Oakbank Racecourse

Oakbank Racecourse
Oakbank
Location Oakwood Road, Oakbank, South Australia
Owner Oakbank Racing Club
Operator Oakbank Racing Club
Capacity 70,000 (approx)
Surface Grass
Opened 1876

Oakbank Racecourse, also but less frequently known as the "Onkaparinga Racecourse", is home of the Oakbank Racing Club, a club which, until 2009, raced just twice annually, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday at the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival, and has done continually since 1876, except during World War II when it was held at Victoria Park and Morphettville Racecourse due to the army taking over the facility.

Located in South Australia's Adelaide Hills racing country, it's the home of steeplechasing and jumping in SA, which combines with flat racing over the festival, culminating in the famous Great Eastern Steeplechase.

The racing carnival regularly attracts large crowds with about 45,000 attending the Saturday meeting and upwards of 70,000 attending on Easter Monday.

From 2009 the inaugural Oakbank Prelude Raceday will take place on 14 March, marking the first time that a separate meeting to the Easter Carnival has taken place at Oakbank.

Jumps-racing controversy

The Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival has received backlash from the RSPCA Australia,[1]Animals Australia,[2] and The Humane Society International Australia[3] for the number of deaths associated with jumps-racing. There have been 7 reported horse deaths during jumps-races at Oakbank since 2010, including 2 in 2010, 1 in 2011, 2 in 2012, 1 in 2014 and 1 in 2017.[4][5] In Australia, Victoria and South Australia are the only states where jumps-racing is still legal.

References

  1. ↑ "RSPCA Jumps-racing".
  2. ↑ "Animals Australia submission on Jumps-racing" (PDF).
  3. ↑ Human Society International Australia. "Jumps racing".
  4. ↑ RSPCA. "The illogical races: the deaths".
  5. ↑ "Wheeler Fortune euthanased after fall at Oakbank jumps race". ABC News. 2017-04-15. Retrieved 2017-04-17.

Coordinates: 34°58′37″S 138°50′51″E / 34.97694°S 138.84750°E / -34.97694; 138.84750


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