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Alluringly running in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies Group 1)
Alluringly running in the Darley Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies Group 1) Picture: Pat Healy Photography

York racecourse is located 90 kilometres east of Perth on the outskirts of the York township in Western Australia. York is the oldest operating race track in the region and lays claim to being one of the oldest provincial courses in Australia with the first race meeting recorded on the present site in 1843. York Race Club is proud of its long history, having survived more than 160 years through wars, crop failures, depressions and Western Australia’s colourful gold rush and mining boom eras. The name of the club has changed many times. It was first called the York Jockey Club then when the Beverley Racing Club became unviable a joint venture began and the name was changed to the York-Beverley Turf Club.

Now branded as York Racing, the course was re-turfed and cambered in 2009 to make the tracks safer for racing. York racecourse was devastated in 2011 by a freak storm that destroyed the heritage listed grandstand built in 1924 and most of the racecourse infrastructure. Racing did not resume until 2015 when the thoroughbred and harness racing clubs merged to form a new entity, York Racing. York racecourse now boasts a revamped turf track, new trotting track and state of the art infrastructure. IT hosts six thoroughbred meetings each year with the highlight being the York Cup in November. York racecourse has a circumference of 1661 metres and a home straight of 320 metres. It features two long straights and tight turns with starting chutes catering for races over 1300 metres and 1500 metres. The track features a downhill run around a horseshoe turn from the 800m to the 400m. Races over 1300 metres provide the fairest start as there is a straight run of more than 500 metres before the first turn.

 
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