Learn About
The Valley of Tomorrow.

VISION The Historic Past and Future of The Valley Uncovered.

The Moonee Valley Racecourse has long been the site of some of racing’s most memorable moments. It is a place where the sounds of history’s most acclaimed racehorses still echo. Home to the Cox Plate, it is an icon of Australian racing with a rich past and an exciting future for many generations to come.

Vision

An iconic landmark, a neighbourhood, home, community asset and a Melbourne destination that ascribes benefits for generations is the bold vision for The Valley of Tomorrow.

This dynamic urban lifestyle precinct will have at its heart one of the world’s greatest night racing venues alongside a host of carefully curated and integrated food and beverage, residential housing, offices, community facilities and activated public realm.

The Valley of Tomorrow will serve up unique hospitality, entertainment and leisure experiences for local, interstate and international visitors, while providing energy, employment and economic benefits to Moonee Ponds all year round.

Part of the site’s transformation will include a new grandstand, re-oriented racetrack and redeveloped infield, a project to be overseen and managed by MVRC.

The project aims to deliver an asset that provides a huge range of benefits for the entire community over the next century and cements a strong future for Moonee Ponds.

Development Philosophy

The best outcomes for a project of the size and scale of The Valley of Tomorrow can only be achieved with an open and transparent approach to the development journey and two-way communication between the joint venture developers and the community.

Hostplus-Hamton with the MVRC are committed to a process of collaboration that will include listening and learning more about the community’s aspirations and priorities for the local area. MVRC is one of Hostplus’ longest-standing, highly-valued employers with multiple members and residents in the city of Moonee Valley.

The intention is to deliver a future for The Valley that integrates into the urban fabric of Moonee Ponds and enhances the local area for the community.

History

The Moonee Valley Racecourse has a long and storied history in Melbourne’s racing world, spanning back to 1883 when William Samuel Cox purchased a farm belonging to John F Feehan for the purpose of establishing a racetrack.

From those early days, it proved to be a popular place to bet, socialise and enjoy the thrill of horse racing. Hundreds of Melburnians coming from across the city would flood the racecourse in their Sunday best to enjoy high-energy race days.

An icon of the racing calendar, the first W.S. Cox Plate was run at Moonee Valley Racecourse in 1922, offering a purse of 1,000 pounds – a fortune in those days. A weight-for-age race over 2,040 metres, it was named in honour of the club’s founder and its first winner was an imported stallion named Violencello.

Strategically placed on the race calendar between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, the W.S. Cox Plate has become a highly prestigious race and is regarded as the best weight-for-age race in Australasia – not to mention one of the most exciting race days in the world.

Among the champion horses that have their names etched on the W.S. Cox Plate Wall of Champions are Phar Lap, Kingston Town, Rising Fast, Dulcify, Might and Power, Makybe Diva and more recently Winx.
Over its 134-year history, the racecourse has undergone some major changes, with an expansion of the racecourse facilities in the 1960s and the addition of harness racing in the 1970s until 2010.

Evolution

In 2009 Moonee Valley Racing Club announced its intention to redevelop the racecourse and cement its future for generations to come.

Following an extensive period of consultation with key stakeholders, the Development Approval Panel, in March 2015 determined the appropriate planning framework guidelines that would apply to future development at the MVRC site. This decision allowed the MVRC to proceed with its objective of building a new grandstand and racetrack thereby ensuring its long-term business future. The redevelopment of the total 39 hectare site will also facilitate the building of a mixed-use precinct on approximately nine hectares of surplus land that is freed up.

In 2016, the process commenced appointing a development partner to work with the MVRC in undertaking this major urban redevelopment project. After an extensive selection process involving a detailed review and analysis of submissions from a range of Australia’s leading development companies, the MVRC appointed Hostplus-Hamton as the joint venture development partner in late 2017.

In 2019, the future of the site was revealed. Underpinned by a unique botanical vision, Moonee Valley Park is designed as a neighbourhood within a park. In 2020, Tote Park was delivered to the community, the new verdant green entry to Moonee Valley Racecourse spans over half an acre and features a children’s sensory playground. In 2021, Tote Bar & Dining opened its doors.

Moonee Valley Park welcomed its first residents in September 2022.