Having categorised the racetracks of New South Wales into two main sections : Metropolitan Sydney and Country (regional) New South Wales, this particular review is the second of two looking at tracks in the Sydney metropolitan area (excluding major tracks of Harold Park and Menangle – separate articles). A complete rundown will appear of tracks that were only utilised during the 1800’s as well as those that continued into the 1900’s/2000’s.
SYDNEY METROPOLITAN RACETRACKS (post 1885 continued)
Liverpool is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney located 27 kms (17 miles) south-west of Sydney CBD.
The Liverpool Racecourse was originally used in 1835 then being revised as a pony, trotting & galloway track from 24 October 1890. It was one of a number of stand-alone non-registered pony Clubs with private tracks, including Woodlands at Liverpool, used intermittently until 1897. The 8 furlongs 22 yds Liverpool Woodlands racecourse, circa 1890s where the Liverpool Turf Club had been formed was holding races at a course near O’Brien Parade off Orange Grove Road, by 1892 this venture was known as the Liverpool Horse and Galloway Racing Club.
The Liverpool track was the first in Australia known to use a bicycle wheeled sulky. Dr George Martin Slate introduced the first bicycle wheeled sulky to Australia. His Huon mare Venus easily won by a wide margin using one at Sydney Driving Park, Liverpool (close to Warwick Farm racecourse) on 14 May 1894 (2:58MR over two miles).
The bike (pneumatic) sulky had been in vogue in America since 1892 and in 1897, Star Pointer (1889) used one becoming the first standardbred to run a mile in under two minutes (1:59¼US) as an eight year old driven by D McClary at Readville Trotting Park, Boston – mile track (scene of first 2:00 trotting mile by Lou Dillon in 1903).
Dr Slate arranged with Sydney bicycle man Phizackerley to craft a crude looking sulky converted from an old fashioned high wheeler. Ridiculed initially by spectators, their tune changed immediately Dr Slate won comfortably driving Venus with the radical new sulky at Liverpool. Supplies of Frazier sulkies were soon on their way from America for use by trainers and owners that saw the benefit of their use.
Moore Park is a small suburb located 3 kms (1.9 miles) southeast of the Sydney CBD, part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.
Moore Park was founded as a recreation ground in 1866 to assuage pressure from the people of Sydney for a public space for outdoor activities and organised sports. To meet the public’s demands, Sydney City Council dedicated 378 acres (153 hectares) of the north-west section of Sydney Common as a space for public recreation naming the area Moore Park in 1867 after Charles Moore, the Mayor of Sydney City Council 1867-1869.
Moore Park is a large area of parkland part of Centennial Parklands, a collective of three parks being Moore Park, Centennial Park and Queen’s Park. Centennial Parklands is administered by a NSW government agency the Centennial Park & Moore Park Trust. The only exception is the land on which two of Sydney’s largest sporting venues the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium are sited; these stadia are managed by the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust.
Moore Park is the former location of the Royal Agricultural Society’s Sydney Showground (moved from Prince Alfred Park in 1881), which hosted the annual Sydney Royal Easter Show until 1998. The main arena at the Sydney Showground (Moore Park) was used as one of two Sydney harness racing venues, the other being Harold Park Paceway in the suburb of Glebe, located only four kms from Moore Park. An exhibition of trotting on the track at the Agricultural Society’s Moore Park took place as early as April 1882 –
Opened as the Sydney Driving Park Club (Moore Park) then later known as Agricultural Showground, Sydney Showground and Royal Showgrounds, the ultimately 557 yds track held its first trotting meeting on Saturday 24 October 1885 continuing until its closure in 1997. The small track size of the original track (2½ furlongs) laid down in 1882 led to the popularity of the pony trotter. An improved second track was laid after torrential rain seriously damaged the original track towards the end of 1884 with £1,200 being spent on track restoration.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that :
“The inaugural meeting of the Sydney Driving Club was successfully carried out on the Agricultural Society’s Show Grounds, Moore Park, last Saturday, in the presence of a large assemblage of visitors. So far the committee is to be congratulated on the success of its initial meeting, and the possibility of each following meeting displaying a better lot of “Trotters” will induce many of the public who have never before witnessed the “gaiters” move to put in an appearance. Fine weather and a good fast track contributed largely to the time made on the ground and when thoroughly set, it will be hard to find a better or more suitable track for the fast speeding horses. Notwithstanding the number of heats that were trotted the track displayed very little surface breaking – just sufficient to take any “jar” to the horses feet”.
