Oakbank Racecourse is a vital cog in the operation of horse racing in South Australia and a course which well and truly puts the state on the national map.

While it’s one of the oldest tracks anywhere in Australia it’s also one of the least used tracks in the country as well.

In fact up until 2009 Oakbank Racecourse was only used on two occasions annually, not bad considering it was first opened back in 1876.

As you can imagine Oakbank Racecourse embodies a real spirit of South Australian racing and given how rare the meets are they are always hugely popular.

The Oakbank Racing Club’s most famous event is undoubtedly the Great Eastern Steeplechase, it was first run in 1876 when it was won by Tormenter and the undulating winding course is still just as tough.

It’s a genuinely unique race and one which is so important to a state which battles for coverage in an industry often dominated by the eastern states.

There’s no doubt the locals know this and they certainly get out to support the meeting, around 45,000 usually expected for day one on Easter Saturday.

That number swells even further on Easter Monday with crowds nearing the 70,000 capacity, officially making it the biggest picnic race meet anywhere on the planet.

Oakbank Racecourse itself is located in the Adelaide Hills, only around 45 minutes from the city centre.