Flemington Racecourse

Flemington Racecourse is typically the first location that comes to mind when it comes to horse racing in Australia. This is because Flemington Racecourse is the largest racecourse in Victoria, having been in operation for nearly 160 years, and is the longest course in Australia. Flemington Racecourse, in addition to being a horse racing facility, was added to the National Heritage List in 2006 as a centre for traditional and cultural celebration, as well as being one of the few sporting venues that epitomize the nation’s culture.

Flemington Racecourse, along with Caulfield, Sandown, and Moonee Valley, makes up the four metropolitan tracks in Victoria that together hold both the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. Flemington Racecourse is also host to our world-famous event, The Melbourne Cup, on the first Tuesday of November each year, as well as many other high-profile races, including the Victoria Derby and Australian Cup, just to mention a few.

Best Bookmakers for Flemington Racecourse

Looking to have a flutter at Flemington Racecourse? Online betting has become surprisingly simple in recent years, and our Best Online Horse Racing Betting Sites section is the easiest way to find the best online bookmaker sites for Flemington Racecourse.

For the best betting site for Flemington Racecourse, we would have to highlight Playup. The Australian-based bookmaker offers some of the best odds on all races at Flemington Racecourse, together with a wide variety of markets on all Australian and International horse races including pre-race day. Plus, Playup offers a user-friendly mobile app and website that make finding your favourite markets simple. With great customer support available 24/7, there is no reason not to check out Playup.

Flemington Racecourse Tips

OnlyRacing offers our readers the best free horse racing tips and best bets of the week. Our horse racing tips are based on extensive analysis and years of expertise in the field. In addition to our highly acclaimed tips, we also provide Group 1 Racing tips, Quaddie tips, Best Roughies tips and Horse Racing Multi tips.

Furthermore, our website includes the latest racing news and bookmaker reviews, as well as the most popular bets placed by punters. Whether you're searching for Melbourne Cup tips or tips for Flemington races this Saturday, OnlyRacing has you covered!

Flemington Racecourse History

Originally known as the Melbourne Racecourse, Flemington Racecourse derived its name from a neighbouring property owned by James Watson, who dubbed the area Flemington after his wife's hometown of Flemington in Morayshire, Scotland. In 1848, he established the Flemington Hotel, and a small settlement developed around it. By the late 1850s, the racetrack was commonly referred to as Flemington Racecourse.

The Flemington Racecourse is situated on 1.27 square kilometres of Crown Land, which was first leased to the Victoria Turf Club in 1848. The club merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 becoming the Victoria Racing Club we know today, and since then, this organization has controlled Flemington Racecourse and worked hard to make it one of the world’s premier racecourses.

The founding Secretary of the VRC, Robert Cooper Bagot, encouraged the general public to attend races at Flemington Racecourse. Under his direction, the club constructed new grandstands at Flemington Racecourse, restored the Flemington track surface, planted gardens, and gave members complimentary tickets for female guests. Bagot successfully lobbied the State Government to support the Melbourne Cup, and his efforts were rewarded with Melbourne Cup Day soon becoming a public holiday in Victoria.

Flemington Racecourse Featured Race Days

24 race days are held at Flemington Racecourse during the racing season, nine of which feature Group 1 feature races including the world-renowned Melbourne Cup. The Flemington track features as one of the major destinations during both the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Flemington Racecourse Autumn Carnival

Flemington Racecourse will host many major events during the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival beginning in late February. During the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival, the big days at Flemington Racecourse are Black Caviar Lightning Day, named after the famous mare whose distinguished career included 25 unbeaten races, and The All-Star Mile Day, Australia's only fan-voted horse event with a $5 million payoff.

Black Caviar Lightning Day - (Saturday, 19th February 2022)
The Group 1 fall racing action in Melbourne shifts to the famed Flemington track for this meeting, which features three Group grade races:

Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes 1000m $1,000,000 WFA
Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes 1400m $200,000 3YO
Group 3 The Vanity 1400m $200,000 3YO

Australian Guineas Day - (Saturday, 5th March 2022)
On the first Saturday in March 2022, Flemington Racecourse will once again be the centre of attention for the Australian Guineas Day, which will include the Australian Guineas, a $1 million mile race for three-year-old horses. There are currently a total of three Group grade events on the schedule:

Group 1 Australian Guineas 1600m $1,000,000 3YO
Group 2 Blamey Stakes 1600m $300,000 SW+P
Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes 1400m $200,000 SW+P

