The Geelong Racecourse is a major regional horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 venue in Geelong

Geelong, Victoria

Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The current racecourse dates to 1908. The annual Geelong Cup

Geelong Cup

The Geelong Cup is an annual Australian Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race. The race is open to horses of all ages and sexes. The race is held over a distance of 2400 metres at the Geelong Racecourse on the fourth Wednesday of October, and was first run in 1872...

 is held at the course every October, as well as a number of other race meets through the year.

History

The first race meet in Geelong was on May 1 1841, at Corio. Three races were held on the day. The next meet was held at "Airey's Flat" on the banks the Moorabool River

Moorabool River

The Moorabool River is a river in Victoria, Australia that runs past several small towns and areas such as Meredith, Anakie, and Staughton Vale...

 near Fyansford

Fyansford, Victoria

Fyansford is a township on the western edge of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, named after Captain Foster Fyans who came to Geelong as a Police magistrate in October, 1837. It is located at the junction of the Barwon and Moorabool rivers....

. In 1849 a start was made on a proper racecourse, with 727 acres (2.9 km²) of land beside the Barwon River

Barwon River (Victoria)

The Barwon River rises in the Otway Ranges of Victoria, Australia, runs through Winchelsea and the city of Geelong, where it is joined by the Moorabool River, and enters the sea at Barwon Heads after passing through Lake Connewarre on the Bellarine Peninsula...

 at Marshalltown

Marshall, Victoria

Marshall, formerly known as Marshalltown, is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The section of the locality south of the Marshall Railway Station is part of the large Armstrong Creek Growth Area with development beginning in 2010....

 chosen. Situated close to Lake Connewarre

Lake Connewarre

Lake Connewarre is a shallow estuarine lake located on the Barwon River, on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong, Victoria. It is adjacent to, and downstream from, the freshwater Reedy Lake...

, the land was subject to frequent flooding.

The Geelong Racing Club was formed in 1866, holding their first meet on January 18 and 19 1866. February 23 1872 saw the first Geelong Cup

Geelong Cup

The Geelong Cup is an annual Australian Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race. The race is open to horses of all ages and sexes. The race is held over a distance of 2400 metres at the Geelong Racecourse on the fourth Wednesday of October, and was first run in 1872...

 held at the Marshalltown course, where a new grandstand

Grandstand

A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...

 was opened. A railway branch line was provided to the course in 1878. In 1907 it was decided to relocate the Geelong Racecourse and Geelong Showgrounds

Geelong Showgrounds

The Geelong Showgrounds in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, are the home of the Royal Geelong Show, an agricultural show held every year since 1855. The current showgrounds are located in the suburb of Breakwater....

 to their current site on Breakwater Road, East Geelong

East Geelong, Victoria

East Geelong is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia.The post office opened on 6 June 1921. An earlier Post Office dating from 1871 was later renamed Moolap West.The Geelong Botanical Gardens are located in East Geelong....

. The first race meet was held there on March 1908, with the first Geelong Racing Club meet being held there on December 12 1908. The Geelong Racecourse railway station was also provided at this time.

The course itself has seen a number of upgrades since, the most recent being the provision of a third grandstand

Grandstand

A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...

and an upgrade of the track itself.