Four races were contested at the opening meeting with winners as shown :
Three Minute Class – 50 sovs, best 3 in 5 mile heats : three heats won by Dr GM Slade’s bay mare Folly, aged. Times : 2:58, 2:56, 2:57.8
Two Minute and 45 second class – best 3 in 5 mile heats : three heats won by Mr JA Goodsell’s bay gelding Little Dick, aged. Best time : 3 mins 2¼ secs
Ladies Bracelet – 25 sovs, second prize 10sovs. One mile event for ponies : Mrs G Baker’s black mare Lottie, aged. Time : 3 mins 45 secs
Private Match for £50 aside, 2 miles : Mr Woodham’s aged bay gelding Dandy defeated Mr Carnegie’s aged bay mare Nellie. Time : 6 mins 34½ secs
The Sydney Driving Park Club (SDPC) developed a monthly programme of events with the largest attendance being over 5,000 in August 1886 (second meeting 21 November 1885).
Sydney Morning Herald Mon 11 January 1886 –
“SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TROTTING-SYDNEY PARK DRIVING CLUB.
The third meeting of the Sydney Park Driving Club was held on the Agricultural Society’s Ground on Saturday afternoon, when there were between 2000 and 3000 persons present. The weather was cool and pleasant, and the track in splendid order.
Trotting as a sport, however much it may be encouraged by the owners and breeders of trotting stock, will not receive the support of the public, unless the meetings are better managed than those which have taken place under the auspices of the Sydney Park Driving Club.
On Saturday confusion reigned supreme. Want of punctuality marked the starting of the various events. The card was clumsily compiled; the crowd encroached upon the track, and the din created by the discordant screeching of Top of Form
the phalanx of “half-a-crown “bookmakers on the terrace was perfectly deafening and eminently disagreeable. It is evident the committee do not understand the management of meetings where large assemblages are likely to congregate, and it would be well if they placed the control and management entirely in the hands of their secretary.
Things are so conducted on our racecourses, and why not at our trotting meetings? At any rate, steps should be taken to fence in that portion of the track immediately in front of the judge’s box, and banish from the place the odious presence of those cash bettors, many of whom have no intention of paying when they lose. Trotting itself is not interesting to the public, and unless the surroundings of the sport are agreeable and pleasant, it will inevitably grow distasteful to the popular mind.
The trotting events on the card were not closely contested, in fact they were of a most one-sided diameter. The most interesting event of the day was the Pony Hurdle, which resulted in a finish as close and exciting as was ever witnessed at Randwick ……………..
The principal event on the card, the Purse for the 2 minutes 45 seconds class, the best two
in three, in mile heats, was won by Native Cat, who won both his heats in splendid style, and without a break. A protest was entered against him by the owner of Little Dick, the second horse in the first heat, on the ground that he should have been in harness instead of saddle, but on it being proved to the satisfaction of the stewards that it was dangerous to harness him, the protest was dismissed. Native Cat, though just from the paddock and somewhat rough as to appearance, has a singularly free style of getting over the ground. Little Dick broke very badly.
Uno won the Pony Trot very easily. Blueskin easily appropriated the purse for the Three-minute Class. She presented a curious sight, equipped as she was with toe-weights, straps, and fixings. The match between Empress and Tommy was a hollow affair, Empress winning with ridiculous ease.
Mr. W. T. M. Alcock proved an efficient starter. The proceedings were enlivened by
some music from the Durwood Band. Appended are the results :
PONY TROT, purse of 16 sovs. (harness only), with a sweep of 1 sov, for ponies 13½ hands and under. One mile and a half.
Mr. W. Alexanders’ g Uno, aged .1
Davis’ ch m Dally, aged .2
Mr. Noonan’s b g. Fred (late Smiler) 6 yrs; Mr. Gale’s ch f Surprise, aged; Mr. E. McCarty’s b m Venus, aged ..0
Won easily by four lengths. Time, 6 minutes 5 seconds.