Flemington Super Saturday - (Saturday, 12th March 2022)
'Super Saturday' at Flemington Racecourse wraps up the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival with a double dose of Group 1 racing, followed by five Group events to complement the two $1.5 million dollar races on the card:

Group 1 Australian Cup 2000m $1,500,000 WFA
Group 1 Newmarket Handicap 1200m $1,500,000 HCP
Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes 1400m $300,000 2YO
Group 2 Kewney Stakes 1400m $300,000 3YO
Group 3 Matron Stakes 1600m $200,000 SW+P
Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes 1200m $200,000 2YO
Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap 1400m $200,000 HCP

The All-Star Mile Day - (Saturday, 19th March 2022)
The prestigious The All-Star Mile race, worth $5 million in prize money, will this year be held at Flemington Racecourse in mid-March 2022, the weekend after 'Super Saturday.' Flemington Racecourse became the first track to host the event twice, having previously hosted the inaugural edition in 2019.

The All-Star Mile 1600m $5,000,000 WFA
An All Star Day to finish the Flemington Racing Spectacular(All Star Mile 2022 video)

Flemington Racecourse Spring Carnival

Flemington Racecourse will once again play a significant role in the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, Australia's largest racing carnival. The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is conducted every year from mid-August to September, offering punters four months of the finest racing and betting activity.

During the spring carnival, Flemington Racecourse holds a number of famous events with large prize pools and intriguing betting possibilities for bettors, including the Makybe Diva Stakes, which is one of the first opportunities to witness this season's most exciting prospects go head-to-head and typically features as a good form predictor leading up to the larger races in October and November.

The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival finishes with the track's own four-day carnival, The Melbourne Cup Carnival. Flemington Racecourse hosts four days of group grade racing, including the race that stops the nation, the $7.75 million The Melbourne Cup.

Makybe Diva Stakes Day - (Saturday, 10th September 2022)
The first high-level betting opportunity of the spring at the Flemington track comes in mid-September when Flemington Racecourse hosts the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes for possible Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup hopefuls. Other notable races on the schedule include the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality for potential Sydney-bound The Everest horses.

Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes 1600m $1,000,000 WFA
Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality 1200m $300,000 HCP
Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes 1400m $300,000 SW+P

Turnbull Stakes Day - (Saturday, 1st October 2022)
Turnbull Stakes Day is set for early October at Flemington Racecourse, including the namesake Group 1 Turnbull Stakes, a great test for horses eyeing off the Caulfield Cup, which is run over 400 metres farther the following week. Many elite gallopers have placed in the Turnbull Stakes at the Flemington track before going on to win the Caulfield Cup, including Fawkner and Jameka in 2013 and 2016 respectively.

The Group 2 Danehill Stakes has been added to the Flemington Racecourse calendar for three-year-olds seeking to step up in distance in preparation for the Guineas races or the Coolmore Stud Stakes during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Group 1 Turnbull Stakes 2000m $1,000,000 SW+P
Group 2 Danehill Stakes 1200m $300,000 3YO
Group 2 Rose of Kingston Stakes 1400m $300,000 SW+P
Group 2 Gilgai Stakes 1200m $300,000 SW+P
Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes 1600m $300,000 3YO
Group 3 The Bart Cummings 2500m $750,000 HCP

Melbourne Cup Carnival

The 2022 Melbourne Cup Carnival takes place over four days at Flemington Racecourse and is part of the larger Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival. While each day of the carnival provides outstanding racing for both fans and punters, the legendary Melbourne Cup, which takes place on Day 2 of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, is the major draw for punters from Australia and around the world.

Victoria Derby Day - (Saturday, 29th October 2022)
The Melbourne Cup Carnival begins on Victoria Derby Day, the Saturday before Melbourne Cup Day. All of the events on the card have Group status, including four Group 1 races, making for an exciting betting day at Flemington Racecourse.

The Group 1 $2 million Victoria Derby features the best three-year-olds, while the Group 1 $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes allows punters to see how the best young sprinters perform down the Flemington straight. The Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes is also on the card for fillies and mares.

Group 1 Victoria Derby 2500m $2,000,000 3YO
Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes 1200m $2,000,000 3YO
Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes 1600m $1,000,000 WFA
Group 2 Wakeful Stakes 2000m $300,000 3YO
Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes 1200m $300,000 HCP (formerly the Salinger Stakes)
Group 3 Lexus Hotham Stakes 2500m $200,000 OPEN
Group 3 Begonia Belle Stakes 1100m $200,000 SW+P (raced as the Furphy Sprint)
Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes 1600m $500,000 3YO
Group 3 Chatham Stakes 1200m $200,000 HCP

2022 Melbourne Cup Day - (Tuesday, 1st November 2022)
Melbourne Cup Day, the event that fans all around the globe look forward to each spring, takes place on the first Tuesday of November each year at Flemington Racecourse and includes the world's richest handicap race, the Group 1 $7.75 million Melbourne Cup.

