Welcome to Australia’s Premier Greyhound Racetrack and Conference and Events Centre
If you’ve never visited ‘The Meadows’ you’re in for a wonderful surprise. From driving along the mature Spotted Gum tree lined and established Northcorp Boulevard and then making the turn into our centre you’d be forgiven for thinking that you thought you were in the heart of a bustling and vibrant industrial estate. And the surprises continue as you park in our private carpark, surrounded by manicured and well kept gardens, and begin the approach toward our main venue. You won’t be the first, nor the last, to feel this way. If first impressions count, then ‘The Meadows’ knows how to make a great and lasting one.
The Meadows is located only 12 kms from Melbourne Airport and 20kms from the Melbourne CBD. With easy access via Melbourne’s main arterial roads and plenty of FREE onsite parking (up to 300 cars and multiple buses) the venue is safe and superbly located for holding large gatherings. It’s an impressive and and unique multipurpose venue. It not only hosts premier greyhound race meets two times a week, but also provides an immersive and state-of-the-art venue for special event hosting across a wide range of engagement styles.
Race meets at The Meadows
Today The Melbourne Greyhound Racing Association presides over 104 greyhound racing meets annually (more than 1000 races), all hosted at The Meadows. Race meets occur every Wednesday afternoons and every Saturday night and are free to attend. 10 Group 1 Races are contested across the racing calendar and include a variety of well known and established premier races:
> The Australian Cup
> The Phoenix
> Top Gun
> The Hume Cup
> Great Chase Grand Final
> The Sliver Chief and others
Over $2 million in prize money is won and distributed to owners of greyhounds raced at The Meadows under MGRA governance. The lions share of this prize money is offered by Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV), with a significant contribution made my MGRA.
Visiting ‘The Meadows’ for race meets
Track entry is FREE at ‘The Meadows’. Whether you wish to join us for a Wednesday afternoon race meet or a Saturday evening race meet you need not pay a cent. Simply enter through the main building entrance foyer and find yourself a place to watch the thrills of greyhound racing action.
We’ve both indoor and outdoor spaces for you to enjoy, all with plenty of seating and standing areas. It allows any visit not to be spoilt by Melbourne’s weather. All spaces offer excellent views of the track, as well as fully enclosed, air-conditioned/heated comfort. The Meadows boasts facilities equal or better than any racing facility you’ll find in Australia.
Most meets offer a 10 or 12 race card, so there is plenty of opportunity to get a glimpse of these speedsters racing around our 2 turn track (and make a bet should you wish).
> Wednesday meet races start at around Midday and are usually completed by 4:30pm
> Saturday night meet races start around 6:30pm and are usually completed by 10:30pm
For exact timings please check the calendar. You’ll all be able to see the race form if you’re within 2 days of a race meet.
Race meet food and hospitality at ‘The Meadows’
There are plenty of excellent food and beverage options to keep you well fed and to quench your thirst at The Meadows when you visit. Our in-house catering team offer all manner of delicious fares, from the best deep fried delicacies to amazing steak sandwiches, noodle dishes and beef rolls. These are readily available, along with all manner of hot (coffees and teas) and cold (beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks) beverages, from the many onsite bars and in our main ground floor entertainment area. And on big race nights we extend our offerings to include food vans, pop-up cafes and themed bars.
For those seeking a step up in dining and fares The Meadows offers race night dining on Saturday nights in our all new City View Bistro. Located in our main building on level two, it’s a thrilling way to take in the race action and dine. Check our our Race Night Dining page for more information. Bookings are essential!
Bring the family and friends
Everyone’s welcome at the Meadows. Be you young or old the The Meadows provided plenty of entertainment opportunities. Summers are perfect for outdoor gatherings.You can lay down a rug, grab a bite to eat and a drink and enjoy the spectacle of a great night out. Bring a group and enjoy some bevies while you back a winner. Our Deck area is perfect for a birthday milestone, engagement, hens or bucks event. And we have catering packages to suit. While winter offers a warm and cosy environment, where you can still venture out to get close to the action and feel the rush of the lure being chased around the track should you wish.
Across the website calendar and on our socials keep an eye out for special themed race events. Here at The Meadows we host a large number of special event meets, which helps add to the thrill of greyhound racing and supports the local community beyond general racing activities.
Conference and Events at The Meadows
Offering exceptional event management service and planning, since opening our doors The Meadows has hosted:
> Conferences
> Training days
> Memorials
> Celebrations
> Dinners
> Launches
> Meetings
> Graduations
> Weddings
Offering seven superb venue spaces, each with their own unique size, aspect, shape, decor and integrated facilities, it’s an undeniable fact that The Meadows as a Conference & Events Centre is a true one of a kind venue. To gain a deeper look at the space available, the hospitality that can be provided and and exactly how you can be catered for visit MGRA dedicated website www.themeadowsevents.com.au for more details.
We’re sure, you like many, learn it’s more that you’d expect from a racing venue.