Sandown gets into the Christmas spirit

SANDOWN Racecourse is gearing up for its big annual pre-Christmas meeting on Saturday 22 December with patrons set to kick off the festive season in style at the races.
The meeting will be held on the Hillside track and a strong program of races is anticipated.
Dining packages are available and bookings can be made by phoning 9257 7100, while children will be catered for with a Jumping Castle.
Racing returns to Sandown on Saturday 5 January for its first meeting in 2008 to be held on the Lakeside track, and admission for both Sandown meetings will be $8 for adults, $5 concession and children under 18 accompanied by an adult free.
Sandown will also have a presence at the Melbourne Racing Club meeting at Caulfield on Boxing Day, 26 December, when the work and dedication of former racecourse manager Brian Green is acknowledged with the running of the $56,000 Brian Green Handicap.
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 and his knowledge was instrumental in the redevelopment of the Sandown course proper.
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.
The Boxing Day meeting is one of the major events of the summer period and features the running of the $100,000 Listed Christmas Stakes over 1200 metres.
The day will also recognise two great racecallers with the running of the $56,000 Joe Brown Super VOBIS Handicap (1600m) and the $56,000 Frank O’Brien Handicap (1100m).