Melbourne's Sandown racecourse will get a $3.2 million upgrade over the summer to bring it back to peak condition.

Victorian premier and racing minister Denis Napthine announced the project on Sunday which will involve replacing the course proper at the track which conducts 30 race meetings a year.

"The current surface has been down for almost thirty years and over the past couple of years has struggled to provide a consistent racing surface for the Lakeside and Hillside tracks," Napthine said.

The Victorian government will contribute $500,000 with the Melbourne Racing Club providing $1.6 million and Racing Victoria the other $1.1 million.

"Sandown is the workhorse of the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry, holding the most meetings of any metropolitan track," MRC chairman Mike Symons said.

"... the new track will provide a more even racing surface far better able to cope with the heavy workload, particularly during the winter months."

Napthine said the multi-million-dollar upgrade was a vote of confidence in the importance of Sandown Racecourse.

"Sandown is the home of jumps racing in Melbourne and a major metropolitan racing venue, and it hosts a number of key events each year, including the Grand Nationals and the Sandown Classic, which this year will be run at Caulfield due to the turf works," he said.

The work is expected to start in September with the laying of the turf scheduled for November and racing set to resume early in the new year.