The story of this place
Royal Randwick is Australia's oldest major racecourse, hosting races since 1833. The legendary Phar Lap won the 1930 Australian Derby here, watched by a crowd of 50,000. Queen Elizabeth II has attended multiple times, most memorably during her 1954 tour when she opened the Queen Elizabeth II Stand. The track has witnessed triumphs and tragedies—including a 1984 helicopter crash that killed three people in the car park. The Big Race, The Everest, now offers the world's richest turf race prize of $20 million. The heritage-listed members' stand dates from 1917, a monument to a century of gambling, glamour, and controversy.