Flemington Racecourse is set in 125 hectares to the north of the Melbourne central business district, on the banks of the Maribyrnong River. It has the distinction of being the oldest continually operating metropolitan racecourse in Australia, having staged its first meeting in 1840 and is also the best-known, thanks to its association with the most famous two mile handicap in the world, the Melbourne Cup. Aside from the four-day Spring Carnival in November, of which the Melbourne Cup is the highlight, Flemington Racecourse plays hosts to 19 Flat fixtures throughout the year.
Course Characteristics
The round course at Flemington is a right-handed pear shape, 2,132 metres, or approximately a mile and a furlong, around, with a home straight of 450 metres, or a little over a quarter of a mile. The course drains well, so the going tends to be firmer than other courses in the Melbourne area, but Flemington is considered a very fair, with winners finishing down the centre of the course as well as against both rails. Flemington is also famous for its straight 1200-metre course, known as the ‘Straight Six’, which joins the round course at the top of the home straight. From the 3,200-metre, Melbourne Cup start, runners travel 900 metres, or approximately half a mile, in a straight line before encountering their first bend.
Track Facts
The Melbourne Cup, known as “the race that stops a nation”, is held on the first Tuesday in November each year; since 1877, Melbourne Cup Day has been a public holiday in Melbourne.
Phar Lap, arguably the most famous Australian racehorse in history, won on all four days of the Spring Carnival in 1930, including the Melbourne Cup.
Makybe Diva (2003, 2004 and 2005) is the only horse to have won the Melbourne Cup three times.