Sandown Racecourse

Sandown racecourse is located in Springvale, Victoria and is around 25 kilometres from the Melbourne city centre. Sandown has two race tracks incorporated into the one circuit which are known as the 'Hillside track' and 'Lakeside track'.

The racecourse itself had a major upgrade in 1999 and the club's premier race, formerly the Sandown Cup, was reinvented as the Sandown Classic, with increased prize money and a change from handicap to weight-for-age conditions.

A permanent Quarantine Centre at Sandown was completed in 1997 and used to house visiting international horses, although they are now housed at Werribee, around 32 kilometres south-west of Melbourne.

The Melbourne Racing Club host racing at Sandown.

Melbourne Racing Club (MRC)

Racing commenced at Sandown in 1965 and was administered by the Victoria Amateur Turf Club (VATC) which also looked after racing at Caulfield. The Club started a 5 year plan in 2001 to establish a second turf track at Sandown. It is known as Hillside, and the existing track is named Lakeside. As part of the plan, the Club also changed from the VATC to become the Melbourne Racing Club.

The Melbourne Racing Club conducts racing at Caulfield racecourse, alongside Sandown, and holds 60 plus race meetings each year across the two locations. The MRC acounts for almost half of all metropolitan racing in Melbourne.

On August 1st 2010, the Melbourne Racing Club merged with the Mornington Racing Club and now administers racing at Mornington racecourse.

Sandown Racing Carnival

Sandown's feature race day is held on a Saturday, one week after the completion of the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington in November. A number of good quality group races make for a relaxed day out after the hectic week-long carnival that is Melbourne Cup week.

Spring racing carnival at Sandown

Sandown Classic Day in November features the Group 2 Sandown Classic for stayers and the Group 2 Sandown Guineas for three-year-olds.

Below are the main races of the Sandown spring racing carnival.

Sandown Track Details

The Sandown track has been developed into a course for all weather conditions and is considered to be one of the best wet weather tracks in Australia. It's a roomy track with a long straight and tough uphill run home that tests a horse's true grit in the run to the line. Sandown suits strong finishers or horses that can find plenty under pressure in the straight.

Sandown Lakeside Track

Circumference:1,891 metres
Straight: 407 metres
Direction: Anti-Clockwise

Sandown Hillside Track

Circumference: 2,097 metres
Straight: 491 metres
Direction: Anti-Clockwise

The Hillside track uses the outside 30 metres section of the main straight and a moveable rail is positioned along the length of the straight to protect the inside 15 metres for the Lakeside track. The Hillside track increases to a circumference of 2097 metres and the straight length is 491 metres.

Sandown Track Map

Sandown Racecourse Contact Details

Sandown Race Track
591-659 Princes Hwy
Springvale, Victoria

Ph: 03 9257 7100
Fax: 03 9257 7101
Website: Melbourne Racing Club Website

Sandown Racecourse Directions

How to get to Sandown racecourse?

Sandown Racecourse is located in Springvale about 25 kilometres from Melbourne's city centre. The track can be reached by following the Princes Highway or Monash Freeway to the Springvale Road exit and then follow the clearly marked signs to the Sandown racecourse turn-off.

Sandown Racecourse Map Location

Other Melbourne Race Tracks

Head over to our Melbourne autumn racing carnival and Melbourne spring racing carnival pages to learn more about the two major racing carnivals in Victoria each year.