Maturity Classic 2025

Classic winter racing and dining awaits

See the upcoming chasers come of age at ‘The Meadows’ in the 2025 Group 1 Maturity Classic on Saturday July 26th

Here’s your chance to get off the couch and enjoy the warm and friendly hospitality of the Melbourne Greyhounds team, in a night packed full of action.

The undeniable highlight of the evening will be the running of the Group 1 Maturity Classic over 525m. This race has a long and celebrated history (see more below) going back to 1970 when it was first run at the Olympic Park track. Many chasers (and trainers) who have won this race have gone on to have illustrious careers – notably Temlee, Fernando Bale and Wow She’s Fast.

In addition to watching the young sprinters go round, the Group 3 Fireball will also provide plenty of hot racing action over the 730m.

Break up your winter hibernation this July with a classic night at ‘The Meadows’!

Race Night Details

DATE: Saturday July 26 2025
TIME: Gates open from 5:00pm (First race approx. 6:30pm)
COST: FREE General Admission
HOSPITALITY ACTIVATIONS: City View Bistro Dining (Temlee Dining Room), Casino Games (FREE Admission with a bistro booking), Christmas in July Dining Specials
FEATURE RACES: Group 1 Maturity Classic 2025 (525m) & Group 3 Fireball (730m)

BOOK NOW

What's the best way to take in all this sizzling winter racing?

We’d say reserve yourself a seat in our City View Bistro and let us entertain you. Our new winter menu will be on offer, and is full of a delicious range of new dishes. The Classic Italian Seafood Stew is bellissimo and the Saganaki is great entree to share between two. We’ve also added some delicious early Festive Dining Specials. Why not grab a few friends or the family and turn the night into a Christmas in July catch-up

For those wanting to get closer to the action and enjoy something a little less fancy, the concourse located Midas Sports Bar will be open and serving delicious hot plated meals from $17.50 and a full range of bar food snacks and treats. They will kick off the night with $5 schooners of cider and beer between 5.00pm to 7.00pm (and everyone will be excited to know we’ve got capacity for you to place a bet course).

As always, track admission and car parking on this night is FREE!

RESERVE A TABLE

Classic Bistro Dining

Be entertained in our stunning Temlee Dining Room and enjoy classic Melbourne Greyhounds food and hospitality at 'The Meadows'. Take advantage of this rare chance to bistro dine on a Group 1 Race Night. Group Race Nights are usually catered with dining packages, however, we've flipped the script and decided a more relaxed night is what every one needs in the middle of a Melbourne winter.

YOUR DINING RESERVATION INCLUDES:
> Table for the entire race night. Bookings commence at 6pm and finish half an hour after the last race.
> Access to the level 1 grandstand and elevated indoor race view areas
> Private Dining Room Bar
> Betting facilities
> Track Entry & Racebook
> Bistro Dining Menu
> Access to the Casino Games Room (See more details below)

BOOK NOW

Casino Games Night

Are you the type who likes to be entertained by Casino Games? In addition to the classic racing and dining on offer all guests who reserve a seat in the City View Bistro will be given FREE access to our Casino Games Room.

Once inside they'll get the chance to play the tables with some 'Meadows Money' and experience all the thrills that come with Casino Games.

One lucky player on the night will head home with a $1000 voucher in their hands. Play your cards right and this may be you!

Dining Specials

It's hard for anyone to say that our City View Bistro winter menu needs more dishes. However, if you're one of those people who feel Christmas Dining once a year is not enough, then we have special a treat for you. Along with our standard bistro menu, every Saturday Race Night in July (including the Group 1 Maturity Classic Night on July 26) you can have that wish come true.

Yes, we've lined up a range of amazing Christmas dinner and dessert specials. Sit down and enjoy Pepper Crusted Roast Beef or Fig & Cranberry Chicken, served with all the trimmings you'd expect to see with a Christmas Dinner, including a Yorkshire Pudding. Then finish things off with either a Traditional Plum Pudding or Pavlova for dessert. It's classic dining on a classic night of racing.

General Admission - FREE

There’s nothing quite like a night at the Melbourne Greyhounds on a Group 1 Race night. Entry to the track is FREE and you can either choose to come and cheer amongst the patrons on the outdoor concourse and in our recently refurbished ground floor Midas Sports Bar or book a table in the Temlee Dining Room and take your experience up a level.

Either way it’ll be a memorable experience and a fabulous night out.

Meadows Racing

Every Saturday at the Melbourne Greyhounds can be a classic night out!

It need not be a special occasion or a Group 1 Race Night for you to enjoy a dining experience at 'The Meadows'. Every Saturday night we host world-class racing where you can book a table in the Temlee Dining Room, the home of the City View Bistro.

Enjoy scenic views of the Melbourne City skyline at dusk, hot racing action and dishes that have got Melbourne's residents talking! And to help the hip pocket, beverage a meal prices are super affordable.

City View Bistro Dining

A race where chasers come of age

The Maturity Classic was first held in 1970 at Olympic Park in Melbourne with a first place prize money of $1,250 being offered before incremental prize money increases saw the Maturity Classic rise to be worth $30,000 at the turn of the century. Of the 52 winners, only 8 female greyhounds have won: Warrenwood Girl (’75), Overflow Love (’77), Coriole (’99), Shereen Bale (’11), Mepunga Hayley (’14), Dyna Patty (’18), Qwara Bale (’21) and the queen of ‘The Meadows’ Wow She’s Fast (’22).

Some of the most famous winners and most noted start with Temlee (74), Satan’s Legend (78), Pharaoh’s Mask (86), New Tears (87), Hay Dinney (88), Best Of Blue (89), Eureka Man (90), Northern Legend (95), Brett Lee (2001), Hallucinate (2004), El Grand Senor (2010) Shereen Bale (2011), Barcia Bale (2012) Marcus Joe (2013), Fernando Bale (2015) and recent greats, Sennachie (2019), Simon Told Helen (2020) and Wow She’s Fast (2022).

MGRA Racing History

Last year saw 'Follow the Band' join the Maturity Classic honour roll. Watch the race and read all about how he did it.

RACE ARTICLE