Racecourse Review: Moonee Valley
Cox Plate weekend has come and gone for 2024, and the signs of future development currently yet temporarily scar the suburban racecourse. The opinions of locals and visitors alike paint a picture of uncertainty, excitement and potential.
For visitors to Melbourne, or indeed first-time racing fans, Moonee Valley in the thick of Moonee Ponds is something of a curiosity. An entire racecourse crammed in to a dense suburban area. If travelling by train, you are greeted by the walk down Puckle Street, only to then scramble across the Pascoe Vale/Mt Alexander Rd cross intersection. It can be a setback if you miss one of the two crossing lights.
‘The Valley’ emerges shortly after, and it really does seem to appear out of nothing. The horse floats on the corner, the statue of Winx, and the members gates all greet you on arrival. Once inside the gate, the true labyrinth of the racecourse starts to reveal itself.
You could enter one of a number of gates, or experience a number of hospitality options, and never see a number of the charms and retro-downsides that the final years of the course has to offer. The seemingly hidden rooms, in a decades-old concrete jungle host events, parties and conferences. But the flaws equal the charms. The bottlenecks are plentiful, the angles often acute to negotiate on stairways, and pathfinding is generally not intuitive. There is something of a rush, however, when finally accessing a corridor that reveals the track in its glory, especially when the crowd is near capacity. It just might take a few patient minutes to get through the traffic.
The mounting yard and stables features out near the corner of the track which houses the aforementioned horse floats. The two halves of the stabling areas and mounting yard are separated by gates which close as the parade begins, only to open once the race is completed and the horses are safely back in their boxes. Getting accidentally caught on one side can limit betting and viewing opportunities.
The pre-parade ring sits on a slope, almost a figure of 8 in shape, which allows some horses to accentuate their stride, perhaps giving a false quality of their walk. A number of meetings at The Valley are under lights, so this area certainly is often a necessity to get a true appreciation of a runner’s condition. Repeated views help to paint a picture, as once they enter the mounting yard proper, the smaller, squared-shape enclosure, does tend to stifle the movement and flow of horses in larger fields. It’s certainly not an ideal duo for a yard watcher.
Pride Of Jenni takes in the pre-parade ring at Moonee Valley prior to the 2024 Cox Plate
When the jockeys mount they then walk through a tunnel which snakes alongside the member’s deck and emerges straight on to the course proper. The positive of this is that there’s usually plenty of time to get a bet on or finalise a plan, as they’re only starting to warm-up at least five minutes prior to the event. The negative is that it’s very difficult to get to see the parade as well as the runners galloping off on to the track.
On quieter days, there’s a ‘window’ on the southern part of the mounting yard, where runners galloping off anti-clockwise can be noted. Otherwise, you need access to the members enclosure and strategy to be able to leave the pre-parade, slink through the Octagonal Bar, emerge on to the deck and try and position yourself to catch the majority begin their warm-up. If it’s a busy day or night, this becomes incredibly difficult to achieve, and some races will feel futile if wanting to note the warm-up, let alone find a spot to watch the race ‘live’.
The 2024 Cox Plate field parade in the mounting yard, led by the favourite from Japan, Prognosis
The racing experience at The Valley really does have a bit of ‘sports entertainment’ to it. Music is common, at night the highlights stand out, and when near capacity, the roar echoes off the concrete cauldron. Whether this experience will remain post redevelopment, one can only hope.
With credit to the club, they’ve managed to provide a more every-person approach, less ‘traditional’ than the rival Melbourne tracks, and it’s all for the better. The selection of food and beer, including the rapidly antiquated description of ‘craft beer’ is more plentiful than other courses, and the more relaxed approach to racing attire is certainly appreciated. Australia still has a very strict, formal protocol for not just racing in carnival periods, but also throughout the year. When compared with thriving havens in Hong Kong and Japan, it does feel another obstacle or contrivance that may hamper casual or curious attendees.
Food and beverage is typically something of a sore point for racing fans across the country, with pricing considered a premium given the value delivered in return, so at least greater variety helps to numb the pain to a certain degree.
The track has its own conformational quirks as well as its own demons that occasionally emerge on an ageing surface. This will all start afresh once the ‘new’ Valley is completed. The great history of Cox Plates and Mankato Stakes, Gold Cups and Crystal Miles, will surely be retained in some form of walk of fame, but one can’t help but feel the change of the home straight will take time for diehards to take on board.
The proposed design of apartments, set to loom and jostle for position over the track, looks to add some form of atmosphere in a city facing a current housing crisis. Whether or not racing and the MVRC can transfer indirect eyes above to participants and fans, that’s to be seen.
It’s with some degree of sadness that I write of history, and I’m sure many will feel that pain of time passing. Nothing will be the same. But history lasts in memories, not in experiences. And should Moonee Valley be able to build the same atmosphere, the same roar and the same great feature race contests in a future-proofed entity that better caters for spectators and stakeholders, then let’s enjoy the new memories that it brings.
