Racing Victoria (RV) and the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) have today announced changes to the race dates schedule for December 2024.
With the Sportsbet Sandown tracks to undergo a re-skin from October to January and a renovation of the Caulfield course proper scheduled from mid-December, the Caulfield Heath track will play an increased role in summer.
The MRC has previously conducted a renovation of the Caulfield course proper following the Sportsbet Blue Diamond Stakes meeting each February.
With the allocation of the Victoria Owners and Breeders Raceday to Caulfield on 15 March 2025, the course proper renovation will now need to occur following the Caulfield Spring Finale meeting on Saturday, 30 November.
Accordingly, the Caulfield meeting scheduled for Saturday, 14 December will move from the course proper to the Caulfield Heath.
In addition, the twilight meeting on Wednesday, 18 December, which was unallocated at the time of release for the 2024-25 Race Dates, will also be held on the Caulfield Heath.
With Caulfield’s traditional Boxing Day meeting already allocated to the Caulfield Heath in the 2024-25 Race Dates, the new racetrack will play a pivotal role in allowing the important works to occur at Sportsbet Sandown and on the course proper.
Racing will resume on the Caulfield course proper on Saturday, 25 January 2025 for the traditional Australia Day weekend meeting featuring the Sportsbet Blue Diamond Previews.
With the amendments announced today, the Caulfield Heath is now scheduled to host 12 meetings in the 2024-25 season, including eight during summer.