Melbourne also has a lot to offer, but Flemington Racecourse is a huge draw for Thoroughbred racing aficionados. Many people refer to Flemington Racecourse as “headquarters” because of its fame.
Since Melbourne’s beginning, Thoroughbred races have been held at Flemington Racecourse. It is a National Heritage List site, and thousands of people attend the Flemington races each year, with millions more watching the great races on television.
Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, is one of the world’s most famous and iconic horse racing tracks. Every year, it plays host to the Melbourne Cup – the richest two-mile handicap race in the world. The history of Flemington Racecourse dates back to the 1840s when a syndicate of wealthy landowners first established it. The first-ever race held at Flemington was won by a horse called ‘Stick-a-Bayonet’.
The course has undergone many redesigns and renovations over the years, most notably in 2006, when a new grandstand was built. Today, Flemington Racecourse is world-renowned for its beautiful gardens, huge crowds, and of course, amazing horse racing. If you’re ever in Melbourne during race season, make sure to check out a day at the track. Who knows, you might even see the next Melbourne Cup winner!
The Flemington Racecourse’s dimensions may be described as asymmetrical since the course is not a pure oval but rather mimics an oval with one end crushed. The word “pear-shaped” is frequently used. Flemington Racecourse has a diameter of 2312 metres.
A long straight that starts outside the oval and runs for 1200 metres is a prominent feature. On the straight, many sprint events of 1000 to 1200 metres are staged. Sydney’s sprinters prefer the layout since it eliminates the need to turn to the left after years of running clockwise on New South Wales tracks.
Victorian horses prefer the straight since they are taught early on that the fastest route between two sites is a straight one. The “Straight Six” at Flemington is a throwback to the days when races were measured in furlongs, and 1200 metres is almost six furlongs.
The curves around Headquarters Tavern at the end of the track are all quite tight, yet as far as we recall, no Thoroughbred has ever failed to handle the turn and run right into the Maribyrnong River.
For races longer than 1300 metres, the finishing straight is 450 metres long, somewhat longer than the back straight. Audiences in the Hill Stand and the Bird Cage receive superb views of the horses as they inevitably end up for the home stretch, making this the finest site to witness in longer Flemington races.
Flemington Racecourse is open for racing all year, with periodic maintenance breaks. The majority of the higher-quality Group level races take place in the spring. In terms of Group racing, April and May are relatively calm months. Of course, the same is true in June and July, but with the start of a new Thoroughbred racing season in August, the Group action restarts.
The months of September, October, and November are ideal for high-level Flemington races. VRC Flemington hosts meetings in the second half of October and the early half of November. The world-famous Melbourne Cup is on the first Tuesday in November. It is followed by Oaks Day on Thursday and Derby Day on Saturday. The last major event of the spring carnival is Stakes Day, which finishes off VRC’s four-day meeting.
The winter season at Flemington Racecourse starts in December. The Christmas period is generally a quiet time for top-level racing. However, the track hosts plenty of lower-grade meetings, along with the New Year’s Day meeting and the Australia Day meeting in January.
What is the capacity of Flemington’s racecourse?
There are three grandstands on the track, which can accommodate over 120,000 spectators.
How long is Flemington racecourse?
The course is 2312 metres in length.
What is the biggest race held at Flemington?
The biggest race held at Flemington is the Melbourne Cup.
How many races are held at Flemington?
There are typically around 20 races held at Flemington per day.
Which racecourse in Australia has the longest straight?
Victoria Park Racecourse in New South Wales has the longest straight in Australia, at 1400 metres. Flemington’s straight is 1200 metres long.
How many racecourses are there in Sydney?
There are four racecourses in Sydney. These are Rosehill Gardens, Canterbury Park, Randwick Racecourse, and Warwick Farm Racecourse.
What is the biggest racecourse in the world?
The Tokyo Racecourse in Japan is the biggest horse racecourse in terms of spectator capacity. The track, owned by the Japan Racing Association and can accommodate up to 223,000 spectators, was opened in 1933 and completely renovated in 2007. The oval grass track is 2,083 metres long overall and 41 metres wide at its widest point.
