Morphettville Racecourse

Morphettville Racecourse is the main horse racing track for South Australia. It is situated in the suburb of Morphettville in Adelaide, Australia, and is about 10km from the centre of the city. It is home to the South Australian Jockey Club.

Alan Scott Park Morphettville is host to around 70 race days and hosts some of Australia's best Group races including the Adelaide Cup, The Goodwood, and the Robert Sangster Stakes.

View of the racecourse and winners circle from the grandstand

Currently, under a sponsorship deal with the late Mount Gambier transport tycoon Allan Scott, the venue is known as Allan Scott Park.

Race Courses

The course proper at Morphettville is a long, flat course with a circumference of 2307 metres. The track is 32m wide and features wide turns with a camber of 4% that provide every chance for strong finishers.

The second track, known as 'The Parks', was official opened in June 2009. The Morphettville Parks track has a circumference of 2100 metres, and the track is 25m wide and 5% chamber on the turns. It provides a fair chance for all runners. A chute through the centre of the course that runs between the 850m and 1550m points provides for 1250, 1300 and 1400 metre starts.

A retractable winning post with hydraulics enables the SAJC the flexibility to alternate the running of races with minimal damage to both tracks especially with races taking place mid week and increased racing through the winter months. It was installed in 2009, and is a world first.

Wetlands

The Morphettville Racecourse Wetland was an initiative of the Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Board and the South Australian Jockey Club. It was constructed by the Board and the Jockey Club during 2001/2002.

The wetland covers an area of 3.5 hectares, in the middle of the racecourse on the corner of Anzac Highway and Morphett Road. The catchment area for the wetland includes stormwater flow from two drains in Bray Street, south of the racecourse. Water enters a sediment pond where floating litter is collected in a net and large materials settle out. The water is then piped into the wetland, where it travels through a series of deep and shallow marshes. An aquifer storage and recovery system (ASR) has been constructed at the wetland.

The water flowing out of the wetland is ideal for irrigation as it has very low salinity. During winter months, water is captured and pumped into a tertiary limestone aquifer below the racecourse. During the summer months, the water in the aquifer is recovered and used for irrigation. Up to 600 megalitres of water a year is recharged into the aquifer. This exceeds the amount required to irrigate the racecourse.

Transport

The racecourse is just off Anzac Highway, Morphett Rd, Morphettville. Entry is via Morphett Rd entrance or Tramway entrance. A taxi rank is located inside the Members' Car Park, where taxis will make pick ups and drop offs throughout the day. The City-Bay tram operates throughout the day from North Tce, and Victoria Square (Adelaide), through to Moseley Square (Glenelg). The tram stops on Morphett Road adjacent to the Morphettville Racecourse (Stop 12).

Car parking at Morphettville can be found at the following locations: Morphett Road Adjacent to the Members' entrance on the opposite side of the road to the racecourse. Anzac Highway, Morphettville Junction car park, entrance to the racecourse over the tram line.

Races

View of the main grandstand

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Morphettville Racecourse.

Grp	Race Name	Age	Sex	Weight	Distance	Date
1	Australasian Oaks	3YO	Fillies	sw	2000	April
1	The Goodwood	Open	Open	sw+p	1200	April
1	Robert Sangster Stakes	3YO+	F&M	sw	1200	April
1	South Australian Derby	3YO	Open	sw	2500	April
2	Adelaide Cup	Open	Open	hcp	3200	March
2	SAJC Coolmore Classic	3YO+	F&M	sw+p	1600	April
2	Yallambee Classic	3YO	Open	sw	1200	March
2	Queen Of The South Stakes	3YO+	F&M	sw	1600	May
3	SA Fillies Classic	3YO	Fillies	sw	2500	April
3	Lord Reims Stakes	Open	Open	sw+p	2600	March
3	D.C. McKay Stakes	Open	Open	qlty	1100	May
3	Robert A. Lee Stakes	Open	Open	qlty	1600	May
3	SAJC Breeders' Stakes	2YO	Open	sw	1200	February
3	SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes	2YO	Open	sw	1600	May
3	SAJC Spring Stakes	Open	Open	wfa	1200	September
3	The Jansz	2YO	Open	sw+p	1200	May
3	R.N. Irwin Stakes	3YO+	Open	wfa	1100	March

External links

• South Australian Jockey Club
• Morphettville track
• 'The Parks' inner track
• Hydraulic Winning Post
• Morphettville Racecourse Wetland fact sheet
• Morphettville Racecourse is at coordinates 34°58′41″S 138°32′34″E