Brisbane Racing Club chairman Neville Bell has emphasised the club has applied only to lift heritage listing on a small section of Eagle Farm racecourse.

The BRC has applied to delist sections of the racecourse land from the Queensland Heritage Register to make it possible for the future works on the club's master plan expansion.

The plan includes a shopping centre and residential unit towers.

Bell said the club had already undergone an extensive process to comply with heritage listing rules.

He said when the racecourse was originally heritage listed it was a sweeping order which covered the whole area and some of the houses the club owned in an adjacent street.

Bell said the club would not try to lift the heritage listing from the vast majority of the racecourse.

"We are obviously keen to have heritage listing on the racecourse as it covers the actual track, grandstands and the front gates,etc" he said.

"But for some areas it isn't necessary or practical."

Bell said the current application sought to delist four lots from the south-east corner of the track near the Gallopers Sports Club and around to front Nudgee Rd.

"I can assure you it is not a application to lift the overall heritage listing or any major part of it," he said.