Like all Australian states and throughout New Zealand, the earliest trotting events were match races. Many of these were raced on tracks around local streets. In Adelaide this involved meetings on Bay Road (Anzac Highway) which was designed with a wide nature strip on both sides.
Trotting against time at twice yearly Adelaide shows at the old Showgrounds (now covered by buildings of Adelaide University) together with the first trotting races on gallops programmes were all part and parcel of early trotting in South Australia.
Early Days – Ninety Century
In February 1847 a trotting match race in harness for £40 was the forerunner to the Thoroughbred mare “Norah”, bred in Victoria by the Henty family, owned and ridden by Police Inspector Alexander Tolmer of the SA Police Force, trotting fifteen miles in under an hour against time. She achieved this feat with four and a half minutes to spare as reported in the Adelaide Advertiser on 2 July 1847.
Norah was next staked to trot eight miles in under thirty minutes on 10 October 1847 (Frome Bridge to Port Bridge) which she achieved in 27 minutes and 12 seconds (eight miles less two chains). Her final match against time was to complete sixteen miles under one hour racing on the beach at Glenelg. Despite terrible conditions, she managed to successfully undertake the task in 55 minutes and two seconds for a wager of £120 pounds. Norah was then sold to Calcutta for £500. Due to bad weather off the Leeuwin coast, Western Australia, Norah never achieved here her destination as she was among many horses lost at sea.
The South Australian JC (SAJC) held their inaugural meeting on 10 April 1849 but it did not include any trotting events. The first trotting races took place on 2 February 1850 at Brighton, a match race at £30 a side requiring the two contestants to race over two miles trotting, two miles galloping and finally two miles across country over jumps (hurdle race). Jerry won the trot and hurdle race while Marquis was the winner on the flat.
Autumn 1864 (22 April) SAJC’s meeting included the first metropolitan trotting race in Adelaide conducted on the Old Course (now Victoria Park). A three mile trot event for twenty five sovereigns, won by CB Fisher’s gelding Charlie over two other entrants. The summer meeting of 14 December 1865 included another trotting match race. Autumn 1866 meeting provided a trotting race or match over three miles consisting of two heats for twenty five sovereigns – again both heats won by CB Fisher’s Charlie. CB Fisher became a prominent thoroughbred breeder and administrator in Victoria.
On Thursday 10 May 1877, a match against time over a mile within three minutes was staged on the Glen Ormond road where a black cob owned by Mr FT Cornelius recorded a time of two minutes forty eight seconds, a South Australian record. Trotting races featured at race meetings in Adelaide (Old Course and Morphettville) and country towns Warooka, Gladstone, Red Hill, Yorketown, Onkaparinga, Pekina, Yacka, Hoyleton, Hamley Bridge and Rapid Bay.
The South Australian Trotting Association was formed in 1880, the first trotting club in South Australia being the Adelaide TC which held its inaugural meeting on the Old Course, East Park Lands (Victoria Park) on Saturday 18 September 1880. The meeting consisted of three events (maiden trot over 1½m; distance hcp over 3m and 1½m distance hcp of two heats) racing in front of a crowd of 1,000 – 1,500 patrons. Second meeting was held on Boxing Day (27 December) 1880 when four trotting races were contested.
Trotting races were held at thoroughbred race meetings over the next four years at venues such as Noarlunga, Edinburgh, Snowtown, Balaklava, Morning Star, Warooka, Yacka, Morphet Vale, Yorketown, Mannum, Elliston, Booleroo Centre, Pekina, Truro, Bowilla, Salisbury, Granville, Lancelot, Aldinga, Burra, Kapunda and Hammond.
The South Australian Trotting Club held its first AGM at the Lincoln Inn on 2 February 1885 prior to holding its inaugural meeting on the Old Course on Saturday 11 April 1885. The meeting featured two flat races, a selling (claiming) steeple and two trotting events (2m maiden tot; 3m distance handicap trot). Next meeting held on 9 November 1885 entertained 800 patrons with a further two trotting events held.
In November 1889, organised trotting races were reported as having been held along the roads of Port Adelaide. The first country trotting club to feature in South Australia, the Millcent TC held their first meeting on a new course at the Recreation Reserve on 24 June 1895.The days racing comprised a maiden hurdle, ladies purse (gallopers), hack race, Cigar and Umbrella race and two trotting events – maiden and handicap trots.
The Camden Park TC conducted a mixed code meeting at Morphetville on 29 October 1898. Following this the Port Adelaide TC held its inaugural meeting at the old Port Adelaide course on Saturday 28 November 1898 with a crowd of 1,000 patrons in attendance. The meeting comprised three trotting races (maiden and handicap trots over two miles; handicap trot over two and half miles), two hack races, one pony race and a hurry skurry.
