Man charged after fire causes extensive damage to grandstand at famous racecourse
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A man has been charged after a fire caused extensive damage at one of Australia’s most famous racecourses. Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne is known internationally as the home of the Caulfield Cup and was due to host its latest fixture on Wednesday this week. But that fixture has been transferred to a neighbouring course following the blaze which broke out in the grandstand on Tuesday morning.
The fire tore through the Norman Robinson Stand causing significant damage to two of its bars which had timber features. Fire fighters who arrived with 17 appliances took 45 minutes to get the blaze under control. There were no reported injuries. Melbourne Racing Club chairman John Kanga, estimated that millions of dollars of damage was caused.
"When I got here, it was horrific," he told Racenet.com. "There were flames coming out of the back of the grandstand and it looked like the (adjoining) Hiskens Stand had gone up as well as the Norman Robinson Stand, but luckily it was contained to the one stand.
"There was only water damage and smoke damage to the Hiskens Stand." A decision was made quickly to move the twilight meeting scheduled to take place at the track on Wednesday to Mornington. Racing Victoria said: “The transfer comes following a fire this morning in the Norman Robinson Stand at Caulfield Racecourse which has now been established as a crime scene by Victoria Police.
