The racetracks of NSW will be categorised into two main sections : Metropolitan Sydney and Country (regional) NSW. Each section will look at the complete history of a club (previous/closed/current) or club’s within a particular regional area.
New South Wales held the first trotting race in Australia at Parramatta in 1810.
NSW COUNTRY/REGIONAL TRACKS –
Kembla Grange is a suburb west of Berkeley, in the City of Wollongong. Harness Racing was conducted on the eleven furlong (2200m) grass track of the Kembla Grange Racing Club and ultimately on an 832 yard track possibly located inside the thoroughbred course. The trotting club operated from 17 September 1954 until 31 August 1976.
Archives reveal that race meetings were staged by the original Illawarra Turf Club as long ago as 1834 on the site of the present day Wollongong Golf Course. Early in the twentieth century Kembla Grange estate, the present site of Kembla Grange Racecourse was purchased by the Hon. Joseph Carruthers, who designed a course almost identical in size and shape to Randwick. Numerous organisations were in charge of racing at Kembla Grange until the present Illawarra Turf Club was formed and conducted its first race meeting on 18 December 1976.
Lithgow a town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales located in a mountain valley named Lithgow’s Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales. The Lithgow Driving Club formed in 1893 didn’t always have trotting races on their programmes. The Lithgow Trotting Club held its first meeting on an 820 yard/749m City Sportsground track on 6 December 1930. A Lithgow Cup was run in 1931 with the club continuing its existence until 1 February 2004.
Mudgee a town in the Central West of New South Wales in the broad fertile Cudgegong River valley 261 kms (162 miles) north-west of Sydney. The Mudgee trotting track was located at the Mudgee Showgrounds, originally a half mile track that was reduced to three furlongs in circumference in 1936. A Mudgee Cup race was run from 1927 – 1930. The Mudgee show has been held at the Showgrounds over two days since 1856 (currently early March). A report in the Mudgee Guardian and North-Western Representative on Thursday 2 November 1922 advised that :
“The Mudgee District Trotting Club will hold its summer meeting which comprises seven events, the first starting at 1p.m sharp on the Mudgee Showgrounds on Saturday next….. entries which appear elsewhere in this issue, have been received, and trotters have already arrived from Blayney, Cowra, Gilgandra and Wellington”
Muswellbrook a town in the Upper Hunter Region of New South Wales about 243 kms (151 miles) north of Sydney and 127 kms (79 miles) northwest of Newcastle.
The Muswellbrook Chronicle of Tuesday 27 January 1931 reported :
“COMMITTEE HARD AT WORK
President Forecasts ‘Notable Exhibition.
Everything is being put in train for the annual show which takes place on the 25th, 26th and 27th March next. The ground has been tidied up, a new trotting track laid down, and general improvements carried out.
Mr. J. Smith urged that the trotting track should not be used for cycling, and moved that notices be posted to that effect. Seconded by Mr. Ireland and carried. ………….
THE TROTTING TRACK.
The President said the committee had to thank Mr. J. Smith for having supervised the work of laying down the trotting track and making, other necessary improvements on the track.”
No record has been found of any racing at this time and the 805m Muswellbrook Showgrounds track opened for racing on the 28 June 1975. The final Muswellbrook meeting was held on 10 April 2016.
Nowra a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales located 160 kms (99 miles) south-southwest of Sydney. The Nowra Trotting Club operated from 1951 until 14 November 1999, under lights from 1953. This included racing at the 529 yard Shoalhaven Showgrounds track from 1961 until 1975. A country show has been hosted at the Showgrounds for over one hundred years.
The club transferred to the 802m Nowra Paceway with effect from 22 November 1975. Since its closure in 1999, the local speedway has used the former Nowra track. Local trotting trainers continue to share use of the complex.
Queanbeyan a city in the south-eastern region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory in the Southern Tablelands region.
The Queanbeyan Showgrounds are a heritage listed showground owned by the Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council. On its inception in 1893, the annual Queanbeyan Show held over two days in November developed into one of the most important community events on the social calendar holding equestrian events, a sideshow alley, art and craft displays, cooking exhibits, an agricultural pavilion and livestock exhibitions. In addition, a Showgirl, Miss Junior Showgirl and Tiny Tots competition form part of the show.
