26-551: The Doncaster Mile , registered as the Doncaster Handicap is an Australian Turf Club Group One Thoroughbred handicap race for horses three years old and older, held over 1,600 metres at Royal Randwick Racecourse , Sydney , Australia . Although the race has traditionally been held on Easter Monday , the race is now run on the first day of the ATC Championships Carnival at Royal Randwick. Total prize money
52-514: A home straight of 410m. On 14 October 2017, the inaugural running of The Everest was held at Royal Randwick. The Everest is the richest race in Australia and the richest turf race in the world with $ 15 million in prize money. Since 2014, Randwick hosts The Championships, a two-day season-ending meeting in April that offers over AUD$ 20 million in prize money. It features several Group 1 races such as
78-921: A merger due to financial issues, STC members voted against a merger as they were financially stable. Nevertheless, the board of the STC decided to proceed with a merger. The Australian Jockey and Sydney Turf Clubs Merger Act 2010 merged the two clubs under the name of the Australian Turf Club. Five venues are operated by the ATC: ATC's Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival includes the Golden Slipper Carnival at Rosehill Gardens consisting of Ladies Day, Golden Slipper Day and Stakes Day, followed by three racedays at Royal Randwick: The Championships Day 1 (Derby Day), The Championships Day 2 (Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day) and All Aged Stakes Day. The Everest Carnival in spring features
104-440: A very handsome new Grandstand." The following is a list of Group races which are contested at Randwick Racecourse. Besides horseracing, Randwick Racecourse has been used as a venue for many other events including concerts and religious masses . In 1970, Pope Paul VI celebrated mass at Randwick as part of his pastoral visit to Australia. The Racecourse was also the site of a mass held by Pope John Paul II in 1995 for
130-586: A year at the tracks and empowered it to wind up other proprietary clubs that still existed in the Sydney area through a special Racing Compensation Fund. Both the AJC and the STC had co-existed as independent bodies since the early 1940s. However, the first push for a merger came at the start of the century, with STC chairman Graeme Pash opening up the possibility of a merger during his tenure. Mentioned briefly in jest by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Craig Young in 2003,
156-596: Is A$ 4,000,000. The inaugural running of the Doncaster Handicap in 1866. The 1892 running of the race attracted a record 30 starters. In 1930 the race was marred by a tragic fall 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 furlongs from the winning post when one of the favourites fell and another was destroyed. Many great horses have won the race, including several who have also won the spring equivalent, the Epsom Handicap , while Super Impose created history in 1990 and 1991 by becoming
182-608: Is a racecourse for horse racing located in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney , New South Wales . Randwick Racecourse is Crown Land leased to the Australian Turf Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters. The racecourse is located about six kilometres south-east from the Sydney Central Business District in the suburb of Randwick . The course proper has a circumference of 2224m with
208-556: Is a private space for racehorse owners. The pavilion was constructed at the same time as the new QEII Grandstand and ToTH. The Paddock Stand replaced the St Leger Stand and Grandstand and was a two-storey, long, horizontal structure. The stand was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in February 1992, it was also on this occasion that the Queen certified Randwick as "Royal". The Paddock Stand
234-632: The Australian Derby , Doncaster Handicap and Queen Elizabeth Stakes . Other annual events include the Sydney Carnival , Spring Carnival and the Chinese Festival of Racing. In January 1833, NSW Governor Richard Bourke designated the land for use as a racecourse. Up until then, Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD had been the main venue for racing within the city. The first race held at Randwick
260-587: The Australian Jockey Club ( AJC ) and the Sydney Turf Club ( STC ) merged. The ATC primarily operates out of their offices at Randwick Racecourse and employs approximately 270 full-time staff and over 1,000 casual staff across the five venues. The venues include Randwick, Rosehill Gardens , Canterbury Park , Warwick Farm and the Rosehill Bowling Club. The Australian Jockey Club (AJC)
286-577: The Beatification ceremony of Australia's first potential saint Mary MacKillop . It was also the site of the vigil and final mass of World Youth Day 2008 in July 2008. Racing was stopped for several weeks, due to the alterations needed to hold over 400,000 people. This move had been opposed by the Randwick Trainers Association, which holds lease interests over some areas intended to be used for
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#1732879917885312-643: The Victoria Racing Club , formulated the Rules of Racing that are followed by all Australian race clubs. The Sydney Turf Club (STC) was founded in 1943 and was the youngest of Australia's principal race clubs. It was formed following an Act passed by the New South Wales parliament called the Sydney Turf Club Act. The Act had taken 40 years to draft and gave the club the power to hold 62 race meetings
338-499: The Horse, also known as the "ToTH", is an outdoor auditorium for the presentation of thoroughbred racehorses both before and after a race. The ToTH is linked to the track-front via a tunnel in which the horses access the track. The ToTH has a capacity of 4,500 and is also used for live music events and functions. The construction of the ToTH was not without controversy, many racegoers have criticised
