Part Four of the review of tracks utilised in the Melbourne metropolitan area looks at the first two of three Melbourne metropolitan tracks utilised since the end of the Second World War.
Melbourne’s metropolitan track development can be broken down into six stages – this review covers the fourth (Showgrounds) and fifth (Moonee Valley) stages.
Royal Melbourne Showgrounds –
Melbourne Showgrounds is Melbourne’s largest and most versatile venue, offering unique and flexible indoor, outdoor spaces designed to host a variety of events and activities including trade shows, exhibitions, expos, festivals and more. Located in the inner north-western suburb of Ascot Vale, next door to Flemington Racecourse.
The home of the annual Royal Melbourne Show together with major exhibitions, trade shows, music concerts including the Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Caravan & Camping Touring Supershow, MotoExpo, site for TV and film production having featured as the filming location for MasterChef Australia and previously used for large music festivals – from 2010 – 2015 it played host to Stereosonic Festival.
The Showgrounds were used for the last show of The Police Synchronicity Tour, their last world tour, before they re-united briefly to play three concerts for the Amnesty International A Conspiracy of Hope Tour and reuniting in the studio.
The thirty acre (twelve hectare) site at Ascot Vale was given to the National Agricultural Society of Victoria (predecessor of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria) in 1882. The first Show being held the following year where a number of pavilions were erected on the site and over the next few decades. During World Wars I and II the showgrounds were requisitioned for military purposes.
In addition to the annual show, the main arena played host to harness racing having been the main harness racecourse in metropolitan Melbourne for almost four decades ending in the early 1980s. All major Victorian harness meetings were moved to Moonee Valley Racecourse. As well as hosting harness racing, the 610 metres (670 yards) Melbourne Showground track was a semi regular host of speedway.
In brief, thanks to Alex Hunter and the Metropolitan and Country Trotting Association (M&CTA), government legislation was passed to enable the formation of the Trotting Control Board and with that the introduction of night trotting in metropolitan Melbourne at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds. Night trotting commenced after Labour Government approval following ten years of Conservative/Country Party Government obstruction. The agreement was a steady income for the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) with improvements made to the Showgrounds this becoming part of the Society’s assets.
Alex Hunter became the first Chairman of the Trotting Control Board in 1947 (died 1953), with the AG Hunter Cup being one of the first major races at the Showgrounds, which continues to be the case in the modern era. The original track (ring) at the Showground in 1883 was 880 yards, shortened to 660 yards in 1890 and then post WW1 through until WWII the track size was 550 yards before altered after WWII to 660 yards (600m). The first meeting held under lights at the 600m Showgrounds track was on Saturday 15 November 1947.
20,652 patrons were on course for the opening night at the new Showgrounds track saw. Winners on the seven race card being : Whyalla (1¾m, 4:12.2/MR 2:24.0), the first winner under lights together with Prancing Nell, Blue Glide, Bright Spring, Amorous (NSW Sapling, SA Derby, SA Easter Gift, Hunter Cup), Charming Mission and Silver Peak (NSW Derby, Hunter Cup, ID Consolation). “Opening night was favoured with fine weather and the crowds which began to arrive about 5 o’clock had filled the main stands by 6.30pm. An interesting feature was that the majority of patrons paid 7/- to enter the paddock reserve which was greatly congested all night …. The general opinion was that night trotting had clicked. The crowd allowed its enthusiasm at the close racing – in six of the seven races the result was in doubt until the last 100 yards”.
Regular Melbourne metropolitan harness racing continued at the Showgrounds until returning to Moonee Valley in 1976 nearly ninety years after its first great revival in 1890’s. While the major Melbourne metropolitan track transferred to the dual code course at Moonee Valley in 1976 (to Melton in 2010), the last regular Saturday night meeting at the Showgrounds was held on 20 December 1980.
Racing returned to the venue to coincide with the Melbourne Show during the 1990’s, until the final TAB race meeting at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds held on Tuesday 22 September 1998 (Royal Show). Today the only part of the track that exists is the grandstand in the back straight, all other stands and the track were removed several years ago.
