Caulfield Racecourse Reserve is located nine kilometres from the Melbourne
CBD, on the boundary of
Caulfield and
Caulfield East in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs. The Reserve was set aside for three purposes, racing, recreation and a public park. The ''Caulfield Racecourse Reserve'' Act 2017, established a Trust to plan for the future of the reserve, develop and maintain the reserve. https://www.crrt.org.au/
The Trust reports publicly on its activities through an Annual Report which is reported to the Victorian Parliament and available on the Trust's Web page. https://www.crrt.org.au/
The Land Management Plan sets a bold vision for the future of the Reserve as a place for everyone is also available on the Trust's Web page
Caulfield Racecourse is one of
Melbourne
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 me ...
, Australia's best-known
horse-racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
tracks. Commonly known as "The Heath" by local racegoers,
It is home to the
Melbourne Racing Club.
The track has a triangular shaped layout, comprising three straights, wide, with a total circumference of and a finishing straight of . All turns have a 4% to 6% banking. Racing takes place in an anti-clockwise direction. The totally glassed in Rupert Clarke stand provides an uninterrupted view of the racecourse.
Caulfield has about 25 race days each season and hosts some of the Australia's most famous and historic races including the
Caulfield Cup
The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under handicap conditions, although the Melbourne Racing Club is in the process of turning the race into weight for age (WFA) conditions. This is for all horses ...
,
Caulfield Guineas,
Blue Diamond Stakes
The Blue Diamond Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds, at set weights, run over 1200 metres at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The event is Victoria's richest two-year-ol ...
,
C F Orr Stakes
The C F Orr Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1400 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in February. Total prize money is A$750,000.
...
,
Oakleigh Plate
The Oakleigh Plate is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred open handicap horse race, run over a distance of 1100 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late February. Total prize money is A$750,000.
History
The Oakl ...
,
Underwood Stakes and
Futurity Stakes.
Transport
The reserve is on Melbourne tram route
3 and the journey takes about 35 minutes from the city centre.
Caulfield railway station
Caulfield railway station is a commuter railway station on the northern boundary of Caulfield East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, and was opened on 7 May 1879. The station i ...
is less than a hundred metres from the racecourse and is located on the
Frankston,
Cranbourne and
Pakenham lines. Trains depart every 10 minutes from
Flinders Street station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1854, the historic station serves the entire metr ...
in the
Melbourne CBD
The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city l ...
.
Caulfield Racecourse provides disabled carparks opposite the main entrance on Station Street. Lift access to grandstands and disabled toilets is available. There is also a baby change room and first aid facilities.
Reconstruction
After the 1995 Caulfield Cup the track had major reconstruction of the course proper and re-opened in April 1996.
The track was widened to around the entire circumference and the straight lengthened by . The new racing surface has been cambered from the outside running rail with the crown of the track at the outside running rail. The banking on the turn into the home straight is 4 percent, while the other turns have an equivalent banking of 2 percent.
Further to the major works in 1996, the Caulfield track was re-laid in 2005 immediately preceding the Caulfield Cup Carnival and resumed racing for the Summer Classics Carnival, in February 2006.
Races
The following is a list of
Group races
Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as, in Europe, the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l' ...
which are run at Caulfield Racecourse.
Examinations
Aside from its use for racing, the Caulfield Racecourse is also used by the
VCAA
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is a statutory authority of the Victoria State Government responsible for the provision of curriculum and assessment programs for students in Victoria, Australia. The VCAA is primarily a ...
to examine students who are unable to attend examinations at their schools as well as by
Open Universities Australia (OUA) and its universities for the end of the study period examinations. The facility is also used for end of semester examinations by universities such as
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university h ...
. The
UMAT is also held at Caulfield Racecourse.
References
External links
Caulfield Racecourse reportCaulfield Racecourse detailsMelbourne Racing ClubCaulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust
{{MelbourneRacing
Horse racing venues in Australia
Sports venues in Melbourne
Sport in the City of Glen Eira
Buildings and structures in the City of Glen Eira