364-526: The Queens or Royal Stand was constructed in 1910 and remained until 1998. The First Grandstand was constructed for the first race meeting at Randwick and was made of American timber. Designed by architect John Frederick Hilly , it was intended to be temporary but stood for 15 years. The Second Grandstand, also known as the Paddock Stand, was constructed to replace the initial grandstand constructed on site. It
390-516: The distance of the race was 9 furlongs . The race name was changed in 2010 to the Doncaster Mile, although the race is not exactly 1 mile. That was the distance of the race before 1973 when the metric system was introduced in Australia. Notes: Australian Turf Club Australian Turf Club ( ATC ) owns and operates thoroughbred racing, events and hospitality venues across Sydney , Australia. The ATC came into being on 7 February 2011 when
416-453: The event. The dispute was resolved, by the federal government and the state government jointly pledging $ 40 million as reimbursement to the racing industry. The famous racecourse has also appeared in several films, including Mission: Impossible 2 . Randwick Racecourse is also used as an exam venue by the University of New South Wales . In addition, the annual Future Music Festival
442-613: The first real push for a merger came with the release of a report by Ernst & Young in June 2009 which recommended that a merger would save the New South Wales racing industry from collapse. The Government of New South Wales pledged $ 174 million for Sydney racing if the merger went ahead, including a major revitalisation of Randwick Racecourse . The move for a merger was controversial, with members of both clubs hesitant to lose their respective identities. While AJC members voted in favour of
468-503: The land was officially granted to the AJC and was held until 2011 when the AJC and the Sydney Turf Club (STC) merged to become the Australian Turf Club (ATC). The ATC are the current operators of Royal Randwick Racecourse. On 22 February 1992, Queen Elizabeth II visited Randwick Racecourse and opened the Paddock Stand. On this date, upon request, the Queen granted permission for the venue to be known as Royal Randwick. From this date
494-456: The only horse to win both races on two occasions. Legendary trainer T.J. Smith won the race seven times. The record time for the race was set by Belmura Lad in 1979 with a time of 1:33.70. Beaten in 2018 by fan favourite Happy Clapper in 1.33.17. In 2005 trainer Guy Walter trained the trifecta in this race with Patezza (1st), Courts In Session (2nd) and Danni Martine (3rd). It was the first time that this has been achieved. From 1879 to 1884
520-504: The space for not being located trackside. The Saddling Paddock Tote Building, known as the Octagonal bar, is located behind the main grandstand. It was initially constructed in 1917 to house a totalisator , the fourth in the world to be installed. The building is now used as an event space and a bar on race days. The Owners Pavilion is located directly adjacent to the Theatre of the Horse and
546-518: The venue was officially able to be referred to as 'Royal Randwick'. An extract from a letter from Kenneth Scott , Deputy Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, to the club reads: "You do not need me to tell you how much The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh enjoyed their visit to the Royal Randwick Racecourse today. Her Majesty was particularly glad that she was able, on this occasion, to legitimise your traditional title of "Royal" and to open
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#1732879917885572-782: The world's richest race on turf - the $ 15m The Everest , run in October over 1200m at Royal Randwick. It also features the new "Golden Slam", which gives horses the opportunity to win the Golden Slipper Stakes at age 2, the Golden Rose at age 3 and the Golden Eagle at age 4, with an added $ 5 million in prizemoney for the trio. In 2008 the Autumn Carnival was delayed by four weeks due to the 2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak. Randwick Racecourse Royal Randwick Racecourse
598-473: Was a private event held in June 1833. The course was originally known as the 'Sandy Course' due to the condition of the ground. In 1840 racing ceased at the venue and was only used for training. In the early 1840s, the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) was formed and in 1860 moved its headquarters to Randwick. In May of that year, racing resumed at the venue with a crowd of 6,000 people attending. In 1863
624-408: Was demolished in 2012 to make way for the new QEII Grandstand. The Tea House was a large structure at 50m long, 27m wide and two storeys high and could accommodate 1,000 racegoers. The original Tea house burnt down in 1917 and was immediately reconstructed to the same specifications. The Tea House was demolished in 2012 as part of the upgrades to the current layout. The Ladies Stand, also known as
650-615: Was founded in January 1842. It morphed from the former Australian Racing Committee set up in May 1840 to set the standards for racing in the colony. Races were held at the newly established Homebush Course which was headquarters of NSW racing until 1860. The AJC was considered the senior racing club in Australia and was responsible for founding the Australian Stud Book , which the combined club still oversees today. The club also, in conjunction with
676-522: Was held at the racecourse from 2006 until it was cancelled in 2015. The Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Grandstand is the main grandstand building. Originally constructed in 1969, it was torn down to its bare structure and rebuilt into the current state in 2012 and reopened to the public in 2013. It is 110m in length and 6 storeys high. The Official / Members Stand was constructed in 1886 and still remains today although it has been extended and modified multiple times, in 1907, 1914 and 1920. The Theatre of
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