Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Whilst admitting disappointment in the new facilities for male jockeys at Caulfield which is in a lengthy phase of redevelopment with a new grandstand, the $250 million "Grand Pavilion" to be ready for the 2026 spring carnival, the Victorian Jockeys Association's Chief Executive Officer Matthew Hyland is happy with the way in which the Melbourne Racing Club have responded to criticism.
“The male jockey room is just too small,” he said, noting that on floor space it is “half the size of the previous one.”
“Fortunately the MRC have acknowledged that and are working with us.”
“We sat down with them, along with three jockeys, and worked on a solution,” he said. “We didn't want to be disruptive but the current room is just not fit for purpose.”
The Melbourne Racing Club responds
“Following consultation with the Victorian Jockeys Association, the Melbourne Racing Club is making important alterations to the jockeys facilities to better meet the riders on race days,” said a MRC spokesman.
“This includes increasing the size of the male jockey locker room.”
“Works have already commenced and will be completed in time for the Caulfield Cup carnival.”
Matthew Hyland | Image courtesy of the Victorian Jockeys Association
Whilst not wanting to dwell on mistakes made, Hyland was disappointed with this section of the $64 million new mounting yard area which was unveiled in late February.
“Initial consultation took place five years ago though we mainly talked about the new inner track at Caulfield,” Hyland recalled.
“It was only an hour long meeting and none of us are architects so it was difficult to envisage from the plans what the result was going to be.”
“Initial consultation took place five years ago though we mainly talked about the new inner track at Caulfield. It was only an hour long meeting and none of us are architects so it was difficult to envisage from the (mounting yard) plans what the result was going to be.” - Matthew Hyland
“Nowhere was it said that the jockeys room would be cut in half,” he said, not discovering that to be the case until a tour of the finished facilities.
In an RSN interview with Michael Felgate this week, the MRC's Executive Director of Racing and Operations Jake Norton expressed disappointment that things got to “the point of delivery” stage though he did note that he has “sympathy in that looking at plans on paper is different to the actual experience of a space.”
And he has been impressed by how the jockeys association have gone about things - “they have gone through the process in a very constructive manner.”
Changes to the mounting yard
Matthew Hyland is amongst a number of people not completely happy with the positioning of the new mounting yard which, placed at the side of the current grandstand, is away from those witnessing the racing action from the seating.
“It has killed the vibe a bit,” he said though this is something the MRC have also acknowledged, announcing changes to the way the mounting yard works just this week.
“We are developing an exciting new area allowing the horses to parade between the mounting yard and the track along the front of the members front lawn, bringing the horses close to you," the club said in a statement to members.
“We are developing an exciting new area allowing the horses to parade between the mounting yard and the track along the front of the members front lawn, bringing the horses close to you.”
In his RSN interview, Jake Norton also touched on this issue, explaining that "what we have decided to do is extend the parade which was always part of our master plan which is occurring in stages.”
“The horses will go up alongside the outside fence of the course proper and exit in front of the winners post where horses used to exit the old mounting yard.”
The new mounting yard at Caulfield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“This just enables some of our members and patrons in the grandstand to have a closer look at the horses parade before the exit onto the track, basically replicating the Flemington model.”
“There has been feedback that some patrons have been been missing that and we have tried to mitigate that already, adding camera with specific feeds for the mounting yard.”
Listening to feedback
“But this is another example of us listening to feedback, it demonstrates we have been listening, that we are open to any suggestions.”
In regards to views of the mounting yard, the club also told members that “he upgrades complement the recently announced changes to the Rupert Clarke Grandstand inclusive of the construction of a new members deck and lounge with views of the mounting yard.”
Designed to accommodate up to 900 connections before a race, the largest in the southern hemisphere, the new mounting yard is linked to the stalls by an underground tunnel. A sauna and spa are in place for the jockeys and there is also a trainers lounge, a stewards inquiry room, two television studios and a winner's bar.
The Grand Pavilion
The new stand will be vastly different to the current one which was opened to much fanfare in 1992.
The glass fronted multi-level stand provides for indoor seating for 1800 people whilst the Grand Pavilion will have 300. This seems to be part of a new era for grandstands with the latest one built at Flemington as well as the new one at Moonee Valley seemingly more focused on entertainment facilities than on en masse viewing.
The glass fronted multi-level stand at Caulfield | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Though unlike the current stand, the new one will allow for differing views; of the racetrack, the mounting yard and the stalls and pre-parade ring behind the stand.
Working with Heritage Victoria
The changes at Caulfield are part of the Victorian government's ‘Development Facilitation Program’ which provides for “faster decisions for priority projects.”
It was on Christmas Eve 2021 that the Caulfield plans were approved though the club had to work through things with Heritage Victoria after that organisation placed an interim order on development in January 2022.
Worked was stopped whilst the MRC worked with Heritage Victoria who in February 2023 described Caulfield as being of “historical, architectural, aesthetic and social significance to the State of Victoria.”
“It satisfies the following criteria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register: Criterion A – Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria's cultural history.”
“It (Caulfield racetrack) satisfies the following criteria for inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register: Criterion A – Importance to the course, or pattern, of Victoria's cultural history.”
Which means that all plans for Caulfield must take into account its heritage status and the new grandstand has fulfilled all criteria with the Rupert Clarke Grandstand able to be demolished.
The Victorian government approved plans for the new facility in May with MRC chief executive Josh Blanksby, after seven years in that position (and another three at the club), announcing his resignation shortly after.
