The racetracks of Victoria will be categorised into two main sections : Metropolitan Melbourne and Country (regional) Victoria. Each section will look at the complete history of a club (previous/closed/current) or club’s within a particular regional area.
Whilst New South Wales held the first trotting race in Australia at Parramatta in 1810, it was Victoria that dominated the trotting scene in the nineteenth century. John Peck writing in Harness Racing International published a listing of all the Victorian towns (378) known to have been the venue of a trotting race in the nineteenth century.
VICTORIAN COUNTRY/REGIONAL TRACKS –
The first advertised trotting race in country Victoria was at Kinlochewe (renamed Donnybrook in 1854) on Tuesday 3 February 1847. For a stake of ten Pounds, one sovereign entrance fee, twice round the course, three to start or no race. There is no written record of whether a race or the race meeting took place.
Closed tracks or non-racing tracks
The annual Barwon races in 1853 featured two trotting races.
Camperdown is an historically significant rural town in southwestern Victoria 190 kms (120 miles) west of Melbourne. The original Camperdown Turf Club began in late 1866 forming as the Amateur Turf Club holding its first meeting on New Year’s Day 1867, under the auspices of the Hampden Racing Club. The venue for that first race meeting is still the site of the current Camperdown racecourse. The course operated as a dual thoroughbred and harness grass track from 1895 although no longer featuring harness racing.
Camperdown Turf Club has a rich racing history with the racecourse (2000m) and grandstand of historical significance to the town and district. The distinctive vintage heritage grandstand built in 1903 was reopened in January 2019 after a dozen or so years of it lying derelict. The Turf Club holds one race meeting a year in January namely the Camperdown Cup.
Located 120 kms northwest of Melbourne and 40 km south of Bendigo, Coopers Creek boasted a five furlong grass track at the Recreation Reserve holding its first trotting race/meeting in 1868.
The Cobden racecourse reserve contained an 8½ furlong grass track that now forms part of Cobden Pioneer Park, a parkland environment. This historical theme park is a project of Progressing Cobden Inc established on the racecourse reserve in 1998 to preserve the district’s past history for future generations. Parts of the old running rail from the racecourse are still visible. The Cobden Trotting Club Cup was held from 1916 to 1923.
Much of the original racecourse is now occupied by Cobden’s public activities – the Miniature Railway and Mini Golf Park, the Pioneer Dairy Park which is also home to the Cobden Historical Society, the Go-Kart Club, the South Western Restoration Group and the Cobden Airport.
Glenorchy located in the Northern Grampians on the Wimmera River, 257 kms/160 miles north-west of Melbourne and 15kms northwest of Stawell. Its one mile grass galloping track was used for trotting including hosting The Glen Trot from 1919 to 1940.
Healesville 61 km east of Melbourne accessed via the Maroondah Highway is where the Healesville TC held its first race meeting at the racecourse on 17 January 1948. A separate harness racing venue of 704 yds was opened on 27 December 1949 operating until its closure on 5 September 1972.
In 1972 the Yarra Glen Racing Club which owned its land freehold transferred its ownership to the Victorian Government and the Healesville Trotting Club relocated becoming a co-tenant known as the Yarra Glen Harness Racing Club (opening meeting 10 October 1972) with the Racing Club. In 2004 the Yarra Glen Racing Club Inc and the Yarra Glen Harness Racing Club Inc amalgamated to form Yarra Valley Racing Inc. For over seventy years now, harness racing has been conducted in the greater Yarra Valley area.
Hanging Rock Racecourse is located at South Rock, Woodend. The Racing Club was formed in 1885 with the five furlong diameter track extended to its current seven furlongs (1400m) circumference in time for the 1912 New Year’s Day meeting. The Hanging Rock Races have been held at the base of the world famous Hanging Rock for over 135 years. Hanging Rock (Mt. Diogenes) is a rare volcanic formation located near the townships of Woodend and Mount Macedon. It was the setting for the world renowned novel and film “Picnic at Hanging Rock”.
Race meetings are held at Hanging Rock on two days a year being New Year’s Day and Australia Day (26 January). The Hanging Rock RC Hcp for pacers was held for the majority of years in the period from the track’s opening in 1885 until 1947.
Inglewood is 199 km from Melbourne on the Calder Highway in the Shire of Loddon. Its trotting track opened in the early 1870’s with a trotting Club operating from 1922 to 1929 on the 1¼m course. It is now used as a trotting training track.
Inverleigh in 1858 hosted a best of three heats over two miles for trotters for a stake of ten guineas won by George Allen’s Rover (two heats) defeating Mr Cameron’s Rose (won first heat).
Koondrook situated on the Murray River located in the Shire of Gannawarra, 301 kms (187 miles) north west of Melbourne. Trotting was conducted on the nine furlong (1800m) grass track Koondrook racecourse.
Korong Vale in north western Victoria in the Shire of Loddon, 232 kms (144 miles) north west of Melbourne. The Korong Vale Recreation reserve was home to a 660yds trotting track.
Lal Lal near Ballarat hosted successful meetings on New Year’s Day late in the nineteenth century (first trots 1878).
Linton located approximately 35kms west of Ballarat off Glenelg Highway. A 660 yard trotting track was situated on the Linton Recreation Reserve.
Macoma a small community within the Shire of Gannawarra, its north eastern border being the Murray River. There are only a few houses, but there is a football/netball club, cricket club, Landcare group, fire station and a pony club. The 1400m Macoma racecourse (grass track) held its first meeting in 1891 with the first trotting meeting held in 1927.