The first ever mobile event at the Showgrounds and only one on the programme took place on Saturday 25 January 1958. The Flying Six over Nine FFA for £750 pounds contested over nine furlongs was won by G Staintons Crown Law, scr (dr : J Barron jnr), with Caduceus, scr (Vassallo) second and Gentleman John, scr (E Rothacker) third. The balance of the field was made up of Cari Bar, scr (G Gath) (4th), Argent, scr (W McKay) (5th), Fine Finish, scr (G Rothacker) (6th). Margins: 3yds v 4yds Time: 2m 26 3/5 (MR: 2m 10 2/5). Note : Crown Law defeated Caduceus three times at successive meetings (result from infomation courtesy of John Peck, Melbourne). Mobiles proved popular at the small Melbourne Showgrounds track using equipment originally obtained from Sydney.
Trotting crowds in Melbourne peaked at the Showgrounds, where a 17,000 strong full house was almost a given attendance during the 1950s, 60s and early 70s. Despite the small and tight circuit, a surprising number of Australian records were established on the track – two year old Pacers mile and race mile, Pacers mile (Avian Derby 2:01.0TT), Pacing Mares mile, Trotters/Trotting Mares mile and Australasian Trotters race mile records.
The first Interdominions hosted in Victoria took place at the Melbourne Showgrounds in 1950 when Captain Sandy won the first of his two ID Pacing Grand Finals (1953 – Gloucester Park, Perth). Like most ID venues Melbourne experienced its share of drama over the years. In 1950, a torrential downpour three quarters of an hour prior to the final was repeated in similar fashion in 1959 with another “washout” prior to Young Pedro’s victory. Earlier Caduceus and Dusty Miller had both won their three heats.
Cardigan Bay’s imminent sale to North American interests was the talk of the 1964 ID’s as was Minuteman’s scratching from the third round of heats due to arthritis of his near fetlock joint. Given rare dispensation from running he remained eligible for the Grand Final which he won. The final ID’s held at Melbourne Showgrounds in 1970 provided ample evidence of the need to move to a larger track with a starting mayhem upsetting the chances of many of the finalists, Bold David prevailing at the finish (Adios Court won all three of his heats).
Moonee Valley (grass/all weather) –
Moonee Valley Racecourse located six kms north of Melbourne CBD at McPherson Street, Moonee Ponds. The track offered both thoroughbred and harness racing and is home to the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC). The MVRC has enjoyed a rich and vibrant history of thoroughbred horse racing at its unique amphitheatre racecourse nestled in the heart of Moonee Ponds. Renowned for the W.S. Cox Plate, Australasia’s Weight-for-Age Championship, The Valley is also Australia’s leading night racing venue.
Early Days – Numerous match races were held around the roads in Moonee Ponds and surrounding areas of Essendon in 1880’s and later. Moonee Valley Racecourse was established in 1883 by William Samuel (W.S.) Cox (first Secretary of MVRC), who leased Feehans Farm belonging to John F. Feehan the previous year for the purpose of establishing a racetrack. Moonee Valley Racecourse had its first meeting on 15 September 1883 on an 1805m race track.
Being entirely freehold land owned by a private club, this separates Moonee Valley from other Melbourne racecourses such as Caulfield and Flemington. Expansion of the racecourse facilities occurred in the 1960s, funded by compensation for land acquired for the construction of the adjacent Tullamarine Freeway and in the 1970s harness racing moved to the Valley, when night trotting relocated from the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds.
The land on which the track was laid out by William Samuel Cox (after whom WS Cox Plate first run in 1922 at Moonee Valley is named) was a former farm purchased from John F Feehan (Feehan Stakes) and owned in the early days by a Mr Mooney (Long John Mooney), Moonee Ponds Creek nearby is no doubt named after him. Cox was the clubs founder, a noted sportsman, entrepreneur and amateur rider. He also was the owner of another two of the ten or so racetracks of varying reputation that were part of Melbourne’s landscape in the early 1880’s.
The Valley’s first meeting on 15 September 1883 featured nine horses that faced starter Mr Doherty in the first race the Maiden Plate, resulting in a dead heat between Eveline and Pyrette. From that day on racing at The Valley has been conducted strictly ‘en regle’ (in accordance with the rules), with excellent accommodation for the public and healthy prizemoney for the competitors.
