R.M. Ansett The Mornington Racing Club, as we know it now, was born on August 3 1947 when transport pioneer Reginald Myles Ansett chaired the first committee meeting at the racecourse. The objective was to revive racing at the picturesque Mornington course following six years which saw much activity on the site, but no racing. Locals had played golf on parts of the course and its surrounds while the army had established a signals training depot, dotting the racecourse with telegraph poles. Ansett was appointed Chairman of the Club and the rebuilding commenced. The $20,000 R.M. Ansett Stakes was first run in 1982 over 1200m and won by South Australian sprinter Grey Kildare, trained by Tony Selfe and ridden by Brendan Clements. The Listed R.M. Ansett Classic (2400m) has been a Stakes race since 2011, won that year by the David Brideoake prepared local I’m Jake. The Ansett title remained at Mornington the following year thanks to Pat Carey’s Dame Claire. The race found temporary homes at Sandown and Caulfield in the years following before returning to its spiritual home of Mornington in 2017 where it has remained since. The R.M. Ansett Classic celebrates the contribution to Mornington Racing Club of Sir Reginald Ansett from 1947 to 1981
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