Sandown is approximately 35 minutes South East of Melbourne off Lightwood Road Springvale.
There is ample parking available as patrons enjoy the fully enclosed, air-conditioned comfort and the modern facilities of the Henry Harrison grandstand.
Full TAB totalisator facilities and bookmaker are available. Video and DVD replays are shown at the track and can be purchased from the office.
The Club offers an extensive buffet menu with discounts for competing trainers. Nippers Bar is available for light meals and take-away fare, and bar facilities ensure that all patron requirements are provided for.
Racing at Sandown Park is held every Thursday night and Sunday afternoons.
Nominations
Thursday night meetings
Nominations close at GRV on Monday at 9:00am prior to the meeting.
Sunday afternoon meetings
Nominations close at GRV on Wednesday at 9.00am prior to the meeting.
(Refer to latest Adviser or contact Greyhound Racing Victoria for nomination details).
To submit a Nomination online, click here
or contact Member Services on (03) 8329 1111 or 1800 138 507.
Kennelling Information
(Enter via View Rd)
Thursday night meetings
Kennels open at 5.50pm and close at 6.40pm. Kennel tickets go on sale at 5.45pm.
Wednesday afternoon meetings
Kennels open 90 minutes prior to race 1 and close 45 minutes prior to the first race
Race times can be accesses via the Herald Sun, the GRV website or through the SGRC office (03 9546 9511)
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The spacious kennel block at Sandown is fully air-conditioned with excellent sound proofing qualities. All the kennels are on ground level, making the lifting of greyhounds unnecessary.
Security is at a premium with total video surveillance in place. Large wash bays, well grassed empty yards and a raised stir-up yard complete this first class facility
Club History
The Sandown Park Coursing Club (with the late Jack McKenna as Secretary) began racing on the present Sandown Racecourse in 1935 and continued there until 1952 with only a two year break during the war. Speed coursing (live hare) was then conducted at the present site until December 1955. The Sandown Greyhound Racing Club commenced ‘mechanical hare’ racing on the current site on Saturday 8 September 1956 before a crowd of 6,000 and overseeing a betting ring of 53 bookmakers. The combined stake money on offer for that first meeting was $600. To put that fact in perspective, the field for a modern Melbourne Cup final would typically boast collective earnings in excess of $1 million.
The original track incorporated a grass surface, but heavy usage contributed to maintenance difficulties, resulting in the decision to change over to a sand track in 1964. The introduction of ‘mechanical hare’ racing (more popularly known as the “tin hare”) at Sandown coincided with the most significant change to night entertainment in that era, the advent of television. The impact of television undoubtedly slowed the early growth of the sport, however greyhound racing received an enormous boost when TAB betting was introduced in 1966.
The introduction of computerised Tote equipment in 1974 facilitated the launch of Trifecta betting which proved an instant hit with punters and to this day accounts for approximately one half of all on-course turnover.
Plans to build a new grandstand were conceived in 1982 and realised in 1986 with the construction of the Henry Harrison grandstand, a predominantly glass structure, the design of which substantially influenced the architecture of the current Caulfield Racecourse grandstand.
Sandown Refurbishment
Sandown is currently investing $3m in renovations to the Henry Harrision Grandstand. Once complete, the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club will boast some of the finest facilities of any race club in Australia, as well as give the Club scope to increase its function business.