Samuel Cox passed on a racing dynasty after his death in 1895, Cox’s son Archie being employed as Moonee Valley’s secretary and stipendiary steward in 1905. His brother-in-law, Arthur Vaughan Hiskens (AV Hiskens Steeplechase named after) took the reins to become one of Victoria’s greatest racing administrators. Another of Samuels sons, W.S. Junior was a leading amateur jumps jockey. His association with Redleap on whom he won the VRC Grand National Hurdle and Steeplechase double in 1892 is legendary.
With Samuel Cox conducting thoroughbred meetings from 1883, the first trotting event was held at the thoroughbred meeting of 25 June 1888. The winner was NSW mare Viola, owned by Mr T Daley, trained and driven by Sydney reinsman Mr A Millsom. The Maiden Trot consisted of three heats for 40 sovereigns with Viola winning two of them.
Various trotting races were run until the first all trotting meeting was held on 19 December 1889 with fourteen races including heats and finals. Regular full trotting meetings ceased after 12 October 1891 with single trotting races held at thoroughbred meetings with the occasional full trotting meeting through 1906. Thirty one full trotting meetings were conducted between 19 December 1889 and 29 April 1896.
Mystery who recorded twelve of her eighteen Melbourne metropolitan wins at Moonee Valley set a Victorian/Australian pacers/Mares mile and Australasian pacers race mile record at Moonee Valley on 11 October 1890 (2:30.0, one of three wins on this day) and again on 4 December 1895 reduced her then Australian record of 2:29.5 set at the Sydney Showgrounds in 1893 to 2:25.0TT – Pacers/Pacing mares mile record.
The most famous trotting race in the early era at Moonee Valley was held on Wednesday 4 March 1896, Inter Colonial FFA, consisting of three one mile heats all won by champion trotter Fritz, establishing new Australian mile and race mile records in each heat (T2:19.0; T2:16.4, T2:14.8) : the field included other champions in fastest trotting stallion in Australia Osterley, NZ bred Australasian trotting mare record holder Calista, NSW FFA trotter St Louis and Australasia’s fastest pacer Mystery.
The modern era of trotting commenced at Moonee Valley on 30 October 1976 continuing until the final trotting meeting there on 6 February 2010 (featuring Hunter Cup, ID Trotters Final/Consolation, Victoria Derby, 4yo Bonzana). The 960m all-weather track (extended to 965m later) produced some of Australia’s fastest times during its reign including Maori’s Idol becoming the first trotter in Australasia to break the two-minute barrier in a race on 19 November 1977 (T1:59.3; Australasian record was Nigel Craig’s T1:58.8TT at Addington on 19 February 1977).
In 1977, 1978 and 1980, Pure Steel became the first and only Australian pacer to win the AG Hunter Cup three times (ten wins at Moonee Valley) and in 1979 he became the first horse in Australasia to win $500,000 prizemoney. Popular Alm paced a Victorian and Australian mile record of 1:53.2TT on 13 May 1983 together with twenty one victories at Moonee Valley while his major foe Gammalite (1:55.8 30 December 1981 race mile at Moonee Valley) went a couple better with twenty four victories at the Valley (one Showgrounds); Defoe reduced Poppies record to 1:53.0TT on 28 March 1992; Scotch Notch time trialled on ID Pacing Grand Final night 9 March 1985 in a blistering T1:55.6TT.
While Markovina won the first ID Pacing Grand Final held at Moonee Valley I 1978 (first ever all mobile series), he had to survive a protest by second placed Hermosa Star. Markovina’s driver Brian Gath was reprimanded for his drive. Champion Pure Steel did not qualify for the final although he did win the Consolation. In the first ever Trotters series held in Melbourne, Derby Royale was a surprise winner. Champion trotter Maoris Idol won both his heats, the second being his twenty fourth successive victory which equalled Lucky Creed’s record, before finishing third in the final.
For Preux Chevalier’s win in the 1985 ID Pacers Final, forty eight thousand patrons squeezed into the Valley making it the biggest crowd ever including Cox Plates. He overcame a bout of colic on finals race night after winning all three of his heats. Scotch Notch after bowing to arch rival NZ trotter Sir Castleton (won both heats) on opening night, won her second Interdominion final (1983 Alexandra Park).
