Morphettville Races
Introduction
Morphettville Racecourse hosts a liturgy of races in South Australia, and is considered Adelaide’s primary racetrack.
Top races for the season include the Adelaide Cup, Robert Sangster Stakes, and The Goodwood.
Morphettville Racecourse also features two racetracks, the course proper, and the Morphettville Parks track.
The park is located only 5km from the Adelaide City Centre, and is home of the South Australian Jockey Club.
The track is a whopping 2,339m in circumference, and features a 334m straight.
It sits in an anti-clockwise direction, with three chutes located at the 1,200, 1,800 and 2,000m marks.
The track sits at a high level of prestige – and since its resurfacing in 2002, has been rated the best track in the Southern Hemisphere.
The course has a wide and open layout, ad is strongly considered one of the fairest grounds for horses to race on.
Metro races are hosted every Saturday arvo, with the venue also home to the South Australia Derby and the Goodwood Handicap.
The course sits on 25 hectares of garden, offering spectators plenty of venue options.
Morphettville Racecourse Details
Address: 79 Morphett Road
Suburb: Morphettville, SA, 5043
Phone Number: (08) 8295 0111
Circumference: 2,339m
Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Track Type: Turf
Key Morphettville Races
| Race | Distance | Group Level | Prizemoney |
| Adelaide Cup | 3,200m | Group 1 | $400,000 |
| Robert Sangster Stakes | 1,200m | Group 1 | $400,000 |
| The Goodwood | 1,200m | Group 1 | $750,000 |
Morphettville Racing Tips
Morphettville Racecourse Barrier and Starting Positions
1000m & 1100m: Situated on the side of the course, with a short straight which leads into the home turn. Inside barriers have a distinct advantage due to the minor length of the straight, and the distance needed to cut inside before the final turn.
1200m: There’s a straight run here of more than 300m, before runners head into the home turn. Due to the length of the straight, inside barriers here are of little to no importance.
1500m & 1600m: Start at the back of the course, on the straight, before merging into a long sweeping turn. Barriers here are again of little to no importance, due to the fact that the first straight run gives ample time for wider drawn runners to make ground.
1800m: Begin in a chute just off the back straight. There’s a very long straight run before the first turn, meaning barriers are of little to no importance.
2000m: Start just after the winning post – due to the distance, barriers are of no importance.
2500m: There’s a straight run just before the winning post, which carries out until the first turn of the track. This leaves barriers as irrelevant.
3200m: The only race run here is the Adelaide Cup, which begins just before the turn into the home straight. There is little importance of barriers here, due to the distance involved, but it is usually preferred to begin from an inside gate to allow for ample advantage.
The Morphetville Parks Barriers and Starting Positions
1000m: Begin on the side of the course, immediately hitting a long straight run to the home turn. This leaves barriers of no importance, even at this distance.
1250m: Begins in a long chute inside of the main course, barriers have a more slight advantage here, due to the two turns.
1400m: Starts at the top of the inside chute. This requires another long straight run to the first turn, leaving barriers of no importance.
1950m (2000m): Gates are situated just after the winning post, with ample time to cut to the inside. If you’ve drawn a wider barrier, don’t fret – they’re of little importance at this distance.
2300m & 2400m: There’s a long straight run before the first turn, just out of the home straight. Once again, barriers are irrelevant.
Getting to the Track
There are multiple ways to get to the Morphetville Races.
Tram: Tram is the easiest way to get to the track – with the nearest station, Stop 12 Morphett Road on the Adelaide Metro. Morphettville Racecourse is directly opposite this stop (and it’s close to Maccas for afterwards!)
Check out Adelaide Metro to see tram timetables for race days.
Bus: Adelaide City Buses stop along Anzac Highway, and are a short walking distance to the track. They also stop on Morphett Road.
Check out a full bus timetable on Adelaide Metro Website.
Car: Morphetville Racecourse is located only 10 minutes from the Adelaide CBD. There’s parking around, but it would definitely be a better idea to catch public transport – it can be hard to find a park.
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