Sandown Racecourse
Encyclopedia
Sandown Racecourse is one of the four horse racing
venues located in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. Built for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, it is the only metropolitan racecourse built in the 20th century and was opened before a crowd of 52,000, in June 1965.
Sandown Racecourse is situated 25 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD on the Princes Highway
in the suburb of Springvale
in the City of Greater Dandenong
.
The original course was a turfed oval shape, 1892 metres in circumference and 30 metres wide, with sweeping cambered turns and an uphill home straight of 407 metres.
With the increase in the number of overseas horses being attracted to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
a Quarantine
Centre was established at Sandown Racecourse and used for the first time in 1997.
The Sandown Racecourse also features a motor racing circuit on the outside of the racecourse, referred to as Sandown Raceway
.
commenced the redevelopment of Sandown Racecourse. This consisted of an additional 30 metre wide home turn and widening of the main straight from 30 to 45 metres, and widening of the turn out of the straight from 30 to 45 metres. This created two turf tracks. The course using the outer home turn and outside 30 metres in the main straight was named Sandown Hillside, and the course comprising the reconfigured inner home turn and full 45 metres wide straight was named Sandown Lakeside. The Lakeside course has a circumference of 1857 metres and a home straight of 407 metres and the Hillside course is 2087 metres in circumference with a home straight of 491 metres. Racing on the reconfigured tracks commenced on 25 January 2003 with the number of meeting hosted at Sandown being increased from 32 to 41 per season.
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
traditionally closes with the Sandown Carnival. This carnival features two meetings, Sandown Classic Day and Eclipse Stakes Day in November each year.
in the city via Sandown Park railway station
on the Pakenham and the
Cranbourne railway lines.
which are run at Sandown Racecourse.
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...
venues located in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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...
. Built for the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, it is the only metropolitan racecourse built in the 20th century and was opened before a crowd of 52,000, in June 1965.
Sandown Racecourse is situated 25 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD on the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
in the suburb of Springvale
Springvale, Victoria
Springvale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, approximately 20 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Greater Dandenong...
in the City of Greater Dandenong
City of Greater Dandenong
The City of Greater Dandenong is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia located in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 130 square kilometres and has a estimated population of 137,600 people....
.
The original course was a turfed oval shape, 1892 metres in circumference and 30 metres wide, with sweeping cambered turns and an uphill home straight of 407 metres.
With the increase in the number of overseas horses being attracted to the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the name of a Melbourne, Australia Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually during October and November .-The Carnival and its status in the wider community:...
a Quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
Centre was established at Sandown Racecourse and used for the first time in 1997.
The Sandown Racecourse also features a motor racing circuit on the outside of the racecourse, referred to as Sandown Raceway
Sandown Raceway
Sandown International Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, approximately south east of the city centre. It is considered a power circuit with its front straight being 899m long and back straight 910m long.-History:...
.
Redevelopment
In October 2001, the Melbourne Racing ClubMelbourne Racing Club
The Melbourne Racing Club is one of three metropolitan horse racing clubs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It began life as the Victoria Amateur Turf Club in 1875 with Mr. E.C. Moore as the Club's first Secretary. The Dowling Forest Racecourse in Ballarat was the location for the first VATC race...
commenced the redevelopment of Sandown Racecourse. This consisted of an additional 30 metre wide home turn and widening of the main straight from 30 to 45 metres, and widening of the turn out of the straight from 30 to 45 metres. This created two turf tracks. The course using the outer home turn and outside 30 metres in the main straight was named Sandown Hillside, and the course comprising the reconfigured inner home turn and full 45 metres wide straight was named Sandown Lakeside. The Lakeside course has a circumference of 1857 metres and a home straight of 407 metres and the Hillside course is 2087 metres in circumference with a home straight of 491 metres. Racing on the reconfigured tracks commenced on 25 January 2003 with the number of meeting hosted at Sandown being increased from 32 to 41 per season.
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival
The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is the name of a Melbourne, Australia Thoroughbred horse racing series held annually during October and November .-The Carnival and its status in the wider community:...
traditionally closes with the Sandown Carnival. This carnival features two meetings, Sandown Classic Day and Eclipse Stakes Day in November each year.
Transport
The course can be reached in, 40 minutes, from Flinders Street StationFlinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
in the city via Sandown Park railway station
Sandown Park railway station, Melbourne
Sandown Park is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Springvale, on the Pakenham and Cranbourne railway lines. Sandown Park is unmanned and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...
on the Pakenham and the
Cranbourne railway lines.
Races
The following is a list of Group racesGroup races
Group races are the highest standard of Thoroughbred horseraces in Australia. The Australian Pattern Committee recommends to the Australian Racing Board which races shall be designated as Group races...
which are run at Sandown Racecourse.
| Grp | Race Name | Age | Sex | Weight | Distance | Date |
| 2 | Zipping Classic | Open | Open | wfa | 2400 | November |
| 2 | Sandown Guineas Sandown Guineas The Sandown Guineas is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds at set weights run over a distance of 1600 metres at Sandown Racecourse, Melbourne in November... |
3YO | Open | sw | 1600 | November |
| 3 | Eclipse Stakes Eclipse Stakes (Australia) The Eclipse Stakes is a MRC Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under quality handicap conditions, for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1800 metres. It is held at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne in November... |
3YO+ | Open | qlty | 1800 | November |
| 3 | Sandown Stakes Sandown Stakes The Sandown Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 3 Australian Thoroughbred quality handicap horse race, for horses aged four years old and upwards, over a distance of 1500 metres. It is held at Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne in November... |
4YO+ | Open | qlty | 1500 | November |