The Melbourne Cup field attracts a star-studded line-up of 24 local and foreign stayers to the Flemington track and stops the nation for around three minutes. Betting on the Melbourne Cup is an Aussie tradition, with Melbourne Cup betting available all year on potential runners.

Group 1 Melbourne Cup 3200m $7,750,000 HCP
Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate 1000m $200,000 2YO
Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes 1400m $200,000 SW+P

2022 VRC Oaks Day - (Thursday, 3rd November 2022) - Flemington Racecourse
VRC Oaks Day, held at Flemington Racecourse on the Thursday after Melbourne Cup Day, is commonly referred to as 'Ladies Day' and is highlighted by the three-year-old fillies competing in the Group 1 VRC Oaks. Many VRC Oaks winners went on to have more Group 1 success later in their careers, like 2015 champion Jameka, who won the Caulfield Cup as a four-year-old mare the following year.

Group 1 VRC Oaks 2500m $1,000,000 3YO
Group 3 Ottawa Stakes 1000m $200,000 2YO
Group 3 Red Roses Stakes 1100m $175,000 3YO

2022 VRC Champion Stakes Day - (Saturday, 5th November 2022) - Flemington Racecourse
The four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival concludes with the VRC Champions Stakes Day, formerly known as Mackinnon Stakes Day. Punters are treated to a range of Group 1 racing and betting action with the season's top sprinters competing on the Flemington straight in the Group 1 Champions Sprint, formerly known as the VRC Sprint Classic, while middle-distance gallopers, including some backing up from a Cox Plate run, compete in the Group 1 Champions Stakes.

The Mackinnon Stakes was renamed the Champions Stakes in 2022 and is now worth $3 million in an attempt to lure foreign runners to stay in Melbourne for a bit longer. The Champions Mile, previously run as the Cantala Stakes, has been relocated from VRC Derby Day to add to the day’s card in a further modification to the Melbourne Cup Carnival calendar at Flemington Racecourse for 2022.

Group 1 Champion Stakes 2000m $3,000,000 WFA (formerly the Mackinnon Stakes)
Group 1 Champions Sprint 1200m $3,000,000 WFA (formerly the VRC Sprint Classic)
Group 1 Champions Mile 1600m $3,000,000 WFA (formerly the Cantala Stakes)
Group 2 Matriarch Stakes 2000m $300,000 SW+P
Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2600m $300,000 OPEN

Promotions for Flemington Racecourse

Online bookies provide a wide variety of racing promotions and bonus bet offers on any given day, with many of them changing on a daily basis. Betting on races with promotions is a great strategy to lower the risk of your bet while boosting your return.

Flemington Racecourse is one of Australia's most popular racetracks, so it's no surprise that when it has meetings, most online bookmakers actively promote a variety of bonus bet offers.

Money back promotions, which let punters get their stake back if their horse finishes second or third, are commonplace in these promotions. More information on the latest bonus bet offerings at Flemington Racecourse can be found on our Bonus Bets page.

Online bookies such as Playup will often provide a variety of promotions that will appeal to both regular punters and those who only place one or two bets a year on events such as the Melbourne Cup.

However, there are various online bookies that provide fantastic daily promotions, if you want to take full advantage of all the bookies have to offer, start with OnlyRacing. To help you maximise your betting, we compare all bookmaker promotions in one place. OnlyRacing is the place to go if you're looking for horse racing promotions in Australia.

Flemington Racecourse Track Map

Flemington Racecourse is a large track with one of the longest straights in Australia at 450 metres, giving all horses an equal chance of winning. Flemington Racecourse also boasts a 1200-metre straight track for racing, which is known as "The Straight Six."

There is plenty of area for competing horses on the Flemington track, and races can be won by horses either who like to lead, race on the pace, or come in late from behind. If they are up to the effort and are ridden by a good jockey, all sorts of horses can win at Flemington Racecourse.

Need help with your selections for Flemington races today? OnlyRacing provides expert horse racing tips and advice to help you find a winner! Check out our Best Bets for upcoming races at Flemington Racecourse and other tracks.

