As with all tracks throughout Australia, Queensland had its fair share of match races either against time or racing against another horse in the early days of trotting in the state. In addition, Queensland is renowned for hosting the richest Show circuit in Australia and a number of time honoured speed tests.
Brisbane Metropolitan tracks –
Early Days – the first recorded trotting race at an official meeting in the metropolitan area occurred on New Year’s Day 1878 at the Fortitude Valley annual races held on the Hamilton course, a north eastern suburb.
Brisbane Driving Park Club –
Several meetings were held in earlier years but no continuity had been achieved, however following a meeting at the Australian Hotel on 7 August 1887, the Brisbane Driving Park Club was formed. The landlord of the Kedron Park Hotel, Mr WG Collier “intimated his willingness to have a good trotting track prepared on the Kedron Park course” (Brisbane Courier, 8 August 1887). The clubs first meeting was held on New Year’s Day 1888 at the Eagle Farm racecourse.
The days programme consisted of three flat races and three trots which were – Maiden and Pony Handicaps both over two miles and the 100 sovereign Driving Park Trot over three miles. Further meetings were held on 11 August 1888 (3-4,000 in attendance), 1 March and 17 August 1889.
Exhibition Grounds –
It was the National Association Sports Ground (Exhibition Grounds) in Brisbane that can lay claim to being the first Australian track to race under lights and the first horse races in the world under lights. The Brisbane Exhibition Grounds (ECCA) circuit was a quarter mile in circumference, originally a 440 yd athletics track.
The first night meeting run under the auspices of the Norman Driving Park and Pony Riding Company was held on Wednesday 24 July 1889. The meeting consisted of four pony races staged on a track illuminated by 60,000 candlepower Brooke-Pell electric light. The following day meeting was a twelve race programme which included two trotting races – Norman Open Handicap Trotting race with sixteen starters, won by Little Bess and the First Norman Handicap Trotting race with ten starters, two heats and a final all run over one mile and 100 yards – Snip won a heat and final.
On 21 August 1889 the second pony meeting was held before a crowd of 5-6,000 patrons with the first ever trotting races under lights : Brooke-Pell Open Handicap Trotting race (under saddle), 1 mile 100 yds (winner : Bob) and The Exhibition Handicap, open trot over about two miles (winner : Lady Vermont). Further day meetings followed immediately after the 21 August meeting (22 and 23 August).
Breakfast Creek –
The Brisbane Sports, Trotting and Pony Club was established in August 1889 holding its first meeting on 31 August at Breakfast Creek (aka Albion Park). Originally swamp land that had to be reclaimed before being transformed into a racecourse. Grandstands and other amenities were added, a 28½ chain cycling track was formed inside the racing track and inside that oval were areas used for football, cricket, lawn tennis etc while a lake occupied part of the course. Two trotting races formed part of the inaugural programme – 1 mile Trot Hcp for ponies in harness (winner : Tandem) and 2 mile Time Trot Hcp in harness (winner : Tommy Dodd).
Another instance of trotting under lights was at Woolloongabba now known as the Gabba the premier Brisbane cricket ground on Saturday 27 September 1902 with a series of pony races. The lack of horses meant it was unsuccessful and although it was tried again in 1908 the same result ensued.
Kedron Park –
Kedron Park was set beside Kedron Brook, adjacent to the Kedron Park Hotel once containing the Kedron Park Racecourse. In 1888 shares were offered in the Kedron Park Racecourse and Sports Ground Co Ltd. A formal race programme was held in 1889 but the course had little use in the ensuing years.
In 1911 James Sharp purchased the racecourse; in 1912 Mr Frederick Thomas of St Kilda, Melbourne acquired Kedron Park together with the right to hold night races on the Brisbane Cricket Ground at Woolloongabba. Harness racing at Kedron Park was conducted between 1914 and 1930 before being closed following Royal Commission into racing and from 1948 – 1954 when it was the lone harness racing venue in Brisbane. The Government reclaimed Kedron Park in 1955 for educational buildings becoming the Kedron Park Teachers College, later the Queensland University of Technology and Queensland State Emergency Services who now occupy the site.
The 1921 Royal Commission into Kedron Park racecourse specified the course as being an area of 34 acres 3 roods 20 perches of freehold land. James (JB) Sharp was responsible for the layout of a six furlong right handed track within which was contained a sand training track. The cinder trotting track of nearly four furlongs (½ mile) circumference was laid out within the thoroughbred racetrack.
The Commission’s report stated that weekly race meetings (including one trotting event) and a monthly trotting meeting were held under the auspices of the Kedron Park Racing Club (proprietary club). Profits derived from the racing and trotting meetings went to Frederick Thomas, the registered proprietor of the land. There did not appear to have been any fixed limit as to the number of starters on either of the racing or trotting tracks. The practice was to run races in divisions as required. Trotting races consisted of horses in saddle and in harness, hoppled or unhoppled. Handicapping was by yards with starters on different marks.
