Most Popular Horse Racing Tracks in Australia
After football and rugby, thoroughbred horse racing draws the third most spectators in Australia. The country’s thoroughbred breeding market is the world's second-largest, with more than 660 stud farms. Annually, Australia's thoroughbred breeding market contributes more than $1.16 billion to the country's economy.
More than this, the country houses around 360 racecourses where 3,050 Thoroughbred races are held. The following is a list of Australia's most popular horse racing tracks, which served as a venue for some of the world's most prestigious racing events.
Flemington Racecourse
The Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne is a famous site for horse racing. It is widely known as the venue of the great Melbourne Cup, the richest 3200-metre horse race in the world.
It can accommodate more than 120,000 spectators in its three grandstands. Over the past few years, the racetrack has been given a makeover. In 2000, a new grandstand that cost $45 million was opened at Flemington racecourse.
Furthermore, it is home to Australia's greatest horse races, including the Victoria Derby, Victoria Racing Club Oaks, MacKinnon Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup, and Lightning Stakes.
The spectators bet heavily on the abovementioned horse racing events. Bookmakers like Topsport offer competitive odds, a wide variety of betting options, and customer service for these races. Check out their real-time betting offers here: https://www.topsport.com.au/Racing/All/Today.
Royal Randwick Racecourse
The "Royal" Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, is popular with horse racing fans all over the globe. It hosts the Everest Carnival, the richest race on grass, which takes place in October, and the Australian Derby, a race for three-year-old horses, on the second Saturday in April, one week after the Golden Slipper.
It's the largest track in New South Wales. For almost 160 years, the course has held exciting horse races.
The track is 5 kilometres from the central business district and caters to 45 races yearly. The total length of the track is 2,227 metres, and it features sweeping turns and a long straightaway of 410 metres. In 2013, a $150 million state-of-the-art grandstand was built at the track.
Caulfield Racecourse
During the spring, the Caulfield Cup, one of Australia's most prestigious horse races, is held at Caulfield, one of the country's most renowned racetracks.
The Melbourne Racing Club and Victorian industry invested heavily in track improvements in the early 2000s, and the results have been fantastic. Caulfield is the primary racecourse for the Melbourne Racing Club, which hosts races there 60 times per year.
To protect the Caulfield turf, the alternative track, Sandown, is used for midweek and throughout the winter.
Rosehill Gardens Racecourse
Rosehill racecourse is the primary Western Sydney track of the Australian Turf Club. It is also the venue for the Golden Slipper Stakes, the most popular horse race in Sydney.
The Golden Slipper Stakes is the world's richest race for two-year-olds and is held annually on the first Saturday of April on the track.
After the Golden Slipper Stakes, the track became a major convention and function centre, hosting the yearly Caravan & Camping Show.
The race's popularity has grown in the previous 20 years, making victory almost as coveted by owners as the Melbourne Cup. The length of the track is 2,048 metres, with the home straight measuring 408 metres.
Ascot Racecourse
The Ascot racecourse is the venue for 13 of the 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races in Britain and three Grade 1 Jumps races. It attracts about 600,000 people annually, and around 10% of this number are UK racegoers.
It hosts the prestigious Ascot Racing Carnival in the spring and other prestigious races in Perth, including the Railway Stakes and the world-famous Perth Cup.
Presently, Ascot hosts a total of 26 days of racing per year, 18 of which occur during the flat meetings (April–October) and eight during the jump meetings (October–March).
Belmont Park Racecourse
Belmont Park Racecourse, along with Ascot Racecourse, is one of two major horse racing tracks in Perth, Western Australia. Both are built on the Burswood Peninsula, which is bordered by the Swan River.
It has a straightaway of 333 metres and a total track circumference of 1,699 metres. The Belmont Racecourse is Perth's winter venue, offering climate-controlled accommodation for spectators.
The enclosed facilities at Belmont Park keep spectators warm while offering panoramic views of the river and world-class Thoroughbred racing. The racetrack features an ideal wet weather track, making it possible to have races in all types of weather.
Canterbury Racecourse
Canterbury Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sydney, New South Wales. It takes approximately 15 minutes to reach Canterbury Racecourse from Sydney's central business district.
Like its sister track, Warwick Farm, this track sees most of its activities during the week. Randwick and Rosehill are the primary metropolitan venues for the Australian Turf Club's Saturday racing. In exceptional cases, such as when Sydney is beset by heavy weather on a Saturday, Canterbury may host a race instead in Rosehill or Randwick.
Conclusion
Horse racing has a long and storied legacy in Australia. Moreover, the country is home to some of the world's most prestigious and well-known racetracks. These venues have staged the most significant horse racing events and displayed memorable victories that have captivated audiences across the globe.