THREE MINUTES’ CLASS, purse of 20 sovs. (harness only), with sweep of one. Open to all horses with no better record than three minutes. Mile heats.
FlRST DIVISION.
Mr. J. Woodham’s b m Blueskin .1
Mr. H. McQuade’s gm Confusion.2
Mr. J. Heaphy’s b h Drummer .0
Blueskin immediately went to the front, and trotting in good style, never left the issue in doubt. Confusion spoiled whatever chance she may have had by breaking badly. Drummer was nowhere. Time, 2 minutes 51 seconds.
Confusion easily won the second division from Drummer and Minnie in 3 minutes 8¼ seconds.
FINAL HEAT.
Blueskin._ .1
Confusion. 0
Blueskin got the lead, and going without a fault, was never headed, winning easily by half a dozen lengths. Time 2 minutes 52 2-10 seconds.
2-MINUTE 45-SECONDS CLASS, purse of 35 sovs, for all horses that have never trotted in better than 2 minutes 45 seconds. Mile heats. Best two in 3.
FIRST DIVISION.
Mr. Henry Paterson’s g g Native Cat … … 1
Mr. J. Goodsell’s b h Little Dick . 2
Mr. J. Williams’ g m Bella Campbell .0
Mr. W. Branch’s ch g Julius Caesar 0
Betting : Even Little Dick, 2 to 1 Native Cat.
Little Dick went away with the lead, with Native Cat next, the others being left in the rear considerably. Little Dick breaking badly, Native Cat overhauled him before half a mile had been traversed. Native Cat increased his lead, and finally won easily by 10 lengths. Time, 2 minutes 42½ seconds.
SECOND DIVISION
Mr. E Purche’s b g Lieutenant .1
Dr. Slade’s b m Folly .2
Mr. G. Begg’s r m Minimus .0
Lieutenant led from the start, and won comfortably, though he broke badly at times. Time, 2 minutes 58 seconds.
FINAL HEAT.
Native Cat.1
Lieutenant.2
Lieutenant showed in advance for a greater part of half a mile, when, breaking badly, Native Cat passed him, and going in beautiful style won as he liked. Lieutenant bolted during the latter part of the contest. Time, 2 minutes 49 3/5 seconds.”
It was soon realised that the small track was not suitable for racing and a new half mile track (third track) was laid on the showground site in 1886. It had a clay foundation with a top dressing of loam. On 3 September 1890 the Pony, Galloway and Trotting Horse Owners and Trainers Society held their first picnic meeting at Moore Park with 2,000 persons present.
With opposition to the SDPC’s existence being voiced in the State Parliament it was obvious that SDPC would be driven out of existence in the early 1890’s (early 1893 last meeting). Other clubs took up the opportunity to provide metropolitan trotting opportunities for trotting enthusiasts while races at SDPC were replaced with exhibitions of speed, style and confirmation.
A number of Australian mile records were set at the Sydney Showgrounds :
Pacers :
Mares mile – 2:29½, Mystery 1893 (also Pacers mile and race mile record)
Pacers mile – Walla Walla time trialled on 4 April 1931 (2:07.0), 26 March 1932 (2:06.8), 15 April 1933 (2:06.0)
Trotters :
2yo mile – T3:41½, Goldleaf 19 December 1888; T3:22½ Lord Exeter 22 August 1889
Mares mile – Lilla G T2:42¾ 1887, T2:39½ 11 May 1887
From 1926 until 1996 the Showground’s Main Arena also doubled as a dirt track speedway, the Sydney Showground Speedway, officially known as Speedway Royale. The speedway attracted large spectator attendances throughout the summer months. Claimed to be the fastest speedway in the world in 1937, the 509 metres (557 yards) long “egg shaped” track was also the site of some spectacular crashes and some tragic deaths. Although solo motorcycles first raced at the Showgrounds they were soon joined by sidecars, speedcars and later Super Modifieds. In the 1950s stock cars began to appear joined much later by demolition derbies.
Royal Agricultural Society’s Showgrounds Moore Park 1935
Moving to Homebush Bay the site of the 2000 Olympics, the old showgrounds have since been redeveloped as Fox Studios, a commercial venture designed at supporting Australia’s film industry. The Entertainment Quarter is a retail, dining and entertainment precinct beside the studios. It contains cinemas, live venues, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and retailers of fashion and homewares. A Farmer’s Market operates every Wednesday and Saturday in the old showground. The south-western corner of the suburb boasts a large shopping centre called the ‘Moore Park Supa Centre’ on South Dowling Street, specialising in showrooms for home furnishings and home renovations. It was the site of the former Dowling Street depot for trams.