Heading into the twentieth century, South Australia boasted four trotting clubs with trotting races being held in over forty towns.
Adelaide – Metropolitan tracks in early twentieth century
Following the conclusion of the First World War, trotting exploded into action in Adelaide with the South Australian Trotting Association formed in 1919. Alberton Oval, near Port Adelaide hosted the first day trotting meeting in Adelaide on Saturday 27 December 1919 on a 550yds track; last meeting held at this venue was on 18 March 1923.
The South Australian TC was formed with official night trotting under huge arc lamps commencing in Adelaide at the Jubilee Oval (¼m track owned by State Government situated behind the University of Adelaide) on Saturday 6 November 1920 where a crowd estimated at 7,000 attended. The winner of the first of six races, a maiden handicap trot was Johnny. The meeting was held in conjunction with a buck jumping (rodeo) carnival under lights.
Due to the success of night trotting, within two years four clubs had been formed in opposition to each other. The second club was the Port Adelaide TC formed in 1921 (Alberton Oval); in 1922 the third club was the Adelaide TC (proprietary club of prominent names) which raced at Jubilee Oval from 8 April 1922. The Adelaide TC booked Jubilee Oval for twenty Saturday night meetings during the summer months creating an absurd situation whereby the Adelaide TC raced on Saturday nights, the South Australian TC leased Jubilee Oval to race on Friday nights while the Port Adelaide club (Alberton Oval) raced in opposition to the Adelaide TC on a Saturday night.
In 1922 at Jubilee Oval, Adelaide, a women’s saddle race was programmed which attracted twenty four nominations and was divided into two divisions. The final was won by Miss May Webster, a thirteen year old girl.
When the Port Adelaide club ceased, a fourth club, Southern TC was formed and raced at Prospect Oval on Wednesday evenings (first meeting 30 September 1922; last meeting 17 February 1927 on 550yds track). The Adelaide TC then transferred its meetings to Thebarton Oval, west of city (first meeting 25 November 1922; last meeting 22 April 1933; a major Adelaide track 1927-1933 prior to the heydays of Wayville Showgrounds). In time yet another club was formed called the South Australian Owners TC (affiliated to South Australian Trotting Association), their first meeting was held at Prospect Oval on Wednesday 23 January 1924. Yet another sports ground, the Hawthorn Oval hosted two meetings during this period – 27 July 1923 and 1 September 1923 on a 550yds track. All these clubs raced on sports grounds not dedicated to trotting use (little larger than greyhound tracks), thus suffering from limited size of their tracks.
Mortlock Park was a harness racing trialling track (550yds) within the Colonel Light Gardens, Mitcham, 7km south of Adelaide CBD. It doubled as a cycling track operating from 1948 to 1992.
Wayville Showgrounds –
Aside from becoming Adelaide’s premier metropolitan track under lights for a period approaching forty years, Wayville Showgrounds has played host to various outdoor events such as the Royal Adelaide Show, known as Speedway Royale 1926-1934 when used for sidecar & motorcycle racing, the main arena hosts the Adelaide leg of the annual Big Day Out music festival, as well as Monster Trucks and Motocross events such as the Supercross Masters.
The main arena was the home ground of the West Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League from 1927 until it was taken over by the Australian Army after the 1939 season due to the outbreak of World War II. West Adelaide would win the SANFL premiership in 1927, their first year based at the Showgrounds. West Adelaide merged with the Glenelg Football Club during WW2, and from 1940 were forced to play their home games at the Adelaide Oval until their current home, Richmond Oval, was opened in 1958. West Adelaide remain the only SANFL team to have used the Showgrounds as their home ground. Despite the main arena having suitable lighting, Wayville has never been used for night football.
The Wayville Showgrounds are owned by the SA Government and operated by the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of South Australia. The main trotting track in Adelaide with a “miniscule” 557 yards (510m) in circumference was used until 1973 when Harness Racing SA moved to its own facility at Globe Derby Park seventeen kilometres north of Wayville.
Wayville Showgrounds track opened for business on 24 October 1925. The Adelaide TC gradually faded from the scene with the opening of Wayville which became the base for city night trotting in Adelaide for nearly forty years (season ran from October to June; last meeting 7 April 1973). The feature event on the first programme for £100 was won by Lustre driven by Fred Kersley snr.
