Bairnsdale Racecourse lies in a fantastic position in the town of Bairnsdale in the East Gippsland region of Victoria. The circuit is approximately 3.5 hours drive from Melbourne along the Princess Highway past other racing communities such as Sale and Moe.

It’s the eastern gateway to Mouth Hotham and given it’s located about halfway between Melbourne and the east coast border with New South Wales Bairnsdale serves a thriving racing community.

Events are run at the course by the Bairnsdale Racing Club which has operated in the region for around 150 years.

In fact it was first founded in 1862 making it one of the oldest race clubs anywhere in Australia and it’s become an integral part of the local community.

In fact the club runs on a not for profit basis meaning all funds are returned to the local region and the local region in turn sustains the club.

Bairnsdale Racecourse holds around seven meetings annually with starts from the 1000m right through to 2200m.

Their feature period is from October to December which is known as the Bairnsdale Cup Carnival.

There are three feature meets across this period starting with the Bairnsdale Cup in October, Melbourne Cup Day in November and Christmas Cup Day in December.

The racecourse has stood in its current location for well over 30 years and is thriving on the back of a recent track upgrade.

In excess of 20 trainers work out of the facility which is renowned for its easy banked turns and long straights.