The 880 yds night trotting track in Parramatta operated at the Westmead Showgrounds from 23 February 1966 until 22 October 1973 when the final of the Carousel was run. This site used to be the old Westmead Speedway which stopped racing around 1968 (overlapped with use as a trotting oval) and was where the Westmead Hospital was built. It had been common knowledge that the track location was to be the site of a new large public hospital, so the licence approval to race was only ever going to be short term.
The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse located in the Western Sydney suburb of Rosehill is owned and operated by the Australian Turf Club. Rosehill is one of the two premier racecourses in Sydney, the other being Randwick Racecourse.
John Bennett purchased a large section of land at Rosehill to construct a racecourse and recreation area. Construction started in 1883 was completed in April 1885 at a total cost of £17,000. Bennett set up the Rosehill Racing Club (RRC), which later became the Rosehill Racecourse Company opening on 18 April 1885 before a crowd of 3,000. In 1889 and 1890 the Rosehill Pony, Galloway and Trotting Club conducted three meetings at Rosehill racecourse. From 1943 Rosehill Gardens Racecourse was managed by the Sydney Turf Club remaining so until 2011 when combining with the Australian Jockey Club to become the Australian Turf Club.
Victoria Park Racecourse was a situated in Zetland, an inner-city suburb south of Sydney, bordered by O’Dea Avenue, South Dowling Street, Epsom Road and Joynton Avenue.
The site originally a lagoon and swamp was drained in the early 1900s to create the 1870 yds racecourse developed and privately owned by Sir James John Joynton Smith (1858–1943), hotelier, racecourse and newspaper owner. Purchasing the unwanted swampland cheaply and digging a channel from the swamp to Sheas Creek to drain the area leaving it flat and fertile.
Victoria Park was declared at the time to be the grandest and finest of the pony horseracing courses in Sydney. Serving as a dual pony/trotting track, the main cinders track was located inside the 10 furlong grass track. The first pony meeting was held on 15 January 1908, the first trotting meeting on 27 January 1911 with the last trotting meeting on 11 April 1942.
Happy Voyage established an Australian Pacers mile/race mile record of 2:09.0 (standing start) at Victoria Park on 1 May 1920 while earlier Maffra set an Australian mare’s mile record of 2:14.5 in 1911.
Australian Trotting Club – race book fields from 1935 – winner Bim Boy
In 1908 a clay-and-cinder 1.81 kms track was built around the horseracing course, used for speedway racing by both cars and motorcycles until the early 1920s. In 1909 the first powered flight in Australia took place at Victoria Park racecourse in a Wright Model A aeroplane named “The Stella” piloted by Colin Defries. Although only flying 120 yards (110 m) at 15 feet (4.6 m), it is acknowledged by Australian historians and the Aviation Historical Society of Australia, that the definition of flight established by the Gorell Committee on behalf of the Aero Club of Great Britain gives Colin Defries credit as the first to make an aeroplane flight in Australia. A 20-page booklet entitled The History of Aviation Souvenir Australian Tour by Ambrose Pratt under direction of J & N Tait (price 6d), was issued at the time. It contains pictures of the pilot and the plane as well as a seated passenger with caption “preparing to fly”.
During World War II, the site was used for an aircraft factory reopening in 1945 as a horse training course. The racecourse was bought by British businessman Lord Nuffield in 1947 and from 1950 the site was used by Nuffield Australia for a motor vehicle assembly facility. Vehicle production was continued by Nuffield Australia and its successors BMC Australia and Leyland Australia until the factory closed in 1975
The site was acquired by the Commonwealth of Australia for a naval stores depot which operated until the mid-1990s, now currently undergoing redevelopment into high density housing. A three-storey totalisator building remains and is used as a site office by the redevelopers and will become the Green Square library. The racecourse is remembered by a small park on the site named Tote Park.
Next Time : Sydney Metropolitan – Harold Park
Peter Craig
23 February 2022
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
