History
“We’ll close down the racecourse and sell it” By Lance Hodgins
H
orse racing was one of the earliest organised sports on the Mornington Peninsula. The first Mornington races were held in the 1870's on part of Beleura, a property which at that time stretched to Sunnyside Creek. The Mornington Racing Club grew out of the Baxter’s Flat race meetings and conducted its first meeting in 1899.
E ssence
102 | PENINSULA
January 2021
Early horse racing at Mornington In 1911 the Mornington Racing Club began leasing its current site on the Drywood Estate. It registered with the Victorian Racing Club and soon after World War 1 the first Mornington Cup was held. Racing boomed through the 1920s and 30s and Mornington drew praise as one of the best courses outside Melbourne.