Flemington Racecourse among the world’s best
Australia has some of the world’s best racecourses, hosting some of the world’s most prestigious racing meets, and Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse ranks right up there as one of the best.
Horse racing is one of the most popular sports on the planet. Whether you enjoy the drama of jumps racing or prefer the exhilarating speed of flat runners, the drama of horse racing is unrivalled compared to other sports. Winx has been a big reason for the sport’s success in recent times.
Two of Winx’s incredible 23 Grade One victories have come at Flemington Racecourse. One of the greatest horse racing facilities on the planet, Flemington has attracted crowds of up to 130,000 spectators – enough to rank as the fourth largest active racecourse. It is the largest horse racing venue outside of Japan and Australian racing fans are proud of the venue’s history and heritage.
Melbourne is considered the home of horse racing, although Sydney-siders may disagree. The annual Spring Racing Carnival is undoubtable the world’s biggest racing carnival, and as well as Flemington, meets are also held at Caulfield Racecourse and Moonee Valley Racecourse.
Flemington Racecourse opened in 1840 and it hosts Australia’s biggest race of the calendar - the Melbourne Cup. The world’s most valuable handicap, the Melbourne Cup meeting is a real highlight for racing fans across the globe. The 2018 Melbourne Cup was attended by 83,471 fans while the four-day carnival attracted a total of 303,587 fans.
In some ways, Flemington is similar to Aintree Racecourse in the United Kingdom. The Merseyside track is famous for hosting the Grand National, also a lucrative handicap race, and it is the largest racecourse in the United Kingdom in terms of spectators. The Grand National 2019 will take place on April 6th and Australian racing fans will be keeping an eye out ahead of the race and in the aftermath.
The new Club Stand can fit 10,000 members, is simply outstanding and offers racegoers a chance to take in racing inside a world-class facility from a unique spot on the course. The other two grandstands at the course is the Members Stand and Lawn Stand. Time and time again, Flemington Racecourse sets the precedent for success in Australian horse racing and time and time again, it takes centre stage.
The facility continues to improve. It was recently announced that a new synthetic track would be built inside the course proper, replacing the existing dirt track, allowing trials and training all year round and in all conditions. The new track is expected to be completed by May 2019.
Horse racing is big in Australia and Flemington Racecourse is a venue worthy of hosting one of the sport’s grandest events. The Melbourne Cup is set to take place on 5th November 2019 and the best racehorses in the business will compete for the lucrative reward. Trainers, jockeys and thoroughbreds from all over the world will head to Melbourne in large numbers and it should be a thrilling week.
Flemington Racecourse is a prestigious venue for Australian sport, let alone horse racing. Its sparse capacity makes it one of the biggest sports venues in the country and sports fans should consider a trip to one of the quieter meetings. Even if horse racing isn’t your thing, the scenery is something else. Flemington has been around for almost 200 years and racing fans will be hoping that it continues to host major events for another 200.
