Flemington Racecourse

Horse racing venue in Flemington, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

This article is about the racecourse. For the railway station, see Flemington Racecourse railway station.

Flemington Racecourse

Main grandstand during the 2013 Melbourne Cup

Location| Flemington, Victoria
Coordinates| 37°47′25″S 144°54′45″E﻿ / ﻿37.79028°S 144.91250°E﻿ / -37.79028; 144.91250
Owned by| Victoria Racing Club
Date opened| 1840; 184 years ago (1840)
Capacity| 120,000
Screened on| Seven Network
Network 10
Course type| Flat
Jumps
Steeplechase
Notable races| Melbourne Cup
Victoria Derby
LKS Mackinnon Stakes
Emirates Stakes
Newmarket Handicap
Australian Cup
Official website

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.[1]

## Overview[edit]

Aerial panorama of Flemington Racecourse. Taken August 2018.

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 pear-shaped, and boasts a six-furlong (1,200 m) straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of 2,312 metres (1.437 mi) and a final straight of 450 metres (490 yd) for race distances over 1.2 kilometres (1,300 yd). 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.[1] 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.[2] 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,[3] announced during the 2006 Melbourne Cup.[4] The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.[5]

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[edit]

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 (Elizabeth and Flinders Streets) 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[edit]

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Flemington Racecourse. All races in metres.[6]

Grp  | Race name  | Age  | Sex  | Weight  | Distance  | Date

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Ascot Vale Stakes | 3YO  | Open  | sw  | 1200  | November
1  | Australian Cup | Open  | Open  | wfa  | 2000  | March
1  | Australian Guineas | 3YO  | Open  | sw  | 1600  | February
1  | Black Caviar Lightning | Open  | Open  | wfa  | 1000  | February
1  | Makybe Diva Stakes | Open  | Open  | wfa  | 1600  | September
1  | Cantala Stakes | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1600  | November
1  | Empire Rose Stakes | 3YO+  | F&M  | wfa  | 1600  | November
1  | LKS Mackinnon Stakes | Open  | Open  | wfa  | 2000  | November
1  | Melbourne Cup | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 3200  | November
1  | Newmarket Handicap | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1200  | March
1  | VRC Sprint Classic | Open  | Open  | wfa  | 1200  | November
1  | Turnbull Stakes | 4YO+  | Open  | sw+p  | 2000  | October
1  | Victoria Derby | 3YO  | Open  | sw  | 2500  | November
1  | VRC Oaks | 3YO  | Fillies  | sw  | 2500  | November
2  | A.V Kewney Stakes | 3YO  | Fillies  | sw  | 1600  | March
2  | Blamey Stakes | 3YO+  | Open  | sw+p  | 1600  | March
2  | Edward Manifold Stakes | 3YO  | Fillies  | sw  | 1600  | October
2  | Gilgai Stakes | Open  | Open  | sw+p  | 1200  | October
2  | Linlithgow Stakes | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1200  | November
2  |  Matriarch Stakes | 4YO+  | Mares  | hcp  | 2000  | November
2  | Rose Of Kingston Stakes | 4YO+  | Mares  | sw+p  | 1400  | October
2  | VRC Sires' Produce Stakes | 2YO  | Open  | sw  | 1400  | March
2  | Wakeful Stakes | 3YO  | Fillies  | sw+p  | 2000  | November
3  | Aurie's Star Handicap | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1200  | August
3  | Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes | 2YO  | Fillies  | sw+p  | 1200  | March
3  | Bobby Lewis Quality | Open  | Open  | qlty  | 1200  | September
3  | Chatham Stakes | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1400  | November
3  | Frances Tressady Stakes | 4YO+  | Mares  | sw+p  | 1400  | March
3  | Hotham Handicap | Open  | Open  | qlty  | 2500  | November
3  | Maribyrnong Plate | 2YO  | Open  | sw+p  | 1000  | November
3  | Matron Stakes | 4YO+  | Mares  | sw+p  | 1600  | March
3  | Let's Elope Stakes | 4YO+  | Mares  | sw+p  | 1400  | September
3  | Standish Handicap | Open  | Open  | hcp  | 1200  | January
3  | C S Hayes Stakes | 3YO  | C&G  | sw+p  | 1400  | February
3  | The Vanity[7] | 3YO  | Fillies  | sw+p  | 1400  | February
3  | VRC Carbine Club Stakes | 3YO  | Open  | sw+p  | 1600  | November
3  | VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes | Open  | Open  | qlty  | 2600  | November
L  | VRC St Leger Stakes | 3YO  | Open  | sw+p  | 2800  | April

### Key[edit]

* hcp \- handicap
* qlty \- quality handicap
* sw \- set weights
* sw+p \- set weights with penalties
* wfa \- Weight for Age

## Gallery[edit]

180-degree panorama of the racecourse Image of Melbourne skyline from Flemington Racecourse

## See also[edit]

* Australian horse-racing
* Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b 100,000 and more – but nobody's counting Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ Insight into a nation's track record
3. ^ Flemington Racecourse National Heritage Listing Archived 27 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Flemington now a National Treasure Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "Flemington Racecourse, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H2220", Victorian Heritage Database, Heritage Victoria, archived from the original on 7 May 2011, retrieved 16 September 2010
6. ^ Australian Group races Archived 16 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ The Vanity 2008 result Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine

## External links[edit]

* Victoria Racing Club - official website
* Flemington Racecourse at Austadiums
* Horse racing results at Flemington Racecourse

* v
* t
* e

Racing venues in Melbourne

Present|

* Caulfield Racecourse
* Flemington Racecourse
* Moonee Valley Racecourse
* Sandown Racecourse

Closed|

* Aspendale Racecourse
* Williamstown Racecourse

Greyhound venues|

* Arden Street Oval (former)
* Sandown Park (current)
* The Meadows (current)

Harness venues|

* Melton Entertainment Park
* Moonee Valley Racecourse

* v
* t
* e

VRC Race days and events

Spring Racing Carnival|

* Victoria Derby Day
* Melbourne Cup Day
* Kennedy Oaks Day
* VRC Champions Stakes Day

Autumn Racing Carnival|

* Australian Guineas
* Super Saturday
* Australian Cup Day
* The All-Star Mile Day

Other race days|

* VRC Season Premiere Race Day
* VRC Girls' Day Out
* Turnbull Stakes Day
* VRC Christmas Race Day
* New Year's Day Race Day
* VRC Summer Fun Race Day
* Rapid Racing Race Day
* Black Caviar Lightning Race Day
* ANZAC Day Race Day
* Andrew Ramsden Race Day
* VRC National Jocky Trust
* VRC Community Race Day
* VRC Country Race Day
* Flemington Finals Race Day
* VRC Members Race Day

Non-racing events|

* Fashions on the Field

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