Sunshine Coast Racecourse in Australia

Sunshine Coast Racecourse is situated about 89 kilometres north of Brisbane and is less than an hour’s distance. It is however minutes from the City of Caloundra. The racecourse is managed by the Sunshine Coast Turf Club and is considered to be Australia’s best training and thoroughbred racing establishments.

Races at the Sunshine Coast Racecourse are held every third Friday, every Sunday and on special race days. Night races are held and the tracks are lit up with just less than 1 000 lights. The first ever meeting held here was in 1985. The Sunshine Coast is a popular holiday destination which attracts many to the racecourse.

There is a laid back environment surrounding the racecourse which resonates with the locals and visitors who tend to be attracted to the Sunshine coasts golden beaches and laid back way of life. There are another three racecourses situated nearby to the Sunshine Coast Racecourse. These are the Doomben Racecourse, the Eagle Farm Racecourse and the Ipswitch Racecourse.

The Sunshine Coast Racecourse Tracks

The Sunshine Coast Racecourse has two separate tracks one being turf and the other being synthetic. Both of these tracks are run alongside each other in a clockwise direction.

The main track is the turf track which is around 1 950 metres with a 400 metre home straight. This track has little bias as there are chutes at many of the starting points and both the front and back straights are quite long. This means that barriers and placement of the horses is not much of a concern and all horses racing have almost an equal chance of winning with Caulfield Cup betting.

Inside the turf track is the synthetic track which is an all-weather friendly track that was installed due to the long rainy seasons of the area. This track is called the cushion track and has a 1 760 metre circumference. Much like the turf track, this track is fair regardless of starting points and position. There is a 400 metre home straight.

The Sunshine Coast Racecourse is considered to be one of the best in the country because of its fairness and the long open bends that allow horses at the rear a good opportunity to win. The starting points at 1 300 metres and 1 400 metres offer the least need for barriers.

Race Day Events at Sunshine Coast Racecourse

The Sunshine Coast Racecourse holds four major annual events which include the Sunshine Coast Cup in January which is run over a distance of 1 400 metres, the Ladies Oaks Day held on the Caloundra Show holiday, the Caloundra Cup held in June and July and is part of Melbourne’s Winter Carnival and the Melbourne Cup Day. The Caloundra Cup is a listed race that is run over the distance of 2 400 metres.

June also sees the Glasshouse race which is a listed race run over the distance of 1 400 metres. Apart from these four major racing events there are more than 70 other race days that occur every year. The racecourse attracts all ages who enjoy the laid back atmosphere.