Caulfield Racecourse, a short distance from Oakleigh, is one of Melbourne's major horse racing venues and home to the Caulfield Cup, a Group 1 race run each October that draws large crowds and is one of the highlights of Melbourne's spring racing carnival. Race days bring a different atmosphere to the area — well-dressed punters arriving by train, the sound of the crowd carrying across the suburb.
Outside race days, the reserve surrounding the racecourse is an accessible open green space used by the local community for walking and exercise. The contrast between the manicured turf of the track and the everyday suburban park beyond it is quintessentially Melbourne.
If you happen to be in Oakleigh during the spring racing season (October–November), checking the Caulfield Cup race calendar is worthwhile. The atmosphere on a major race day is one of those Melbourne experiences that sits alongside the football and the food as something the city takes genuinely seriously.