Over the past three decades, the Caulfield mounting yard has witnessed the triumphs of Australia’s champion racehorses, but its final winners were celebrated at the triple Group 1 meeting held on Saturday. This iconic location, which has been a staple in the racing community, will soon make way for a new mounting yard as part of Caulfield’s extensive refurbishment project.
According to Jason Kerr, the general manager of racecourses at the Melbourne Racing Club, the new mounting yard is scheduled to be activated at the next Caulfield meeting on March 13, or three days later at the All-Star Mile meeting. Kerr, who has been involved with Caulfield for over 30 years, expressed excitement about the club’s future direction and the upcoming transition to the new facilities.
“We’re all looking forward to it,” Kerr remarked on Saturday, highlighting the significance of the upcoming changes. “We’ll trial here on Wednesday, and if The Heath gets the tick-off, the mid-week meeting on the 13th of March before the All-Star Mile will be the first meeting on The Heath and also the first meeting out of the new facilities. If it is not approved, we’ll debut the new facilities on All-Star Mile Day.”
The current mounting yard area will undergo modifications, including the removal of fences to create a prime viewing area for racegoers. Reflecting on the history of the existing mounting yard, Kerr reminisced about memorable moments when legendary racehorses like Winx and Black Caviar graced the grounds. He particularly recalled the electric atmosphere during Black Caviar’s victory in the G2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) in 2011, as well as Might And Power’s triumphant return after winning the Caulfield Cup.
“I’ll never forget Caulfield Guineas Day in Black Caviar’s year,” Kerr shared. “When she won the Schillaci, it was at the height of Black Caviar fever with the banners all around the mounting yard and people wearing the colors all around the course. Then there was Might And Power when he came back in after that amazing performance to win the Caulfield Cup. Those are the two most memorable moments that jump out for me.”
