horse racing club victoria australia

The Victoria Racing Club VRC

vrc The Victoria Racing Club (1864) evolved from two earlier rival clubs, the Victoria Turf Club (1852) and Victoria Jockey Club (1857), who disbanded to create the new club. They had previously run their own separate race meetings at the racecourse. Before the Victoria Turf Club began, self-appointed committees of interested horse owners had organised the annual races.

From 1864 until the end of 2001 the VRC acted as the principal authority responsible for the conduct of racing in Victoria. It now participates in Racing Victoria Ltd which fulfils that role.

The first Melbourne races were run annually in the autumn. In 1854 the Victoria Turf Club (VTC) decided to run a spring meeting as well, when the countryside was at its best and the weather the most dramatic. It was the VTC which thought up the idea of a Melbourne Cup, a handicap race over two miles with a rich prize. This was first run in November 1861 and attracted top inter-colonial horses - including the winner, Archer, from New South Wales.

The newly-formed Victoria Racing Club (VRC) took over the race in time for its fourth running, in 1864, and has run it at Flemington every spring without fail since that time, as its feature race for the year.

Flemington is the best-known racecourse in Australia. It is the oldest continuing metropolitan racecourse – there have been races here every year since 1840.

http://www.flemington.com.au/victoria-racing-club/