Wayville was the fastest growing entertainment area in Adelaide in the years prior to WWII, with huge crowds filling the moulds and seating close to the action on the small track. In 1933 the Lottery and Gaming Act was passed in the SA Parliament allowing bookmakers to accept bets on course. At its peak, one hundred bookmakers swung their satchels (sixty two at the time of final meeting in April 1973). The first meeting of the South Australian Trotting Association with bookmakers on course was conducted on 27 January 1934. This led to the popularity of Saturday night trots at Wayville in late 1930’s with larger crowds than attained by the thoroughbreds on Saturday afternoons.
Wayville was too small for the use of the mobile barrier, so the race cards were all standing starts. A $6000 bugle was blown to signal the horses to come onto the track. They did circle work on the green turf in the middle of the track before starting the race. A man with a bell was rung with a lap to go in each race.
In 1935 the South Australian Trotting Association changed its name to the South Australian Trotting Club. Owing to World War Two Wayville was closed for racing from 22 February 1942 until 5 November 1943 with racing recommencing on 6 November and continuing until Wayville’s final meeting on Saturday 7 April 1973 with the final race winner being Dulaw (dr Wayne Jacques; tr Laurie Gates). The formation of the SA TAB occurred on 30 March 1967 following legislation passed allowing off course betting.
The South Australian Trotting Club held its first Inter Dominion at Wayville in 1937, a year after the first Inter Dominions were held in Perth, Western Australia in 1936. This was the first of eleven ID’s in total held in Adelaide (six Wayville, five Globe Derby Park). In 1949 Single Direct won the Pacing Final; 1954; 1958 locally bred and owned Free Hall won; 1963 legend and harness racing’s first millionaire Cardigan Bay prevailed from a back mark of 24 yds around the saucer track; Wayville’s final ID was held in 1969.
Some interesting comments from participants at the 1949 Interdominions concerning the small Wayville track size following a sensational crash involving four horses in a middle night heat before a record crowd of 36,000 included :
- Bruce Elliot, owner of Single Direct, the NZ champion, which lost much ground through the crash in the first inter-Dominion race, attributed the frequency of sulky capsizes to both the smallness of the track and a “tendency of drivers to swing their horses out when back-markers were trying to pass. Racing on the 550-yard Wayville track is most spectacular from the public’s point of view, but the better horses do not get sufficient chance,” he said. “The unusual number of falls tonight shows that the track is not big enough for championship trotting. In New Zealand, we race on six-furlong tracks, which enable fast times.”
- WF Nevard, owner of the WA horse Lila’s Walla, said:—”The track is definitely too small. In Perth, we race on a track, nearly half a mile long, which can take 12 sulkies abreast.”
Among the numerous feature races run over the years at Wayville were ANA Cup (1936 -73); Christmas Cup (1947–72); SA Cup (1959–72); Easter Gift (1937-73); New Year’s Gift (1926-71); Sapling Stakes (1959-73); Sires Produce – 3 (1939–73); SA Derby (1938–72); Oaks (1956- 72); St Leger (1963-73); Trotters Cup (1947–72); Trotters Derby (1940–73).
Many prominent horses graced the Wayville track : Minor Derby, Aachen, Van Nut, Adios Court, Bylaw, Gramel, Merchant being a small sample.
After the final Wayville meeting held on Saturday 7 April 1973, harness racing did not make a reappearance at Wayville for forty four years until one off meetings held on :
- 27 October 2017 – eight race programme over distances of 2140, 2380 (including Pacing Cup) and 2653 metres (Trotters Cup), all standing starts. The meeting followed the staging of races as part of the main arena spectacular at the previous two years Royal Adelaide Shows. Twelve selected drivers – SA (seven) and VIC (five, three originally from SA – Lance/John Justice, Kath Gath) drove at this meeting; all featured in driver interviews together with Fashions on the Field, Legends Parade, Pony Trots and an after race concert
- Friday 13 December 2019 – seven race programme over distances of 2140 and 2380 metres standing starts
Globe Derby Park (GDP) has been known as the home of harness racing in South Australia for close to fifty years, the track named after one of Australasia’s most influential stallions. Home track and flagship venue for the South Australian Harness Racing Club (SAHRC), Globe Derby Park is located twenty minutes north of the city centre off Port Wakefield Road. At the present time continuation of racing at Globe Derby Park is somewhat under a cloud.
The ground was broken on GDP in 1968 and the first public race meeting held on the afternoon of 24 June 1969 when the track was officially opened. It wasn’t until after harness racing moved from Wayville Showgrounds to Globe Derby on 14 April 1973 (first metropolitan night trotting meeting) that it became the official home of the sport in SA. As lights had not been installed until this date, night trotting had continued at Wayville until a week prior to Globe Derby’s opening night meeting.
