Caulfield Racecourse plays host to some of the biggest races on the Australian racing calendar each year, with the Caulfield Cup being the most prominent.
International raiders and local staying stars contest the rich 2400m handicap each year in a bid to join some of the immortals of the turf.
Some of the greatest thoroughbreds to have won the Caulfield Cup include Poseidon, Eurythmic, Amounis, Rising Fast, Tulloch, Galilee, Tobin Bronze, Let’s Elope, Might And Power and Northerly just to name a few.
Caulfield is located about 12km south-east from the Melbourne CBD and it is about a 15-minute train ride to Caulfield Station which is directly opposite the racecourse.
Racing was first held at Caulfield in 1859 and back then, jockeys would ride through bush, heath and sand hills; this led to Caulfield being given the nickname ‘The Heath.’
The Caulfield track dimensions are as follows:
* Circumference: 2080m
* Home Straight: 367m
* Direction: anti-clockwise
Caulfield is a magnificent looking track and the facilities are first-rate with the Rupert Clarke grandstand providing maximum comfort from both the cold and the heat.
There are several major race meetings that are held at Caulfield each year.
Blue Diamond Stakes Day is the highlight in February with two-year-olds competing for $1.5 million in the Group 1 feature. On the same program is the Futurity Stakes over 1400m and Oakleigh Plate over 1100m.
Fast forward to September for Memsie Stakes Day. The 1400m Group 1 feature is a great starting point for a lot of gallopers heading to some of the biggest features later in the spring, such as the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.
The Underwood Stakes is another highlight at Caulfield with the 1800m event always boasting a strong field. The Caulfield Guineas Prelude and Thousand Guineas Prelude are also great lead-up races to their respective features a few weeks later.
October is the biggest month for racing at Caulfield, with Thousand Guineas Day, Caulfield Guineas Day and Caulfield Cup Day boasting magnificent racing.
Group 1 features that are held during the month of October include the Caulfield Stakes and Toorak Handicap – both are currently held on Thousand Guineas Day.
