Caulfield Racecourse

Caulfield Racecourse is one of Melbourne, Australia's best-known horse-racing tracks. Commonly known as "The Heath" by local racegoers,^[1] It is home to the Melbourne Racing Club.

Caulfield Racecourse Reserve

Caulfield Racecourse
Location	Caulfield, Victoria
Coordinates	37.881°S 145.040°E / -37.881; 145.040
Owned by	Crown land
Screened on	Seven Network
Notable races	Caulfield Cup Caulfield Guineas Blue Diamond Stakes C F Orr Stakes Oakleigh Plate Underwood Stakes Futurity Stakes

Horse-racing started there in 1859 on a bush track where the Melbourne Hunt Club met. A racecourse was then laid out on the site of the club's dog kennels. The Victoria Amateur Turf Club was then established in 1876 and the first Caulfield Cup race was run in 1879.^[2]

The track has a triangular-shaped layout, comprising three straights, 30-metre (98 ft) wide, with a total circumference of 2.08-kilometre (1.29 mi) and a finishing straight of 367-metre (1,204 ft). 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, Caulfield Guineas, Blue Diamond Stakes, C F Orr Stakes, Oakleigh Plate, Underwood Stakes and Futurity Stakes.

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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.^[3]

Transport

The reserve is on Melbourne tram route 3 and the journey takes about 35 minutes from the city centre.

Caulfield railway station 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 in the Melbourne CBD.

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.^[5]

The track was widened to 30-metre (98 ft) around the entire circumference and the straight lengthened by 43-metre (141 ft). 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.^[5]

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.^[5]

Races

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

Grp	Race name	Age	Sex	Weight	Distance	Date
1	Blue Diamond Stakes	2YO	Open	sw	1200	February
1	C F Orr Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1400	February
1	Caulfield Cup	Open	Open	hcp	2400	October
1	Caulfield Guineas	3YO	Open	sw	1600	October
1	Might and Power Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	2000	October
1	Futurity Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1400	February
1	Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes	Open	Open	hcp	1400	September
1	Oakleigh Plate	Open	Open	hcp	1100	February
1	The Thousand Guineas	3YO	Fillies	sw	1600	October
1	Toorak Handicap	Open	Open	hcp	1600	October
1	Memsie Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	1400	August
1	Underwood Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	1800	September
2	Angus Armanasco Stakes	3YO	Fillies	sw	1600	February
2	Caulfield Autumn Classic	3YO	Open	sw	1800	February
2	Caulfield Sprint	Open	Open	hcp	1100	October
2	Herbert Power Stakes	Open	Open	qlty	2400	October
2	J J Liston Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	1400	August
2	Schillaci Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	1000	October
2	St George Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1800	February
2	Tristarc Stakes	4YO+	Mares	sw+p	1400	October
3	Bletchingly Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1100	August
3	Blue Diamond Prelude C&G	2YO	C&G	sw	1100	February
3	Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies	2YO	Fillies	sw	1100	February
3	Coongy Handicap	Open	Open	hcp	2000	October
3	Easter Cup	Open	Open	hcp	2000	April
3	Caulfield Guineas Prelude	3YO	C&G	sw+p	1400	September
3	HDF McNeil Stakes	3YO	Open	sw+p	1100	August
3	How Now Stakes	4YO+	Mares	sw+p	1200	September
3	Hyderabad Stakes	3YO+	F&M	sw+p	1200	February
3	Mannerism Stakes	4YO+	Mares	sw+p	1400	February
3	Moonga Stakes	4YO+	Open	sw+p	1400	October
3	Naturalism Stakes	Open	Open	hcp	2000	September
3	Norman Robinson Stakes	3YO	Open	sw+p	2000	October
3	Rubiton Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1100	January
3	Sir John Monash Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1100	July
3	T.S. Carlyon Cup	Open	Open	sw+p	1400	February
3	Thoroughbred Club Stakes	3YO	Fillies	sw+p	1200	October
3	Thousand Guineas Prelude	3YO	Fillies	sw+p	1400	September
3	Victoria Handicap	Open	Open	hcp	1400	April
3	W W Cockram Stakes	4YO+	Mares	sw+p	1200	August

Examinations

Aside from its use for racing, the Caulfield Racecourse is also used by the VCAA 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. The UMAT is also held at Caulfield Racecourse.

References

1. "A short outline of Caulfield Park and Paddy's Swamp". Friends of Caulfield Park. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
2. "Caulfield Victorian Places", www.victorianplaces.com.au, retrieved 2 March 2023
3. "Home". Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
4. "Home". Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
5. "Caulfield Racecourse - Racecourse and Track Profile". Only Melbourne. 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.

External links

• Caulfield Racecourse report
• Caulfield Racecourse details
• Caulfield Racecourse stables
• Melbourne Racing Club
• Disability information
• Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust