This is the first in a major series of articles concerning racetracks of the world starting with those in New Zealand.
First, how good were you at identifying the track below featured in last week’s article on Racetracks of the World? The clue was that the track was in New Zealand, no longer used but was a prominent track when featured below in the 1930’s.
Answer : Hutt Park, home of the Wellington Trotting Club, located in Lower Hutt. The race shown is the Bollard Memorial Handicap of 1934 (Saturday 8 September 1934). Passing the grandstand on the first occasion, the order was War Buoy followed by Rey Spec, William Tell, Harold Denver and Worthy King. At the finish War Buoy comfortably defeats Rey Spec, being his eighth consecutive victory.
War Buoy won his first ten starts, starting out as a 2-year-old winning a handicap event against pacers of all ages. Bad luck brought about his first defeat (aged four) in his eleventh appearance by three quarters of a length at Forbury Park in the Forbury Hcp, Saturday 24 November 1934 (winner Tempest, owned by George Barton of Indianapolis fame). By the 1935 NZ Trotting Cup, War Buoys record was fifteen victories from just eighteen starts (fifteenth win aged five in the August Hcp at NZMTC [Addington] National Meeting). Placing second to Indianapolis in 1935 NZ Cup and third to Indianapolis in 1936 NZ Cup (unplaced 1937, 1938), ultimately winning nineteen races from seventy seven starts spread over nine seasons (aged two – ten).
There are in total 188 tracks in New Zealand that have been used for the running of official race meetings (including penalty bearing races at trials meetings; as part of thoroughbred race meetings in earlier days etc) since the commencement of the 1890/1 season.
The first horse races in New Zealand are considered to be :
- Military garrison (Auckland) at Epsom on 5 January 1841
- First organised race meeting on Petone beach, 20 October 1842
- First grass track meeting held in NZ was at Nelson on 1 February 1843
None included any trotting events. Private match races on the road featured in earlier years with an occasional trotting race included in race programmes in the 1860’s and by the 1880’s trotting races were a common race day feature. The first all trotting meeting was held at Wanganui on 19 January 1881.
NORTHLAND –
Three tracks have been utilised in the Whangarei district of Northland (North Auckland), none of which host harness racing any longer. The least known of these is the Waipu Jockey Club which hosted trotting races on its track once on 20 March 1893. This course was described as being located in the Whangarei county, 92km from Auckland.
The Northland Trotting/Harness Racing Club (from 1987/8 season) first held non-tote meetings at the Kensington racecourse (central Whangarei) from 6 March 1920 until March 1923. In March 1925 the first totalisator meeting was held and these continued until March 1931 with the club going into recess following one off meetings held at Cambridge in March 1933 and Alexandra Park in April 1934.
The 1650yds track belonged to the Whangarei Racing Club who first raced here in 1902 before the transfer to Ruakaka Raceway in 1977. The racing club’s annual March meetings between 1910 and 1913 included trotting races.
The club reformed in March 1954 when a non-tote meeting was held (also November 1954) before totalisator meetings recommenced in March 1956 and continued at Kensington until March 1975. Initially a single day’s permit was obtained and from the early 1960’s an annual two day meeting was held until the transfer to Ruakaka in the mid-1970’s.
Part of the Kensington racecourse was developed as one of Whangarei’s “finest executive homes” occupying a prime 1.3 ha position in the central Kensington development named “The Stables”. The former historical grandstand from the Kensington race course was relocated to the Hockey Northland facility, restored with an indoor training centre and conference room underneath the grandstand, it now overlooks the LJ Hooker Turf grounds.
In the period between 1974 and 1977, due to urban growth in the Kensington area forcing the club’s to relocate, the new Whangarei racing facility transitioned to the Ruakaka beachside location (approx. 30km south of Whangarei). The inaugural Northland Trotting Club’s meeting at Ruakaka took place on 3 March 1978 racing on a new 1000m all-weather surface inside the 1800m grass track used by the Whangarei Racing Club. A harness racing claiming race was run at the February 1981 meeting without any real success. Meetings continued at Ruakaka until the final Northland HRC meeting held on the grass at Ruakaka Raceway on 6 January 2015 (meetings held on grass in years 2013 – 2015). It is now only a thoroughbred racing facility.
Over a number of years meetings were also held at Alexandra Park by the Northland club leading into the club’s final meeting – February and May 1967; February and April 1972; March and April 1976; March 1977; December 2003; March 2007; July 2009, 2010, 2011; February 2012.
No meeting held in 2001; a date change meant no meeting in calendar year 2004 (meetings run December 2003 and January 2005) while dual code meetings (thoroughbreds and standardbreds) were run in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.
AUCKLAND –
Pukekohe Park : the home of premier thoroughbred racing (1900m track), motorsport (saloon/grand prix racing and motor cycles), a function and events centre. The thoroughbred course opened in 1919 on the site of a 96 acre dairy farm located on Pukekohe – Buckland road. Their first non-tote meeting was held on Saturday 9 April 1921 with the inaugural totalisator meeting on 29 March 1924. The track was used as an Army Camp during the Second World War (1943/44).
The Franklin Trotting Club was formed in 1948 commencing racing at this grass track venue from 29 April 1950 (matinee meeting; non-tote), first tote meeting and Franklin Cup on 22 July 1950 until 8 November 1958 (first ever mobile event, 2yo Franklin Sapling Stakes), thereafter transferring their meetings to Auckland’s Alexandra Park, the first of a number of clubs to centralise at Alexandra Park. This began with two permits in the 1959/60 season (first meeting 7 November 1959, daytime) and has continued on ever since. Their first night meeting was held on 12 November 1960.
The one difference was the running of the Franklin Country Cup for the years 2007 (March) until 2012 becoming part of the dual Auckland Galloping/Trotting Cups week. Since March 2013 this has reverted to being run at Alexandra Park. The Franklin Club merged with the Auckland Trotting Club in late 2014.
Franklin Park (situated opposite Pukekohe Park) : at the 2 June 1949 AGM of the Franklin Trotting Club, the Committee was authorized to purchase 38½ acres of land in Station Road Pukekohe for a training centre to be established. Originally the Franklin TC training complex was used for trials/penalty bearing races by the Pukekohe Trotting Club (1962-1989) but now owned and operated by the Auckland Trotting Club.
The training centre now consists of a 96 acre property close to where the Pukekohe town centre has developed. There are three training tracks – the main no.1 sand/shell track of 964m; no.2 track inside the main track and is a fines surface used for cantering, galloping & jogging while the third track positioned alongside the main track is a sand surface used for jogging. Over 220 horses are worked daily while over 50 casuals use the facilities each month. Franklin Park has seven horse barn complexes (rented out to trainers, currently eleven) with accompanying paddocks that accommodate approximately 100 horses. Laneways leading to the track from private properties house a further eight trainers with another 100 horses. Another ten trainers float their horses to the track on a daily or regular basis. In addition, visiting trainers (75 on list) bring their horses to Franklin Park to prepare for premier racing at Alexandra Park.
Workouts/trials are held weekly each Saturday catering for an average of forty to fifty horses. On site there is a Garrards Horse and Hound store, an Administration office, Boardroom and lounge facilities.
Potters Paddock/Alexandra Park : today known as Alexandra Park, Auckland but commencing business as Potters Paddock, Alexandra Park is the major harness racing complex in New Zealand’s North Island and comparable with the South Island’s (Christchurch) Addington Raceway.
Located in the inner city suburb of Epsom, Potters Paddock was conducting races as early as the mid-1880’s with the Epsom Trotting and Racing Club (first meeting Saturday 30 August 1884; three trots, hurdle, flat race and hack race). The club was to only hold one further meeting before being disbanded. Ron Bisman’s publication “Harness Heroes” sets out an extensive review of the Auckland Trotting Club until the end of 1989, so it is not proposed to refer to all matters covered in this impressive publication, rather just to reflect on some of the major events relating to the Alexandra Park facility.
The Auckland Trotting Club formed in the spring of 1890 conducted its inaugural two day Auckland Trotting Cup meeting in December of that year, seventeen years after the first Auckland Galloping Cup. The winner of the first three mile Auckland Trotting Cup was Commodore. At this time races at Potters Paddock included flat and hurdle events (for ponies 14.2 hands and under) and occasional selling trots. The track name was changed to Alexandra Park (in honour of Queen Alexandra) at the time of a visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in June 1901 (Alexandra was the wife of Edward VII and sister of George V).
The Auckland Trotting Club purchased the Alexandra Park property in 1912 (previously leased). Potters Paddock/Alexandra Park was the venue for national and international rugby from 1887 – 1912 (1913 lease to Auckland Rugby Union, formed in 1883, expired).
Grandstands were built to accommodate patrons at various times through the club’s history including in the 1920’s a public grandstand, Members Stand in 1963 and Centennial Stand opened in September 1988. Various track and lighting upgrades were undertaken and a new world class stables complex was completed in 1990.
Major races instituted have included Great Northern Derby (1916), Rowe Cup (1918), National Trot (1968), Great Northern Oaks (1966), NZ Messenger (1967), Queen Of Hearts (1996), Taylor Mile (1986) plus hosting of numerous Age Group, Sires Stakes, Yearling Sales heats and finals over many seasons. The club/track first hosted an Interdominion series in 1948 (trotters and pacers) with many series since (in total, ten pacers; eleven trotters: trotters only 1993 – both numbers include 2011 series for NZMTC following Christchurch earthquakes). The World Drivers Championships featured in 1975 and 1991.
Potters Paddock/Alexandra Park featured a six furlong grass track until December 1958. An all-weather surface of five furlongs inside the grass track was completed and lights installed. This was initiated on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December 1958 with a night trotting meeting, a first for New Zealand with a crowd of 30,000 in attendance. A new five furlong limestone track opened on 16 September 1961 (track size now 1012m).
The mobile gate was introduced to Alexandra Park by the Auckland Trotting Club on, Saturday 23 October 1965 (Labour Weekend 2 day meeting), two mobile events were held; FJ Smith Memorial (Great Adios) and Mountain FFA Trot (Great Oak). The mobile was used only once on the second day. The Franklin Trotting Club used the mobile for 50% of its races (4/8) when conducting its meeting on Monday evening 15 November 1965. The Thames Trotting club held its first “mobile start” meeting on Saturday 27 November 1965 when seven of its nine races utilised the flying start.
Match races and time trials featured often at Alexandra Park. It also is home to the New Zealand Trotting Hall Of Fame and Museum. This was established in 1970 by the late Alby Douglas and the Auckland Trotting Club President at the time, the late Reg Lewis. The current building named the Noel Taylor New Zealand Trotting Hall Of Fame Museum was officially opened at Alexandra Park by its benefactor, the late Noel Taylor on 19 December 1997.
Among the clubs to have raced there in earlier days were :
Epsom Trotting Club – as early as 1884 the club held a registered meeting on the Potters Paddock course
Onslow Trotting Club –held meetings at Potters Paddock spanning the period 21 November 1891 to 2 February 1895
Otahuhu Trotting Club – first meeting held at Potters Paddock on 21 March 1891 and final meeting at Alexandra Park in November 1930 (amalgamated with Auckland Trotting Club). The club’s major race was the Otahuhu Cup, a race which was not discontinued until 1974, and carried on under the auspices of the Auckland Trotting Club from 1931 onwards. Australian raiders made this race their own over many years – Miss Huon (1897); Trafalgar (1899); Durbar (1903); Grand Voyage (1922); Sheik (1923); Delavans Quest (1924); Orion (late Retreat; 1925); Machine Brick (1926); Mountain Dell (931); Auto Machine (1932); Star Pronto (1937).
There is but one tenant at Alexandra Park in the 2020’s, that being the Auckland Trotting Club. A multi stage urban village residential and retail complex is being developed on club grounds, located alongside the home straight of Alexandra Park. Previous users of the facility who have now merged/amalgamated with the Auckland club include :
Franklin Trotting Club : as mentioned above, moved to Alexandra Park in November 1960
Thames Trotting/Harness Racing Club (from 1988/9 season) : moved to Alexandra Park from December 1960 (previously used Parawai racecourse, Thames with several meetings held at Claudelands and one at Cambridge)
Kumeu District Trotting Club : ran matinee meetings (trials and trophy days) at the Kumeu Showgrounds half mile track from 1951 until 1977. In 1978 a purpose built facility on a four hectare property on the opposite side of the railway line was opened and not far from the showgrounds, boasted an all-weather track (810m).
Equalisator meetings (non-tote) were held at Alexandra Park from the mid-1960’s, at night from 1972 before progressing to full tote status in October 1984 (final meeting as Kumeu club July 2015). The Kumeu club during the years 2001 – 2009 (2003 – Alexandra Park; 2006 not run) made use of the Avondale thoroughbred racecourse for running its Kumeu Country Summer Cup meeting on the grass track.
Manukau Trotting Club : formed in 1967 holding its first equalisator meeting at Alexandra Park on 23 October 1967. These continued, some including non-tote races, until progressing to full tote status in September 1983 (on course only from 11 November 1978) at Alexandra Park (final meeting as Manukau club December 2013).
Pukekohe Trotting Club : followed on from Franklin club, formed in the 1961/2 season with equalisator meetings commencing shortly after at Pukekohe Park (see above) before the first on course only meeting was held at Alexandra Park on 10 March 1979. Trials and equalisator meetings continued at Pukekohe until July 1989 while an annual on course only meeting was staged at Alexandra Park until October 1989.
Footnote : many of the photos above and in future articles on NZ Tracks are from Alexander Turnbull Library collection.
Peter Craig
18 November 2020.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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