Caulfield Racecourse


Caulfield Racecourse is one of Melbourne, Australia's best-known horse-racing tracks. Commonly known as "The Heath" by local racegoers, it is located eight kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, on the boundary of Caulfield and Caulfield East in Melbourne's south eastern suburbs. It is home to the Melbourne Racing Club.
The track has a triangular shaped layout, comprising three straights, wide, with a total circumference of and a finishing straight of. 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 20 racedays 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.

Transport

The racecourse 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 are 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.
The track was widened to around the entire circumference and the straight lengthened by. 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.
Further to the major works in 1996, the Caulfield track was re-laid in 2005 immediately proceeding the Caulfield Cup Carnival and resumed racing for the Summer Classics Carnival, in February 2006.

Races

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Caulfield Racecourse.
GrpRace nameAgeSexWeightDistanceDate
1Blue Diamond Stakes2YOOpensw1200February
1C F Orr StakesOpenOpenwfa1400February
1Caulfield CupOpenOpenhcp2400October
1Caulfield Guineas3YOOpensw1600October
1Caulfield Stakes3YO+Openwfa2000October
1Futurity StakesOpenOpenwfa1400February
1Invitation Stakes/Sir Rupert Clarke StakesOpenOpenhcp1400September
1Oakleigh PlateOpenOpenhcp1100February
1The Thousand Guineas3YOFilliessw1600October
1Toorak HandicapOpenOpenhcp1600October
1Memsie Stakes3YO+Openwfa1400August
1Underwood Stakes3YO+Openwfa1800September
2Angus Armanasco Stakes3YOFilliessw1600February
2Pol Roger Stakes3YOOpensw1800February
2Caulfield SprintOpenOpenhcp1100October
2Herbert Power StakesOpenOpenqlty2400October
2J J Liston Stakes3YO+Openwfa1400August
2Schillaci Stakes3YO+Openwfa1000October
2St George StakesOpenOpenwfa1800February
2Tristarc Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1400October
3Bletchingly StakesOpenOpenwfa1100August
3Blue Diamond Prelude C&G2YOC&Gsw1100February
3Blue Diamond Prelude Fillies2YOFilliessw1100February
3Coongy HandicapOpenOpenhcp2000October
3Easter CupOpenOpenhcp2000April
3Eclipse StakesOpenOpenhcp2000November
3Guineas Prelude3YOC&Gsw+p1400September
3HDF McNeil Stakes3YOOpensw+p1100August
3How Now Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1200September
3Hyderabad Stakes3YO+F&Msw+p1200February
3Mannerism Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1400February
3Moonga Stakes4YO+Opensw+p1400October
3Naturalism StakesOpenOpenhcp2000September
3Norman Robinson Stakes3YOOpensw+p2000October
3Rubiton StakesOpenOpenwfa1100January
3Carlyon CupOpenOpensw+p1400February
3Thoroughbred Club Stakes3YOFilliessw+p1200October
3Thousand Guineas Prelude3YOFilliessw+p1400September
3Victoria HandicapOpenOpenhcp1400April
3W W Cockram Stakes4YO+Maressw+p1200August

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 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.