Flemington Racecourse

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

Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is Australia's richest 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.

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[edit] 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 (1200 metre) straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of 2312 metres and a final straight of 450 metres for race distances over 1200 metres. 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 VRC Derby Day in 2006 when 129,089 people saw Efficient win the VRC Derby. The racecourse has undergone a facelift in recent years, with the opening of a new $45 million grandstand in 2000. It also contains a bronze statue of famous Australian racehorse Phar Lap, which was donated to the Club as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations in 1988. The Hill Stand, built in 1977, houses the artist Harold Freedman's seven panel mural which traces the History of Racing. The work was commissioned to mark the Australian bicentenary in 1988.

During the Melbourne Cup 2006 it was announced [1] that Flemington Racecourse is now a National Heritage Site joining other sites such as the Sydney Opera House and Ayres Rock.

Flemington Racecourse today hosts many of Australia's top races, including the Melbourne Cup, VRC Derby, VRC Oaks, MacKinnon Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and Lightning Stakes.

[edit] 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 (Elizabeth & 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 racecource. Lift access is available in the Prince of Wales Stand and to the first floor of the Members Stand.

[edit] Races

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Flemington Racecourse.

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/Cadbury Guineas 3YO Open sw 1600 February
1 Cantala Stakes/Emirates Stakes Open Open hcp 1600 November
1 Myer Classic 3YO+ F&M wfa 1600 November
1 Lightning Stakes Open Open wfa 1000 February`
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 Salinger Stakes Open Open hcp 1200 November
1 Turnbull Stakes 4YO+ Open sw+p 2000 October
1 Victoria Derby 3YO Open sw 2500 November
1 VRC Oaks/Crown 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 Craiglee Stakes Open Open wfa 1600 September
2 Edward Manifold Stakes 3YO Fillies sw 1600 October
2 Linlithgow Stakes/Lexus Classic Open Open wfa 1200 November
2 Matriach 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 Baguette Stakes Open Open sw+p 1200 October
3 Bloodhorse Breeders Stakes 2YO Fillies sw+p 1200 March
3 Bobby Lewis Quality Open Open qlty 1200 September
3 Chatham Stakes/Yallambee Stud Stakes Open Open hcp 1400 November
3 Frances Tressady Stakes/Tooheys New Plate 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1400 March
3 Hotham Handicap/Saab Quality Open Open qlty 2500 November
3 Maribyrnong Plate 2YO Open sw+p 1000 November
3 Matron Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1600 March
3 Milady Stakes/Let's Elope Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1400 September
3 Rory's Jester Stakes 3YO Open sw+p 1200 November
3 Standish Handicap Open Open hcp 1200 January
3 The Debonair 3YO C&G sw+p 1400 February
3 The Vanity 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 2500 November

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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