The name Hanging Rock refers to the gold mining village, to the iconic rock face of the Northern Tablelands in New South Wales, and to the racecourse that sits at the base of it. The meets here are considered to be a unique experience in the world of horse racing, and are held on 2 auspicious days: New Year’s and Australia Day. They generally attract between 7000 and 8000 people and have been known to host up to 25,000. Unofficial Thoroughbred racing had been taking place at the Rock’s base since the 1870s at least the 1870s, and the first official meet was held on New Year’s Day 1886. The Hanging Rock Cup is the highlight of the Australia Day races, and is run over 2400 meters and has a purse of 8,000 Australian Dollars.
Watching the Hanging Rock Cup
The track is situated within the unspoiled Macedon Ranges, surrounded by the Handing Rock Reserve Park, and is something of a destination race. Taking extra time to experience the natural beauty of the place and the breathtaking Rock itself is considered worthwhile by most racing enthusiasts. The nearby town of Woodend also offers rustic charm to its visitors. Being held on Australia Day makes checking all of this out properly more possible than if the cup was not on a public holiday.
The easiest route to the Hanging Rock Racecourse and Club is by driving down the Calder Freeway and turning off at Woodend or down the Hume Highway and turning off at Kilmore. On race days the Club also organises shuttles to and from the train station in Woodend, which can be reached via V Line trains coming along the Bendigo and Melbourne Lines. There are plenty of packages for transport and accommodation available to help make the full Hanging Rock experience easy and enjoyable, so interested fans can choose the ones that suit them best.
The facilities at the Australia Day races are world-class and include free quality entertainment for children, live music, a big screen and food stalls. For many people it’s a good day out and an enjoyable way to celebrate Australia Day. Groups of friends and families put picnic blankets down on the lawn and enjoy all the services on offer, including punting opportunities if fans are so inclined.
Betting on the Hanging Rock Cup
Betting on the races at the event is popular, and for those who can’t get there it’s also possible to put money down at land-based bookies and through online. However a prospective punter who is planning on betting on horse racing, it’s a good idea to do as much research as possible before putting any money down. The Hanging Rock racecourse is fully drained and irrigated, and consists of a clay-based soil. Bettors should try to find out how each of the contenders perform in these conditions when deciding who to back. They should also look at past performances in races of this length, both overall and over the spaces between each turn. The distance to the first turn in the Hanging Rock Cup, for example, is approximately 450 meters and certain steeds might do well with this length or might do particularly badly. All other performance history of the horses and the jockeys that can be found should be considered, as well as injury reports, weather conditions on the day, expert odds and trustworthy tips. Armed with all of this, punters can make considered decisions when entering the world of Hanging Rock bets.