Sandown Races
Introduction
Sandown Racecourse, or Ladbrokes Park, is a Racecourse run by the Melbourne Racing Club.
It’s the only metropolitan Racecourse of it’s type to be built in the 20th century, and was first opened in 1965.
Sandown Racecourse features two differing tracks, with Hillside the larger of the two. This course has a 2087m circumference and a 407m straight.
Lakeside is the smaller of the two courses, with a matching 407m straight. The difference here is the circumference, rounding in at 1857. This anti clockwise track has an extremely steep rise in the home straight, which lasts until the winning post. This suits stronger finishers.
In 1997, Sandown actually established it’s very own quarantine centre due to a mass increase in international horses, which attended the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
In 1999 the course made history with major renovations, and also included a new race, the Sandown Classic. This was changed from a handicap event to a weight-for-age… as well as an increase in prize money.
The Sandown Classic is now the most famous race at the course, and is a Group 2 weight-for-age race for horses 2 years old and over.
This event takes place a week after the Emirates Stakes Day, and is a 2400m race with a whopping $350,00 prize pool.
The Sandown Guineas is also a Group 2 Race, but rounds in at 1600m, set weight, for 3 year old horses. This race I s often regarded as the last prestigious race of the season.
Sandown Racecourse Details:
Address: 591-659 Princes Highway
Suburb: Springvale, Victoria
Phone Number: (03) 9518 1362
Website: https://mrc.racing.com/
Circumference: 2087 metres
Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Track Type: Turf
Key Sandown Races
The Sandown Cup ranks highly amongst the top races in the Country and is run in mid-Sandown each Spring.
Check out other Key Sandown Racecourse Details Below:
| Race Name | Distance | Group Level | Prize Money |
| Sandown Stakes | 1500m | Group 3 | $160,000 |
| Sandown Guineas | 1600m | Group 2 | $250,000 |
| Sandown Cup | 3200m | Group LR | $150,000 |
| Zipping Classic | 2400m | Group 2 | $250,000 |
| Eclipse Stakes | 1800m | Group 3 | $160,000 |
Sandown Racing Tips
Sandown Racecourse Barrier and Starting Positions
Sandown Racecourse Barrier and Starting Positions
1000m (Hillside) Barrier begins at the best of the course, with a straight run down the turf at 500m to the home straight. Barriers are usually of little importance at this distance.
1200m (Lakeside) Barriers begin on the back straight of the course proper, where you then have to pull against two sharp turns, before finally entering the home straight. Inside barriers are a definite advantage in larger fields due to the turn of foot needed in these turns.
1400m (Hillside and Lakeside) Barriers are both situated on the back straight, and there is little to no bias on the start of this Hillside Track. There’s a shorter straight on the first turn, on the Lakeside track, which gives inner barriers a larger advantage.
1600m (Lakeside) and 1800m (Hillside) Barriers both begin in a chute off the back of the home straight. They both have a long straight run down the back of the course with a first turn coming later in the run. This distance probably has the most inconsequential barriers, due to the length of the primary straight, and the distance in which the turn comes in.
2100m (Lakeside) and 2200m (Hillside) Barriers being in the home straight right in front of the Grandstand. Horses will race for around 400m before finally hitting the first turn. Inside barriers are of slight advantage here, as outer gates will have to push hard in the beginning to the rails before the first turn.
2400m (Hillside and Lakeside) Barriers start at the very top of the home straight. There’s a long run before the first turn, which makes barriers almost obsolete. Horses and jockeys alike are also given ample distance to make up ground which may be lost due to an outer barrier.
Sandown Race Results
| Race Name | Winning Horse | Prize Money | Odds |
| Sandown Stakes | Junipal | $160,000 | $3.60 |
| Sandown Guineas | Allibor | $250,000 | $4.40 |
| Sandown Cup | Carif | $150,000 | $4.80 |
| Zipping Classic | Sound | $250,000 | $5.00 |
| Ladies Day Vase | Sovereign Award | $200,000 | $3.10 |
| Eclipse Stakes | So Si Bon | $160,000 | $9.50 |
| Kevin Heffernan Stakes | Kemalpasa | $160,000 | $3.70 |
| Doveton Stakes | Shamino | $140,000 | $4.20 |
Thrilling finish to Ladbrokes Sandown Guineas with Allibor breaking his duck in a Group 2. The 18th SW for @VineryStud’s All Too Hard, Allibor was sold by @BlueGumFarm to Symon Wilde & Cameron Cooke for $60,000 at the 2019 @inglis_sales Melbourne Premier. #ItPaysToBuyAustralian pic.twitter.com/LTx22DCINu
— Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) November 14, 2020
Getting to the Track
Getting to Sandown Racecourse is pretty easy if you live in the Melbourne CBD. If you want to travel to the track, here’s how to do it.
Train
The nearest Train Station is Sandown Park Station, which you’re able to reach on either the Cranbourne or Pakenham Lines. The Racecourse is right next to the station, so no need to worry about walking distance.
If you check out the Metlink website, they’ll provide you with all the info you need to plan your journey to Sandown Racecourse
Car
It’s going to take you about half an hour to get to Sandown Racecourse along the Monash Freeway from the Melbourne CBD. Sandown Racecourse is located on Princes Highway in Springvale, which is about 20kms south east of the Melbourne CBD.
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