Flemington Horse Racing Track in Australia
Mark Twain was almost never at a loss for words, so any horse racing enthusiast who has not yet been to the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne can well imagine the charms of a track which stunned even the fabled man of words into sheer amazement! Actually, Mark Twain’s dumbfounded response at the spectacle of Australia’s most glorious horse racing gem was rather eloquent, for mere words do incomplete justice to the sheer grandeur and harmony of the vast grounds and imperial structures.
Melbourne is a worthy host for the regal beauty of Flemington, for it is truly one of the most desirable places to live on earth. Melbourne holds treasure chests for visitors as well as for residents, so this is one horse racing trip for which your family can bear no grudge – if you decide to take them along. The city is an intriguing and blend of urban convenience and proximity to nature – it is a bit like an urban wonder in a pastoral setting! Melbourne should score over most of its peers in terms of city attractions, and this applies to horse racing at the Flemington Racecourse in full measure.
You do not have to be a horse racing enthusiast to fall in love with Flemington, though the heady aroma of new grass, the thunder of pounding hooves, the elegance of top fashion, the pleasures of fine dining, and the infectious enthusiasm of punters, may well entice you to take to the sport with consuming passion! The most endearing quality of the Flemington Racecourse is that the designers and administrators seem to have considered everyone. Infants can be fed and changed, and punters with physical handicaps will be at ease all over the grounds.
The racecourse is replete with history, and even has its own railway line. The enchanting Maribyrnong River is so close that the man-made structures seem to blend into its banks without seams. More than 100,000 people converge on this expanse on important race days, of which the Melbourne Cup is clearly the premier by far – all of Australia is said to hold its collective breath and step when this incredible race is run each year!
Let the fairy tales of Flemington not mislead you about the challenging nature of the track! The surface is firm and the straight all of 6 furlongs: the sturdiest horses are tested to the limits of equine stamina here! Phar Lap is the unchallenged King of this track, having once raced here in the 1930s with a handicap of 68 kilograms! A metal statue stands as a graceful tribute in the environs of the grounds over which he once reigned.
