Melbourne Racing Club

The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) traces its history back to 1875 when the Victoria Amateur Turf Club was first formed.  Horse racing commenced at Caulfield in 1876 when a course at Caulfield, then an outer Melbourne suburb, was carved out of the local heathland, became affectionately known as 'The Heath' and has been home to the Club ever since.

There are approximately 24 horse racing meetings held each year with the major race being the Caulfield Cup - an event that was first run on the 05th April 1879.  Caulfield Cup is now run in October and culminates a week of racing at Caulfield to launch the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival - an internationally recognised event.  The Carnival runs for approximately six weeks and ends with the running of the Sandown Classic at the Club's facilities at Sandown Racecourse (Betfair Park). 

The MRC are excited to present the vision for the proposed development of Caulfield Village - a vibrant village where its community and surrounding suburbs will be able to live, work shop and relax. The Club has set aside approximately five hectares of its land, located north of the racecourse for the Caulfield Village proposal.  This area has been identified as a Major Activity Centre under Melbourne 2030 and is seen as a strategic site  for development in the metropolitan area.

The development requires a planning scheme amendment, which has been four and half years in the making and the Club hopes to launch Caulfield Village in mid 2011.  Over 3,000 jobs will be generated during construction and 2,000 ongoing jobs upon completion.  Caulfield Village will present a wide range of opportunities for businesses and investors alike.

There are three distinct precincts within Caulfield Village - the Residential Precinct, a Mixed Use Precinct and Smith Street Precinct.  The overall development will provide for approximately 1,200 residential units including a proposed 55+ lifestyle village, over 15,000m2 of retail space including a supermarket, speciality shops, cafes and restaurants, a 100 bed short term accommodation offering and 20,000m2 of commercial/office space.

A feature of the Caulfield Village is the creation of a new 'village styled street' within the retail precinct known as 'The Boulevard' - this street will include safe pedestrian access and crossings, cycling lanes and wide open footpaths.  Within a five minute walk from the centre of Caulfield Village is a choice of public transport options including Caulfield Train Station.

Caulfield Village is located directly across from the iconic Caulfield Racecourse and this offers a variety of recreational opportunities.  Along with the race meetings held throughout the year, the Club also caters for events and shows such as ABC Garden Show, Pet Expo and the Camping and Caravan Touring Show.  Public access to the Centre of the Racecourse is available from 9.30am till sunset for approximately 320 days of the year.  The Centre facilities will shortly receive a major upgrade to provide for better access around the lake, running and walking tracks, BBQ's, toilets/baby change and a shaded, soft fall childrens play area. 

Melbourne Racing Club is proud to be part of the Caulfield Village development, which will provide for much needed employment and business growth to the area and secure the long term sustainable future of the Club for the benefit of members, racegoers, the local community and broader Melbourne.