Over the years the showground also became the venue for a variety of other activities including carnivals, circuses and poultry exhibitions. Trotting become one of the main attractions of the annual shows. A decision was taken to construct a proper harness racing track on the ground in 1927. Until 1968 the showground track was one of New South Wales’s most important venues for regular trotting meetings up. The Queanbeyan Trotting Club utilised a 680m track at the Showgrounds from 1927 through until its closure on 27 October 1978.
Richmond a town in NSW located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. The Richmond Race Club was situated at Londonderry Road, Londonderry a suburb of greater Western Sydney, 60kms North West of Sydney CBD and seven miles south of Richmond.
The Richmond Race Track has been one of the foremost sporting club and race tracks in New South Wales since the 1870s. In operation with records showing it received its Galloping and Trotting licence in December 1911, the first meeting taking place on 17 December 1912. The track based at Londonderry first opened as a thoroughbred and harness track (1450m grass track, right handed). Aside from four years during the depression the track has continually held race meetings until the present day, albeit greyhounds only now. The tote made its first appearance at Richmond in 1917.
A brief outline of a Richmond trotting card from 1921 follows :
- Encourage Hcp, £20, horses 2:15 or better
- Farmers and Tradesmens Trot, 1½m, £12; second £2 from total stake; unhoppled horses only; bona fide Farmers and Tradesmens horses; trot 3:10 or better to mile
- Pony Hcp, £12, ponies fourteen hands and under, trot 2:50 or better
- Flying Hcp, £20, horses 2:25 or better
- Unhoppled Windsor Hcp, £20, unhoppled horses, trot 3:54 or better, 1½m
- Londonderry Hcp, £20, 2:30 or better
- Hawkesbury Hcp, £20, unhoppled horses, trot 3:40 or better, 1½m
Between 1930 and WWII, the Richmond club opened and closed on several occasions as a result of the prevailing economic climate. In 1928 for example, the club was conducting mixed pony and trotting fixtures. In February 1931 Richmond experimented with a couple of all tote meetings, however by the end of 1931 the club had ceased only to reopen again a couple of years later as a proprietary club. Future inaugural ID winner Evicus (1936 Perth) and NSW Trotting Derby winner Lord Daley (also Australian trotting record holder) both had wins at a meeting held there in February 1935.
Until the late 1930s, the club usually held between four to five race meetings a year with saddle horses competing against those driven in sulkies. In 1937 Richmond pioneered race calling on track also playing of music over the amplifiers between races for patrons. In 1952, the Club stopped the galloping events to focus solely on trotting and in October 1955, greyhound racing was first introduced on Saturday afternoons starting on a straight race track where meetings were held over two distances.
The 110 acre property on which the racetrack was built was purchased by the Club in 1958 for £17,500. Shortly after the purchase, the Londonderry Trotting and Race Club Limited was established named after Richmond’s positioning on Londonderry Road. Nine years later in 1967 the club was officially renamed the Richmond Race Club Ltd focusing solely on greyhound and trotting races.
Richmond developed a new grass circle track for greyhound racing and in 1968 introduced betting on the sport with non-tab race meetings held then on 28 March 1969 the track was granted full TAB coverage. It was two years later when harness racing at Richmond also received TAB coverage. It was also one of the first clubs to broadcast greyhound races on television.
In 1987 the Richmond Club Committee met with the NSW Harness Racing Authority to discuss the future of the current grass track and changes they wished to make. Subsequently the harness track closed for six months in August 1987 and re-opened on 28 March 1988. Ten years later on 30 December 1997, the last harness meeting was held at Richmond. In 1999, the grass racing track was removed and replaced by a loam circuit racing track which is still in existence today as part of a major greyhound racing facility with a number of greyhound trainers and owners residing locally.
Stockinbingal a town in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions of New South Wales. It featured a seven furlong grass track used for trotting (unknown) period and car racing.
Taree a town on the NSW Mid North Coast, is the centre of a significant agricultural district 16 kms from the Tasman Sea coast and 317 kms north of Sydney.
Whilst harness racing was held in Taree from 1975 until 1 January 2002 on a 736m track, it is better known for its prestigious Taree Gold Cup (thoroughbreds) run at the Bushland Drive Racecourse each August. In addition the Taree Annual Show is held on the second weekend of October. It consists of sideshows, precision driving team, rodeo events, cattle and livestock judging.