Trotter only ID’s in 1988 : True Roman, last Australian bred trotting winner in twentieth century (dual heat winners defending champion Tussle, True Roman, Landoras Pride) and Yankee Loch in 1989 (Yankee Loch, True Roman won both their heats) before the next dual ID series in 1992 when Westburn Grant won the Pacing final and William Dee defeated defending champion Fraggle Rock in the trotters final. Champion mare Pride Of Petite won the first of her two consecutive ID Trotters finals in 1996 at Moonee Valley (Diamond Field, Wagon Apollo won both their heats) preceding the convoluted points system joint ID series spread over five weeks in 2000 – the $1m pacing final was won by Shakamaker and the $½m trotting final by champion Australasian square gaiter Lyell Creek.
Trotter only ID’s in 2004 (Sumthingaboutaori) and dual heat winner Delft in 2006 preceded the final joint ID series held at Moonee Valley in 2008. Blacks A Fake won his third consecutive of four in total ID’s that year (2006 Hobart, 2007 Adelaide, 2010 Menangle) while Galleons Sunset took out the trotters final. Sundons Gift won both trotter only ID’s in 2009 and 2010, held on the final night of trotting at Moonee Valley.
Harness Racing Victoria’s $700,000 track upgrade at Moonee Valley in 2006 commenced in February after Hunter Cup/ID Trotters Grand Final night (12 February). The track’s camber increased to five percent in the straights and ten percent on the corners, together with the introduction of innovative spiral curves to assist the entry and exit of horses from the turns. A new track base was laid with the track circumference increasing from 960 to 965 metres due to the reconfiguration of the corners. After these improvements, metropolitan racing returned to Melbourne on Friday 28 April 2006 with an eleven race programme.
Moonee Valley harness racing celebrated its thirtieth anniversary on Friday night 20 October 2006. Trainers and drivers who competed on the opening night on 30 October 1976 were invited back to Moonee Valley for the historic meeting together with key officials and premiership winners throughout the past three decades. Races were named after influential figures, both human and equine from the inaugural meeting, whilst a commemorative race book was produced.
After thirty three years as Victoria’s home of harness racing, Moonee Valley was phased out with a reduction from fifty two meetings in season 2008/9 to just four in season 2009-10 prior to the complete move of Melbourne metropolitan harness racing to Melton. Tabcorp Park at Melton opened for business hosting a day TAB meeting on Sunday 5 July 2009 which followed a non-TAB restricted meeting on 20 June 2020 that tested the facilities prior to its grand opening.
In 1998 the MVRC became Australia’s first metropolitan thoroughbred venue to undertake night racing. On Australia Day (26 January 1998), thirty thousand patrons filled the course for the first time for what is now a key aspect of the clubs racing calendar. In 2010 MVRC introduced the fifty Five Second Challenge, a unique race series over the short course distance of 955m. The Valley is home to four Group One races including the W.S. Cox Plate, Manikato Stakes, A.J. Moir Stakes and William Reid Stakes plus $5m All Star Mile. The Valley hosts around twenty four meetings per season with approximately two thirds run under lights on Friday nights.
The thoroughbred track is a rectangular shape notable for its sharp turns and small circumference with the racecourse wedged into a confined residential area. The layout generally favours front runners making rail position extremely important as the track gets tighter and tighter as the rail is pushed out.
The MVRC in 2017 unveiled an audacious plan to transform the Valley into a ‘world-class thoroughbred racing centre’. The $2 billion redevelopment project includes construction of a new grandstand, redeveloped infield suitable for community and major event use plus a re-oriented racetrack. The current 1805m circumference track will be shortened to 1720m with the home straight lengthened from 173m to 317m. The track will be widened to thirty metres allowing an increased number of starters (currently limited to 12). Key starting positions including the famous Cox Plate 2040m start at the top of the home straight are retained in the new design.
A contemporary lifestyle and residential precinct is part of the proposal with the release of 9ha on the site of the present grandstand to joint venture partners Hostplus and Hamton. The Grandstand development and reconfiguration of the racecourse was to commence after the running of the 100th Cox Plate in 2020 with the project taking up to fifteen years to complete.
Peter Craig
22 September 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