The 924 yds (845.5m) track was officially opened by Chief Secretary M Kneebone. Highlights of the inaugural night meeting included Touch Merchant’s victory in the SA Trotters Cup, Reichman’s Invitation FFA and the forty five bookmakers in operation. At the time of its opening Globe Derby was the biggest metropolitan track in operation at 924 yds; Albion Park 880 yds; Harold Park 808 yds; Gloucester Park 792 yds; Fremantle 710 yds; Elwick/Hobart 720 yds and Melbourne Showgrounds 660 yds.
The Globe Derby track is of a shell grit surface and is 845.50 metres in circumference, with the home straight being 150.90 metres in length with a sprint lane in operation. Races are run in an anti-clockwise direction over distances of 1800, 2230 and 2645 metres. Meetings are held at GDP every Saturday night, Monday afternoons and Friday nights during winter. The Paceway Restaurant provides a panoramic view of the track.
The major race events held at Globe Derby since the inception of night trotting include SA Pacers Cup, Trotters Cup and Christmas Cup, Derby and Oaks – since 1973 and Golden Nursery, Ladyship – 2f, Lordship – 2c, Sapling Stakes; 3yos Sires Produce/St Leger/Trotters Derby – since 1974.
Many fine horses have graced GDP, among them Gammalite, Maoris Idol, Our Sir Vancelot, Blacks A Fake, Knight Pistol, Courage Under Fire, Smoken Up, Shakamaker, Sokyola are just a few.
Matters of interest from years of racing at GDP include :
- 1973 Australian Reinswomen’s Championship was programmed where leading reinswomen from around Australia took part. It was the first time betting was permitted in any state on pacers driven by women
- first mobile start events held at Globe Derby on Saturday 26 January 1974 – R4 Invitation Trot over 1610m was won by Touch Merchant (Australian Trotting C/S, Dullard Cup), driven by G. Wilson while R6 Gough Hcp (20MS Pace) Eternal Spring driven by C. Webster won in a 1:17.9MR
- 1977 South Australian Trotting Club administration office moved to GDP
- 1978 women were licensed to train/drive in NSW, WA, SA and Qld
- 1988 riots broke out at GDP at an AC/DC concert as part of their Blow Up Your Video tour. Reports of the day stated crazed fans had torn down fences, rolled cars over fences, lit fires and fought with police about halfway through the show
- 1989 the Club changed its name to the South Australian Harness Racing Club
- 1996 Club successful in securing membership of the Australian Harness Council which allowed representation at AHRC meetings and full voting rights
- 1997 South Australian Harness Racing Club, for the first time in Australia and New Zealand, held the Inter Dominion Trotters and Pacers finals on the same night and the first Australian Harness Racing Club to stage the Inter Dominion without a hub rail
- charity and celebrity races e.g. rival cricketers, Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee and Englishman Ian Botham, took each other on in an “Ashes” charity trotting race in 1983 in front of up to 10,000 people (won by Botham)
- harness racing memories contained in the SA harness racing hall of fame museum, which attracted busloads of people during the glory days of the 1980s
The highlight of racing over the years at Globe Derby Park has been the Interdominions. Large crowds were always a feature although televised racing reduced numbers to a degree. GDP has hosted five Inter Dominion Championships — the premier harness racing series in Australia and New Zealand
- 1976 – GDP held first trotters ID in Adelaide, only second ever in Australia after Harold Park in 1966. The Trotters Grand Final winner Bay Johnny and Pacers Grand Final winner Carclew were both great grandsons of Globe Derby after whom the track is named. Carclew was SA bred and owned, driven by a young Chris Lewis
- 1984 – first mobile ID trotters FFA series, featuring greats in NZ’s Sir Castleton (1984 Grand Final winner) and dual winner Scotch Notch who finished second (1983 Auckland and 1985 Moonee Valley winner)
- 1990 – no trotters ID/Pacers Grand Final winner Thorate
- 1997 – Trotters Grand Final winner Pride of Petite with Our Sir Vancelot, Pacers winner, first of three consecutive ID’s (SA/TAS/AK)
- 2007 – Blacks A Fake, second of three consecutive/four in total Pacers Grand Final wins; trotter’s winner Lance Justice (former SA) trained/driven Uncle Petrika. Crowds of 25-30,000 patrons over four nights (first night Moonee Valley 3,000; second night Pacers only 4,000; third night heats 6,000 plus; Grand Finals night 12,000 plus
Next Time : SA Regional tracks
Peter Craig
19 May 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
