Sandown Greyhound Racing Club

Sandown Greyhound Racing Club is located approximately 35 minutes South East of Melbourne off Lightwood Road Springvale.

There is ample parking available as patrons enjoy the fully enclosed, air-conditioned comfort and the modern facilities of the Henry Harrison grandstand.

The Sandown Park Coursing Club (with the late Jack McKenna as Secretary) began racing on the present Sandown Racecourse in 1935 and continued there until 1952 with only a two year break during the war. Speed coursing (live hare) was then conducted at the present site until December 1955. The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club commenced "mechanical hare" racing on the current site on Saturday 8 September 1956 before a crowd of 6,000 and overseeing a betting ring of 53 bookmakers. The combined stake money on offer for that first meeting was $600. To put that fact in perspective, the field for a modern Melbourne Cup final would typically boast collective earnings in excess of $1 million.

The original track incorporated a grass surface, but heavy usage contributed to maintenance difficulties, resulting in the decision to change over to a sand track in 1964. The introduction of "mechanical hare" racing (more popularly known as the "tin hare") at Sandown coincided with the most significant change to night entertainment in that era, the advent of television. The impact of television undoubtedly slowed the early growth of the sport, however greyhound racing received an enormous boost when TAB betting was introduced in 1966.

The introduction of computerised Tote equipment in 1974 facilitated the launch of Trifecta betting which proved an instant hit with punters and to this day accounts for approximately one half of all on-course turnover.

Sandown Greyhound Racing Club Contact Information

Address:
Lightwood Road,
Springvale,
Victoria 3171

Phone: +61 (03) 9546-9511
Fax: +61 (03) 9558-4453

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