Moonee Valley staff.JPG (5720 bytes) MOONEE VALLEY RACECOURSE Moonee Valley 1980.JPG (18443 bytes)

Racing has taken place at Moonee Valley, about 6 kilometres from Melbourne City centre, since 1883 on land owned by W S Cox.  The very first race, a maiden plate, was a dead heat between Pyrette and Eveline. It was a unique course in providing stables for competing horses and accommodation for the public. Cox also opened a second, similar course, at Maribyrnong. Between 1883 and 1917 the course was run by the Moonee Valley Pty Ltd and its principal race is the W S Cox Plate. The first Harness racing took place at the track on 5th November 1894.
Moonee Valley 1984.JPG (13602 bytes) By 1929 the Cox family sold the course to the Moonee Valley Racing Club having previously leased it. In January 1976 construction began on a new trotting track and the work was finished by October of that same year.

 

 Moonee Valley 1972.JPG (22943 bytes)
The course hosts 3 Group One races each year of which the first, the Manikato Stakes is run over 1200 metres in September. The William Reid Stakes takes place in March over 1200 metres.
Moonee 1996.JPG (13903 bytes) The racecourse also hosts Australia’s weight for age championship over 2040 metres called the W S Cox Plate and it was first run in 1922 and won by Violoncello. The great Phar Lap won the race in 1930 and again in 1931, and Chatham also won the race twice in 1932 and 1934.  
If you have badges, racecards, pictures of the racecourse or further details about the course, including your memories, then email johnslusar@fsmail.net