The Christmas races at McIvor in 1853, later named Heathcote, included a £50 trotting race. In September 1858 a £650 match race over four miles (16 minutes 31 seconds) was won by Kettles gelding ‘Rambler’ over Mr Roberts gelding ‘Old Joe’.
Minyip is in the Wimmera region of Victoria, 320 kms (199 miles) north west of Melbourne. Its half mile race track closed for racing in 1984 with trotting having been held there in the first half of the twentieth century.
Morwell located in the Latrobe Valley area of Gippsland approximately 149 kms (93 miles) east of Melbourne. Its one mile grass track held its first meeting in 1878 with trotting commencing in 1919.
Mystic Park Jockey Club and Trotting Association, Mystic Park (near Lake Boga and Lake Charm, straddles the Murray Valley Highway between Kerang and Swan Hill. It was the first trotting club formed after the demise of the Ballarat and Creswick TC in 1863. The Trotting Association held its first trot at Box Creek on 24 May 1882 and continued racing until the end of the nineteenth century.
Nar Nar Goon is situated in Gippsland, Victoria, 61 kms south-east of Melbourne’s CBD. The seven furlong (1400m) Nar Nar Goon grass racetrack was used until the outbreak of WWII. A 1¼ mile grass track motor racing track was built around the outside of the horse racing circuit. Before World War Two it held the odd meeting, and in 1947 held a motorcycle meeting. Car meetings were held in 1947 and 1948 with motorcycle meetings through until 1950. It is assumed that the outer rail of the horse track was the inner rail of the speedway track. There are no visible remnants remaining of the entire site.
Pleasant Creek founded in 1853, now known as Stawell is 237 kms (147 miles) west-north-west of Melbourne, hosted multiple trot races on its race programmes in 1890’s (first trots 1865).
Rochester a small town in rural Victoria located 180 kms north of Melbourne on the northern Campaspe River, between Bendigo and the Murray River port of Echuca. Its ten furlong (2000m) grass racetrack had trotting action in the 1920’s.
Rutherglen is a small town in north-eastern Victoria near the Murray River border with New South Wales. The old Rutherglen Racecourse was a one mile grass track horse racing circuit that was also used for motorcycle long track competition.
Tarrengower held the first conditioned race (non-winners of a race worth £15) on 5 April 1858.
Tongala in the Goulburn Valley region of northern Victoria is in the Shire of Campaspe between Kyabram and Echuca, 225 kms (140 miles) north of Melbourne. Tongola racecourse was an 8½ furlong course used in the early twentieth century.
Traralgon is the largest centre located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, 164 kms from Melbourne. The Traralgon TC operated from 29 November 1975 until 7 November 1995 at Glenview Park on an 800m track situated inside the 1600m galloping track. The half mile circuit ran TAB and non-TAB meets during this period. The Trotting Club then merged with the Warragul HRC. The Traralgon Greyhound Racing Club holds regular meetings at Glenview Park having rebuilt their track and a grandstand in the middle of the old trotting track.
Traralgon Racecourse is operated by the Latrobe Valley Racing Club which was formed following the outstanding support of many local residents, businesses and visitors who demonstrated that they wished for a continued racing presence in Traralgon. It schedules two race meetings a year including its Cup meeting in December.
Tungamah in the Goulburn Valley region of northern Victoria is located in the Shire of Moira, 259 kms (161 miles) from Melbourne. The one mile Tungamah grass track was used for harness racing during the 1920’s.
Wycheproof is a small regional locality in the centre of the Shire of Buloke, in north western Victoria, 276 kms from Melbourne. Mount Wycheproof just off the Calder Highway is the smallest registered mountain in the world, standing at 148 metres (486 ft) above sea level or 43 metres (141 ft) above the surrounding plains.
The Mt Wycheproof & District Racing Club races once a year at its Cup meeting held on Victoria Derby day in late October or early November (first Saturday of the Melbourne Cup carnival). Wycheproof has held races continuously from its first meetings on Boxing Day 1881 to the present day. The first meeting was held in Stoney’s paddock (Stoney’s paddock went from Coatsworth’s road to Old Corack road), the next meeting in Dempsey’s (his paddock was north going on from Stoney’s to the State Bank corner) and the third meeting in Ryan’s paddock where they continued racing for many years.
[The first meeting held charged a one shilling entrance fee, the Wycheproof Ensign of 9 December 1881 reported that the first days programme commencing at 12 noon was to consist of six races run at hourly intervals including a Maiden Plate, District Plate, Farmers Race, Hurdle race and Hurry Scurry for thoroughbreds plus a Trotting Race over three miles, worth 4 pounds 10 shillings, entrance fee of 12/6, weight 12 stone for horses located within a radius of 12 miles of the racecourse].The Club then decided to move out to Williams’s reserve, 4½ miles north of the town, some distance from the town centre and a real bush track. An approach was made to Mr Alex Morrison to see if he would sell part of his land adjacent to the reservoir for a racecourse and a coursing club. In 1925 Mr Morrison agreed to sell to the clubs interested, at a cost of 12 pound per acre. Trotting races formed part of the club s programme in the early part of the twentieth century. The current Mt Wycheproof course is of 1550m circumference.
Next Time : Victorian Regional Tracks (part one)
Peter Craig
30 June 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
