Ararat Racecourse History

The gateway to Victoria’s Wimmera region, Ararat is situated on the Western Highway, approximately 200 km west of Melbourne. Gold was discovered there in 1857, and although the ensuing rush was relatively short-lived the boom period marked the beginning of organised thoroughbred racing in the town.

Under the auspices of the Ararat Turf Club, Ararat racecourse hosted its first meeting over four days from 15 December 1857, making it one of the oldest courses in Victoria. According to the Mount Ararat Advertiser 5000 people attended the first day of racing, a figure which had grown to 8000 by day three.

No doubt the instant popularity of the races convinced the fledgling club that it needed a grandstand. Using bricks left over from the construction of the Aradale Mental Hospital, a grandstand was erected in the early 1870s. Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the grandstand could well be the oldest building still in use on a Victorian racetrack. 

The track at Ararat Racecourse is laid out magnificently with a 2000 metre circumference and a width of 18 metres. The home straight is 350 metres long with a slight incline approaching the winning post, and the turns are banked, giving all horses a fair chance.

In 1998 the newly formed Wimmera Racing Club assumed control of racing at Ararat Racecourse with a view to ensuring the long-term survival of the historic course. In 2007, 150 years after the Ararat Turf Club’s inaugural meeting, more than 2000 revelers enjoyed the racing and hospitality on offer at the town’s Cup Day meeting, continuing the rich tradition of racing in Ararat.