Morphettville Racecourse

View of the racecourse and winners circle from the grandstand

Coordinates: 34°58′41″S 138°32′34″E / 34.978076°S 138.542747°E / -34.978076; 138.542747 Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing track for the Australian state of South Australia. It is situated in the Adelaide suburb of Morphettville, and is about 10 km from the Adelaide city centre. It is home to the South Australian Jockey Club.

History

After years of using facilities at the East Parklands (later known as Victoria Park) rented from the Adelaide City Council, the S.A.J.C. acquired its own freehold property at Morphettville and held its first meeting there on 3 January 1876.^[1] A breakaway group, the Adelaide Racing Club continued to hold race meetings at the "Old Adelaide Racecourse".

Race courses

The course proper at Morphettville is a long, flat course with a circumference of 2307 metres. The track is 32 m wide and features wide turns with a camber of 4% that provide every chance for strong finishers.

The second track, known as "The Parks", was official opened in June 2009. The Morphettville Parks track has a circumference of 2100 metres, and the track is 25 m wide and 5% chamber on the turns. It provides a fair chance for all runners. A chute through the centre of the course that runs between the 850 m and 1550 m points provides for 1250, 1300 and 1400 metre starts.

A retractable winning post with hydraulics enables the SAJC the flexibility to alternate the running of races with minimal damage to both tracks especially with races taking place mid week and increased racing through the winter months. It was installed in 2009, and is a world first.

Wetlands

The Morphettville Racecourse Wetland was an initiative of the Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board and the South Australian Jockey Club. It was constructed by the Board and the Jockey Club during 2001/2002.

The wetland covers an area of 3.5 hectares, in the middle of the racecourse on the corner of Anzac Highway and Morphett Road. The catchment area for the wetland includes stormwater flow from two drains in Bray Street, south of the racecourse. Water enters a sediment pond where floating litter is collected in a net and large materials settle out. The water is then piped into the wetland, where it travels through a series of deep and shallow marshes. An aquifer storage and recovery system (ASR) has been constructed at the wetland.

The water flowing out of the wetland is ideal for irrigation as it has very low salinity. During winter months, water is captured and pumped into a tertiary limestone aquifer below the racecourse. During the summer months, the water in the aquifer is recovered and used for irrigation. Up to 600 megalitres of water a year is recharged into the aquifer. This exceeds the amount required to irrigate the racecourse.

Transport

The racecourse is just off Anzac Highway, Morphett Rd, Morphettville. Entry is via Morphett Rd entrance or Tramway entrance. A taxi rank is located inside the Members' Car Park, where taxis will make pick ups and drop offs throughout the day. The Glenelg Tram operates throughout the day from North Tce, and Victoria Square (Adelaide), through to Moseley Square (Glenelg). The tram stops on Morphett Road adjacent to the Morphettville Racecourse (Stop 12).

Car parking at Morphettville can be found at the following locations: Morphett Road Adjacent to the Members' entrance on the opposite side of the road to the racecourse. Anzac Highway, Morphettville Junction car park, entrance to the racecourse over the tram line.

Races

View of the main grandstand

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Morphettville Racecourse.

References

External links

• South Australian Jockey Club
• Morphettville track
• 'The Parks' inner track
• Hydraulic Winning Post
• Morphettville Racecourse Wetland fact sheet