Cranbourne Racecourse is located in Victoria and is positioned 42 kilometres south east of Melbourne. The track is run by the Cranbourne Turf Club and is home to 22 Sunday race meetings per year. The Bendigo Jockey Club was first established in 1858.
Racing first began at Cranbourne Racecourse in 1867, when a two-day meeting was held on April 22nd and 23rd. Now, Cranbourne Racecourse’s biggest race day of the year is the Cranbourne Cup, which takes place in mid-October each year. It is a crucial part of the Melbourne Spring racing carnival and is used by many horses as a lead-up race to the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup.
The racecourse also plays host to a race day that incorporates gallops, trots and dogs in the same program. 23 races are run as part of the day, with eight gallop and trots races being held alongside seven greyhound races.
Cranbourne Racecourse is home to the largest training complex in the Southern Hemisphere and has produced some of Australia’s best champions. Apache Cat, who won a startling eight Group 1 races, was a product of Cranbourne Racecourse’s training centre.
Cranbourne Racecourse has a track circumference of 1,700 metres and a final straight of 300 metres.