View source for Victoria Racing Club

{{Short description|Horse racing organisation in Victoria, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox sport governing body
|name               = Victoria Racing Club
|abbrev             = VRC
|logo               = Victoria_Racing_Club_logo.png
|logosize           =
|sport              = [[Horse racing]]
|category           =
|image              =
|caption            =
|jurisdiction       =
|membership         =
|founded            = {{Start date|1864}}
|aff                =
|affdate            =
|region             =
|regionyear         =
|headquarters       = [[Flemington racecourse]]
|location           = [[Melbourne]], Victoria, Australia
|president          =
|chairman           = Neil Wilson
|chairperson        = 
|chiefexec          = Kylie Rogers
|sponsor            =
|year closed        =
|replaced           =
|prevfounded        =
|url                = https://www.vrc.com.au/
|more               =
}}
'''The Victoria Racing Club''' was founded in 1864.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/01/1096527928498.html Looking back on a racy century]</ref> It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5747441 |title=Sporting Intelligence |newspaper=[[The Argus (Melbourne)|The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954)]] |location=Melbourne |date=13 April 1864 |access-date=4 July 2011 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the [[Melbourne Cup]], which was first contested in 1861.

From its foundation in 1864 until 2001, the Victoria Racing Club was the responsible authority for the conduct of thoroughbred racing in the State of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], Australia. Since 2001, this role has been managed by [[Racing Victoria Limited]].

The VRC is managed by an unpaid committee, elected by club members.

In 1871, the Victorian Government appointed the VRC as trustees of a site of 352 acres (1.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) of Crown Land, next to the [[Maribyrnong River]], which became known as [[Flemington Racecourse]].
Much of the early success of the VRC is attributed to the administration of the first Secretary of the club, [[R. C. Bagot]]<ref>[http://www.virtualformguide.com/cgi-bin/tvf/displaynewsitem.pl?20040520inductassociates.txt Two New Associates Inducted to Hall of Fame ]</ref> and his successors [[H. Byron Moore]] and [[A. V. Kewney]].

==Racing carnivals==
The Victoria Racing Club hosts four race meetings at Flemington during the [[Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival]]. The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday in November, the [[Victoria Derby]] are held on the Saturday before the Melbourne Cup, the [[VRC Oaks]] is on the Thursday following the Cup, and [[LKS MacKinnon Stakes]] is on the Saturday following the Oaks.

The VRC also hosts race meetings during the [[Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival]]. These meetings include Group 1 races for the [[Australian Cup]], the [[Newmarket Handicap]] and the [[Black Caviar Lightning]].

==See also==
*[[Australian Stud Book]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Freedman, Harold and Lemon, Andrew (1987), ''The History of Australian Thoroughbred Racing, The beginnings to the first Melbourne Cup'', Vol. 1, Classic Reproductions, Melbourne, Victoria. {{ISBN|0-9588578-1-4}}
* Pacini, John (1988), ''A Century Galloped By. The first hundred years of the Victoria Racing Club'', VRC, Melbourne, Victoria. {{ISBN|0-7316-2812-8}}

==External links==
*[http://www.vrc.com.au/ Victoria Racing Club (VRC)- official website]
*[http://www.flemington.com.au Flemington Racecourse – official website]

{{Primary sources|date=January 2007}}
{{VRC Race Days and Events}}
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Horse racing organisations in Australia]]
[[Category:1864 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams established in 1864]]
[[Category:Horse racing in Melbourne]]
[[Category:Sport in the City of Melbourne (LGA)]]