Located around an hour north of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast Racecourse (also known as Corbould Park) is one of the newest major racecourses in the country and the first to be built in Queensland outside of Brisbane for over half a century. The tracks were first used for an official race meet in July 1985, and the track continues to hold regular meets year round. Sunshine Coast Racecourse is one of the few locations to offer approved night racing, which is usually held in summer between November and February.
Located very close to Caloundra, the Sunshine Coast Racecourse is in one of the most picturesque regions in the country. Host to the Caloundra City Cup each year in late June or July, a visit to Sunshine Coast Racecourse is perfectly complemented with a few days extra stay on the coast.
Almost 2km in length at 1,967m, the track at Sunshine Coast Racecourse leaves plenty of room for good distance races. Widening from 25m to 30m at the 400m long straight, plenty of exciting races have finished in front of the crowd after a hectic dash. A 6m fall and rise around the track, with the rise occurring just before the final straight, means that only the most worthy horses thunder home ahead of the field. There are a total of three tracks, with the main grass track, the cushion track, and a grass training track.
Upgrades in 2008 meant that Sunshine Coast Racecourse became the first in Queensland to boast a fully synthetic track. The “Cushion Track” was laid down over an existing sand track, and is unique in Australia. It differs from Victorian synthetic surfaces in many ways, with the most obvious being the necessary adaptations to a different clime and weather conditions. Beneath the cushion track is a vast network of drainage pipes, totalling 8km in length, which allows “vertical drainage”. The water simply falls through the track, avoiding unnecessary washes, erosion, track destruction and dangerous hazards. The cushion track is largely used for training purposes and is considered to make less impact on tendons and ligaments. The existing turf track is preferred for official racing.