia's top races, including the Melbourne Cup, Victoria Derby, VRC Oaks, Mackinnon Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and Lightning Stakes.

Transport

The site has its own railway branch line, which operates on race days, bringing visitors to the adjacent railway station. Originally, it was serviced by Salt Water River station, before that was demolished in the 1860s and replaced with a station on the present site. Trains depart from platforms 8 and 9 at Flinders Street Station.
The No. 57 tram from the City stops at the Epsom Road entrance.
Car spaces for the disabled are available and taxi ranks are located adjacent to the main entrances.
Shuttle buses run from Epsom Road to the main turnstiles of the racecourse.
Lift access is available in the Prince of Wales Stand and to the first floor of the Members Stand.

Races

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Flemington Racecourse. All races in metres.
GrpRace nameAgeSexWeightDistanceDate
1Ascot Vale Stakes3YOOpensw1200November
1Australian CupOpenOpenwfa2000March
1Australian Guineas3YOOpensw1600February
1Black Caviar LightningOpenOpenwfa1000February
1Cantala StakesOpenOpenhcp1600November
1Empire Rose Stakes3YO+F&Mwfa1600November
1LKS Mackinnon StakesOpenOpenwfa2000November
1Melbourne CupOpenOpenhcp3200November
1Newmarket HandicapOpenOpenhcp1200March
1VRC Sprint ClassicOpenOpenwfa1200November
1Turnbull Stakes4YO+Opensw+p2000October
1Victoria Derby3YOOpensw2500November
1VRC Oaks3YOFilliessw2500November
2A.V Kewney Stakes3YOFilliessw1600March
2Blamey Stakes3YO+Opensw+p1600March
2Craiglee StakesOpenOpenwfa1600September
2Edward Manifold Stakes3YOFilliessw1600October
2Gilgai StakesOpenOpensw+p1200October
2Linlithgow StakesOpenOpenhcp1200November
2 Matriarch Stakes4YO+Mareshcp2000November
2Rose Of Kingston Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1400October
2VRC Sires' Produce Stakes2YOOpensw1400March
2Wakeful Stakes3YOFilliessw+p2000November
3Aurie's Star HandicapOpenOpenhcp1200August
3Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes2YOFilliessw+p1200March
3Bobby Lewis QualityOpenOpenqlty1200September
3Chatham StakesOpenOpenhcp1400November
3Frances Tressady Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1400March
3Hotham HandicapOpenOpenqlty2500November
3Maribyrnong Plate2YOOpensw+p1000November
3Matron Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1600March
3Let's Elope Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1400September
3Rory's Jester Stakes3YOOpensw+p1200November
3Standish HandicapOpenOpenhcp1200January
3C S Hayes Stakes3YOC&Gsw+p1400February
3The Vanity3YOFilliessw+p1400February
3VRC Carbine Club Stakes3YOOpensw+p1600November
3VRC Queen Elizabeth StakesOpenOpenqlty2500November
LVRC St Leger Stakes3YOOpensw+p2800April

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