Trundle a small town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales. The Trundle Showgrounds boasted a 708.6m track used over many years for harness racing (closed 25 June 1994). The annual Show has been held at the Showgrounds for over one hundred years.
A newspaper report advised of six horses falling in a trotting race at Trundle on 11 June 1935 :
“A smash marred the second last race of the Trundle Jockey Club’s winter meeting on Monday. Six horses fell. The second favourite Fancy Bee broke her neck end a leg, being killed instantly. Prospect either broke or dislocated a shoulder. None of the riders was seriously hurt. Mr. Jack Hodge of Bedgerebong, the rider of Fancy Bee, was taken to hospital with a deep gash under the eye, but after treatment was allowed to go home and Mr. Bert Taylor, rider of Lady Bib, was also admitted to hospital suffering from slight concussion and bruises. An ambulance attendant dragged Mr. Taylor from between the legs of Fancy Bee.
Other riders to fall were Mr. Jack Barton, of Forbes (Wire King), Mr. Jack Quinn, of Nyngan (Zep Raid); Mr. Harry Taylor, of Trundle (Prospect) and Mr Reg. Reardon of Albert (Blazing Scot).
Several light showers during the afternoon had made the track greasy, and the accident occurred when Wire King, running alongside Redcliffe, the leader, crossed his legs on a greasy patch and fell. Prospect came down next then the other four fell in quick succession.”
Each season the Parkes Harness Racing Club holds an annual ‘Trundle’ trotting meeting with all sponsors on the night being Trundle-based businesses and families of prominent harness racing identities. Although there are not as many horses bred in the Trundle district today, it produced many top class horses and horse people over the years with Trundle residents continuing to be strong supporters of harness racing.
Tweed Heads in north-eastern New South Wales located on the Tweed River in Tweed Shire. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland adjacent to its “twin town” of Coolangatta a suburb of the Gold Coast. The Tweed Heads Trotting Club formed in 1954 raced on the 600 yard Tweed Heads Recreation Ground (Border Park Raceway) track.
Wellington a town in inland New South Wales located at the junction of the Macquarie and Bell Rivers within the local government area of Dubbo Regional Council. The town is 362 kms (225 miles) from Sydney on the Great Western and Mitchell Highways.
Initially Wellington racecourse, a five furlong thoroughbred track was utilised by the local trotting club before a move was made to the 805m Showgrounds, Pioneer Park track which closed for trotting on 15 June 1974. There was a running battle between the Wellington TC and the Showground which resulted in some overlap of the use of dual facilities at the racecourse and the Showgrounds in earlier years. Wellington is famous for the Wellington Boot, a country thoroughbred racing festival held annually in March and April.
Wentworth a small border town in far south west New South Wales at the confluence of Australia’s two most important rivers, the Darling and the Murray, the latter forming the border with the state of Victoria to the south. The 1400m Wentworth Showgrounds track was used for harness racing until its final meeting on 27 March 1989.
Wyong on the NSW Central Coast located approximately 63 kms SSW of Newcastle and 89 kms NNE of Sydney. The Wyong Racecourse has been part of the local Wyong community since opening in 1875 and is an important provincial thoroughbred track with weekly meetings.
The Wyong Pony and Trotting Club which grew out of the Agricultural Society held its inaugural meeting with betting on 2 May 1914. The Wyong Trotting Club used tracks measured at 703 yds (660m) in the 1960’s through to 826m in later years, closing its operation on 25 January 1993.
Yass a town in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales located 280 kms south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and 59 kms from Canberra. In March 1863 the first Yass Show was held by the Yass Pastoral & Agricultural Association/Yass Show Society Inc. Their Showgrounds venue provided a ¼m circuit for the trotting club which operated between 1907 and 1977. Amazing established an Australian two year old mile/race mile record of 2:15.9 on the Yass track on 24 January 1948 (improved to 2:14¾ at Melbourne Showgrounds on 17 April 1948).
Yeoval is a small village in the Central Western district of New South Wales in Cabonne Shire. The trotting club used a ¾m track for its inaugural meeting on 29 October 1921, no meetings 1928 – 1934, until its last meeting held on 16 March 1939.
Next Time : NSW Regional Tracks (part three)
Peter Craig
20 October 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
