Sandown has holidays covered

SANDOWN Racecourse will host several meetings over the Christmas and New Year period with the first this Saturday’s Christmas Eve meeting on the Hillside course.
Children’s attractions will include free pony rides and an animal farm.
After Christmas the Melbourne Racing Club will hold meetings on Boxing Day, 26 December, Wednesday, 28 December and Saturday, 7 January.
The Boxing Day meeting will be held at Flemington due to the track renovations being undertaken at Caulfield, with the other two meetings at Sandown.
The running of the $55,000 Brian Green Handicap over 2000 metres at Flemington will recognise a former racecourse manager at Sandown who was a major factor in converting the track to the finest wet weather surface in the nation.
Formerly the manager at Cheltenham Racecourse in Adelaide, Green came to Sandown at a time when the track had a poor reputation in wet weather.
His knowledge was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Sandown course proper with the installation of new drainage placed deep to improve, and strengthen, the root system of the grass.
Sandown is now renowned as the finest wet weather track in Australia, and that has been proven several times when the course has been called on to host extra meetings through winter when other tracks have been under reconstruction.
After the midweek Hillside track meeting on 28 December, the Lakeside circuit will be in operation for the important meeting on 7 January.
The meeting will feature the running of the $100,750 Group 3 weight-for-age Rubiton Stakes (1000 metres), which is one of the first major lead-up races to the autumn feature races.
In January Super Elegant added to its 2003 and 2004 wins in the event by defeating Truly Wicked and Sensational Spot.
Course admission for the meetings is $7 for adults, $4 concession and entry for children under 18 accompanied by an adult is free.