Flemington Racecourse Starting Positions

1000m: The starting chute for this distance is located off the home straight. This start provides horses with a straight run through to the finishing post. Barriers are of little importance.
1200m: Similar to the 1000m start, this start is also located in a chute at the top of the Flemington straight, giving one long straight run to the winning post.
1400m: This begins in a chute off the Flemington Racecourse proper and provides a 200-metre straight run before a double sweeping bend to the Flemington straight. Barriers are usually unimportant, however, if the rail is out, drawing an inside gate has a slight advantage.
1600m: This start is located off the Flemington Racecourse proper in a small chute. Runners follow a bend to the 450-metre mark, where they make a turn home for the Flemington straight. Inside draws will provide horses with an advantage in the turn.
1800m: The start for this distance is located at the rear of the Flemington track on the course proper. Runners face an approximately 300-metre straight run through to the first turn. Inside draws can again provide an edge.
2000m: Starts at this distance are situated on the side of the Flemington track on the course proper. Most horses will have their shot, though because of the length of the Flemington straight, it is always tough to lead all the way at this track.
2500m: Located on the course proper in the Flemington straight, this start gives horses only a short straight of 200-metres before entering into a tight double turn. Inside barriers can provide an advantage here.
3200m: The famous Melbourne Cup start is located in a chute off to the rear of the Flemington straight. It offers runners a 900-meter straight run before entering the first double turn. Barriers are usually of little importance at a long distance like this.

What to do at Flemington Racecourse

The hill at Flemington Racecourse has always been a natural great place to watch the action, although it was not originally part of the racecourse. The VRC bought extra land surrounding Flemington Racecourse in the 19th century, the additional land extended the racecourse and included basic public grandstands, shelters and facilities.

The VRC spent $8.5 million in 1977 constructing their largest grandstand to date on top of the Flemington Racecourse hill. The four-tiered stand is located right next to the Flemington track overlooking the winning post and provides patrons with the ideal panoramic view from which to watch the races. The stand offers a variety of amenities, including restaurants, bars, bookmakers, and other spaces, and it is open to both members and the general public.

You can get a genuine Flemington Racecourse experience at any time, not only on race days. Headquarters Tavern is the go-to place to visit at Flemington Racecourse for superb cuisine, entertainment, and live racing. It is open to the public seven days a week.

Headquarters Tavern has TAB and KENO services, multiple screens throughout the restaurant to watch live racing and FOX Sports, onsite parking, and is conveniently positioned on ground level, next to the Hill Stand and Flemington Racecourse train station.

Visitors can also check out a guided walking tour of the Flemington Racecourse, including The Flemington Heritage Centre, which displays memorabilia from the Victoria Racing Club's archives and serves as a living history museum for the drama, fashion, and thrill of racing at Flemington Racecourse. The Flemington Heritage Centre is open weekdays by appointment.

Flemington Racecourse's manicured gardens, featuring the largest public rose garden in the Southern Hemisphere, may be visited at any time of year. The neighbouring Melbourne Showgrounds host a variety of world-class events such as Festival X, the Royal Melbourne Show, and MOTO Expo.

Adjoining Flemington Racecourse is Racecourse Road, which is packed with a variety of cafés and restaurants, while nearby Pin Oak Crescent boasts an abundance of fantastic shopping and great coffee. Shop for local produce at the Flemington Racecourse Markets, then pack a picnic and stroll down to the Flemington Racecourse outdoor cinema.

How to get to Flemington Racecourse

Car: Flemington Racecourse is roughly a 15-minute car trip from Melbourne CBD, just follow Princes Hwy north-west until you reach the Epsom Road roundabout.

Parking: On regular race days, a limited amount of public parking is available for $20 in the centre car park of Flemington Racecourse. Enter through the Stables Drive entrance off Smithfield Road. During the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, undercover parking is provided at Marvel Stadium. from there, racegoers can walk to Southern Cross Station and take a train to Flemington Racecourse.

Train: It is just a 10-minute train ride to Flemington Racecourse from Melbourne's Flinders Street Station on the Craigieburn Line. Simply get off at Newmarket and walk a short distance to Flemington Racecourse.

Tram: Hop aboard the Number 57 tram from along Elizabeth street which can take you to the Flemington Racecourse / Epsom Road stop, just outside the Flemington Racecourse.

Bus: Take Route 472 from Williamstown, Footscray, or Moonee Ponds to Fisher Parade, at the Riverbank entry, or Route 404 from Footscray or Moonee Ponds to Smithfield Road.

Taxi: Turn into Flemington Drive from Epsom Road. Near the Members Main Entrance, there is a taxi rank (left of the Phar Lap Statue) or racegoers can be dropped off in Leonard Crescent via Langs Road).