When was sandown park founded

Reilly spent years dreaming up the plan to build a new racecourse in Melbourne. But with the land purchased by the MRC being in such bad condition, much of it turning into swampland, it was clear that it would take years and a great deal of money to build it. For some time the MRC raced at other metropolitan racetracks while trying to raise much needed money to build its own course.

Reilly headed overseas in to study modern racecourse designs. After inspecting a number of tracks, he decided the design would be modeled on what he had seen in the U. The design had cambered turns, sweeping corners and a long straight with an uphill run to the finishing post. It also took into account the needs of spectators, with fantastic vantage points for everyone, a specific train station and lots of car parking.

At the time the National Coursing Association had also begun building a new greyhound racetrack nearby. It was this merger that finally meant the new racecourse could be built. Whilst the VATC began setting up and building the new track, the Light Club of Australia had also funded the building of a motor racing track on the outside of the racetrack.

It was the motor racing track that first opened for use, with racing starting in The track has been, and still is, a premium car racing circuit in Melbourne, it is one of the last permanent racetracks located in a metropolitan city in the world. The circuit has had its share of fame too, with names like Fangio, Moss, Brabham and Brock racing there. Throughout summer, a number of cycling clubs even uses the track to stage weekly races.

After years of hard work and some speed bumps along the way, the stunning new Sandown Racetrack was finally ready for racing in There was a great deal of excitement around Melbourne, with nearly 20, people turning up to an open day one week before racing had even begun.

The first thoroughbred race on 19 June was the m Port Phillip Hurdle, with the Bon Hoysted trained Amphion winning in front of the huge crowd. Samson, who passed away 16 years after that win, is actually buried not far from the finishing post at Sandown. Over the years, a number of horses have taken a liking to the Sandown track.

The course launched the Whitbread Gold Cup in and the Tingle Creek Chase, named after the speedy chaser who won at Sandown many times in the s. The Queen Mother and Lord Oaksey made frequent visits to the course and hinted that this was their favourite course.

In the same way that many Aintree fences are known the world over, so the group of railway fences and the Pond fence have built up a similar reputation. Currently the course hosts 26 fixtures annually.

Thursday 22nd April The Trial Stakes over a mile 1. Sivori, 3 year old owned by Mr T Smith and ridden by Rossiter 2. Boatman, 5 year old owned by Mr Mumford and ridden by Newhouse 3. Racing first took place in the Surrey town of Croydon on Croydon Common in , although there was then a lapse before a more formal period of racing began in The oval course was a mile and three furlongs in circumference, slightly downhill from the mile to 6 furlong marker, but then with an incline leading up to the winning post.

Steeplechase and Flat meetings took place for the next 30 years, although they were often blighted by the weather. In , and again in , meetings had to be constantly postponed due to snow and frost. The final 2 day meeting was held on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th October Wednesday 15th October The Welter Handicap over a mile 1. Lamprey owned by Mr W Heasman 2. Jarretieres owned by Mr J McKenna 3. Sobriety owned by Mr T S Starkey. He did not run as a 2 year old, and changed hands in for guineas to Mr Hedworth T Barclay.

The next year he was defeated in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood as well as the Cambridgeshire, but as a 6 year old he won the Lincoln and the Hardwicke Stakes at Ascot.

Starting in , J. On the other northern side of the highway there is Sandown Village, another residential locality, with a small shopping centre and the Sandown post office in Police Road. In the railway line Oakleigh to Gippsland was opened, and in the Oakleigh Park racecourse opened, despite the location being 9 km south-east of Oakleigh.

It was renamed Sandown Park in after the racecourse south-west of London, in Surrey. A railway siding was provided for racecourse meetings. In the s a greyhound race track was opened south of the railway station.