Coorparoo –
The 1930 Royal Commission into Racing contained interesting comments such as :
- The Brisbane Trotting Club raced during 1928 under its own rules at Coorparoo but held no meetings in 1929
- Attendances at meetings held by the Brisbane Trotting Club at Cooparoo during 1928 averaged about one hundred and seventy
Its recommendations included that trotting meetings comprised solely of trotting events could be held on not more than six days within any one year and only conducted “by and for the benefit of the Brisbane Trotting Club”. In addition, it prohibited the holding of horse or pony races other than trotting races on the Coorparoo racecourse.
The Coorparoo course appears to have been used from 1892, first for thoroughbred racing and later trotting (also motor cycling from 1927/8). A new revised course was launched in November 1920 with land reclaimed around the Norman Creek area (racecourse; sports ground; district park). The grounds were leased to the Coorparoo Turf Club by the Brisbane Amusements Company. The initial meeting on the new course was held on Tuesday 7 June 1921 for horses, trotters and ponies with particular effort being made to make Coorparoo the home of pony racing for which it was well suited.
The tracks circumference of barely four furlongs with varying widths throughout being banked up to six feet. Course amenities included stewards stand, public stand, ninety five horse stalls, official enclosure with press, stewards/jockeys rooms and judges box. John Wren was rumoured to have attempted to purchase the course in 1922.
The old Coorparoo racecourse (22 acres) was finally sold to the Brisbane City Council for £600 in October 1945.
Albion Park –
The premier Brisbane metropolitan harness racing track has been located at Albion Park (Albion Park HRC) for over fifty years. Located four kms from Brisbane CBD, Albion Park Racecourse is a trotting and greyhound racing venue with racing taking place seven days a week.
Built around the same time as the Breakfast Creek Hotel’s opening in 1890 as a thoroughbred racing venue (see separately contained story below) which it remained until 1981 when the galloping venue was closed due to declining popularity among thoroughbred participants. Harness racing commenced at Albion Park on 7 September 1968. The club’s founding chairman was Sir Clive Uhr, who was also the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club [BATC] chairman at the time.
Unlike Doomben and Eagle Farm racecourses, Albion Park was not occupied by soldiers during WWII and as a result the racetrack was used as a place of rest and relaxation by the soldiers located a few kilometres away.
When opened for harness racing in September 1968 the track was 800m in circumference being right handed and positioned inside the unique sand galloping track. The then Albion Park Trotting Club became a tenant of the BATC which ran thoroughbred racing at Doomben and Albion Park. With its arrival Albion Park signalled the commencement of night trotting in Brisbane close to the CBD and some affluent city suburbs. Albion Park’s inaugural night meeting programme on Saturday 7 September 1968 incorporated its first mobile event – Qualifying Stakes over 10½ furlongs won by Curly Adios (dr S. Zammitchs) in 2:09.1MR.
In 1981 with the closure of the sand track, harness racing enthusiast and Racing Minister Russell Hinze declared a new complex would be built and harness racing would “graduate” to a 1000m left handed track with a new grandstand. Once opened to a large crowd in October 1983, Albion Park was quickly crowned the “speed pacing capital of Australia.”
The anticlockwise loam surface track (1019m) has a short 197m straight and its width allows a maximum of fourteen starters for standing starts and ten from the mobile start. Racing is held regularly on Saturday nights and Tuesday afternoons, with Friday afternoon/nights and Thursday day meetings held at less regular intervals. Pacing and Trotting events are conducted over a variety of distances from 1660m through to 3157m, with mobiles and standing starts (1660m/2138m mobiles most popular).
The racecourse is now controlled by the Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club with joint tenants the Queensland Harness Racing Board and Greyhound Racing Authority residing at the racecourse as well. The APHRC conducts over one hundred meetings per season with highlights being the summer November/December and winter June/July carnivals – QLD Derby/Oaks, Blacks A Fake, Sunshine Sprint, Trotters Cup, QBRED Triad finals featured.
APHRC currently has only one grandstand located adjacent to the home straight of the track, the Russ Hinze Grandstand was closed in 2008 due to safety reasons. The building at the top of the grandstand incudes a tote, betting terminals and bar. The member’s room is located in the same building at the western end. The Pacers and Chasers Bar and Bistro is also located at the top of the grandstand providing great viewing with glass windows the length of the building and audio visual facilities throughout. The bistro opens for all race meetings with reserved tables available.
APHRC has hosted six Inter Dominion Pacing Championships with five held at Albion Park commencing with 1972 (Welcome Advice); 1977 (Stanley Rio); 1986 (Village Kid); 1993 (Jack Morris); 2001 (Yulestar) while the 2009 championships were held on the Gold Coast at Parklands Raceway (Mr Feelgood) owing to the grandstand problems at Albion Park. The 2001 Championships also included the only Trotters series conducted in Queensland with champion NZ trotter Take A Moment prevailing in the first of his two Grand Final victories (2003 Christchurch).
Next time : Regional Queensland racetracks
Peter Craig
28 April 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
