Five-star $152 million Randwick grandstand gives Sydney racing a quantum leap - The Daily Telegraph

Check out the redevelopment of the Royal Randwick grandstand.

Horses parade in the Theatre of the Horse behind the new grandstand at Royal Randwick. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Limited

The Chairman's Room in the new $152 million grandstand. Picture: Anthony Reginato Source: The Daily Telegraph

A view of the rear of the new grandstand. Picture: Anthony Reginato Source: The Daily Telegraph

Royal Randwick's brand new $152million grandstand. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

The new restaurant on level four of the grandstand of the Australian Turf Club, Royal Randwick. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

IT’S the great Randwick rise, but not as you know it. Far from being the slight uphill slope along the famous 410m straight, this Randwick rise is far more spectacular.

As this amazing time-lapse video shows, the new centrepiece of racing in Sydney – Royal Randwick’s $152 million five-star grandstand – is complete.

After 20 months in the making, today marks the handover of the grandstand from builders Brookfield Multiplex to the Australian Turf Club.

View of the new and old members grandstand at Royal Randwick. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

Stretching 110m alongside the track and towering five levels above the finishing post, the Randwick upgrade has been delivered in time for spring.

Featuring a 4500-capacity amphitheatre surrounding the Theatre of the Horse parade ring, the largest LED screen in the southern hemisphere and impressive views of the track for both members and the public alike, it’s what Sydney racing has been crying out for.

UNSW holding exams inside the ground level betting area of the new grandstand at Royal Randwick. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

Sydney’s feature race carnivals in the spring and autumn have been marred in recent seasons by the 2007 equine influenza outbreak, the Papal visit in 2009 and the construction of the Randwick grandstand.

But that is all in the past.

View of the track from level three of the new grandstand at Royal Randwick. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

So is the grandstand’s ‘soft launch’ in autumn, when Randwick held its traditional big races in front of heavily restricted crowds while construction was still underway in the background.

While the ATC was forced to turn people away then, there will be no such problem this spring when capacity more than doubles from 23,000 people to 52,000.

The new mounting yard at Royal Randwick. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

ATC chief executive Darren Pearce said he couldn’t wait for punters to watch feature races like the Chelmsford Stakes, George Main Stakes, Epsom Handicap and Spring Champion Stakes from the ‘new’ Randwick.

“This is one of the most exciting times ever for Sydney racing and we are thrilled to be able to fully get our hands back on Randwick’s new grandstand,’’ Mr Pearce said.

View of the mounting yard looking towards the CBD from level 4. Picture: Reginato Anthony Source: DailyTelegraph

With eight new restaurant and dining spaces, four undercover terraces on each level facing west over the Theatre of the Horse, providing CBD views across Centennial and Moore Parks and high-capacity WiFi throughout, punters won’t be disappointed.

“Not only will we have a track with world-class racing and facilities but we will also be able to use it for large and small functions with fabulous views, all right near the centre of the city," Mr Pearce said.