The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melb ...

, which was first contested in 1861. From its foundation in 1864 until 2001, the Victoria Racing Club was the responsible authority for the conduct of thoroughbred racing in the State of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. Since 2001, this role has been managed by

Racing Victoria Limited Racing Victoria Limited, as the governing principal racing authority, has responsibilities to develop, encourage, promote and manage the conduct of Thoroughbred horse racing in the State of Victoria, Australia. It assumed this responsibility, from ...

. The VRC is managed by an unpaid committee, elected by club members. In 1871, the Victorian Government appointed the VRC as trustees of a site of 352 acres (1.4 km²) of Crown Land, next to the

Maribyrnong River The Maribyrnong River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the northwestern suburbs of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Course The Maribyrnong River draws its headwaters from near ...

, which became known as Flemington Racecourse. Much of the early success of the VRC is attributed to the administration of the first Secretary of the club, Robert C. BagotTwo New Associates Inducted to Hall of Fame
/ref> and his successors H. Byron Moore and A. V. Kewney.

Racing carnivals

The Victoria Racing Club hosts four race meetings at Flemington during the

Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival The Spring Racing Carnival is the name of an Australian Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually in Melbourne during October and November. The Carnival and its status in the wider community Although racing in Australia is held every day excep ...

. The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November, the

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourn ...

are held on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, the

VRC Oaks The Victoria Racing Club Oaks (known as the Kennedy Oaks for sponsorship reasons), is a Victoria Racing Club (VRC) Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, run under set weights conditions, over 2,500 metres at Flemington Racec ...

is on the Thursday following the Cup, and

LKS MacKinnon Stakes The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the ''LKS Mackinnon Stakes'', is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on ...

is on the Saturday following the Oaks. The VRC also hosts race meetings during the

Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metr ...

. These meetings include Group 1 races for the Australian Cup, the

Newmarket Handicap The Newmarket Handicap is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race over a distance of 1200 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on Super Saturday in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carnival. Prize ...

and the

Black Caviar Lightning The Black Caviar Lightning, registered as the Lightning Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1000 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in February. Prize mone ...

References

* Freedman, Harold and Lemon, Andrew (1987), ''The History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing, The beginnings to the first Melbourne Cup'', Vol. 1, Classic Reproductions, Melbourne, Victoria. * Pacini, John (1988), ''A Century Galloped By. The first hundred years of the Victoria Racing Club'', VRC, Melbourne, Victoria.

External links

Victoria Racing Club (VRC)- official websiteFlemington Racecourse – official website
{{VRC Race Days and Events Sporting clubs in Melbourne Horse racing organisations in Australia 1864 establishments in Australia Sports clubs established in 1864 Horse racing in Melbourne

Racing carnivals

See also

References

External links