This is the eighth in a major series of articles concerning racetracks of the world starting with those in New Zealand.
CANTERBURY –
The area located in the central eastern South Island (for our purposes excluding Kaikoura – see Seddon Shield Districts), including North Canterbury (Rangiora, Cheviot), Banks Peninsula and the principal metropolitan area of Christchurch.
A famous match race of four miles between the Styx River and Carlton Hotel for a stake of £1,000 took place on 25 July 1866 between Golden Annie (winner by 175 yards) and Orlando.
The many tracks of Christchurch
Trotting around the Canterbury area initially consisted of match races. Christchurch boasted several trotting tracks in the late nineteenth century, the earliest dating from the 1870’s. In chronological order :
Lower Heathcote Racing and Trotting Club racing at Heathcote (Browns Paddock in Ferry Road, Ferrymead) where galloping meetings had been held from the 1870’s, with trotting races included in some programmes. The first trotting only meeting in Canterbury and South Island was held here on 11 February 1886 with the last “all trotting” meeting taking place on 17 March 1894.
Lancaster Park Trotting Club raced at Lancaster Park where trotting was held on a one third mile track laid on grass inside the running course from 29 May 1886 to 17 June 1893. The first meeting was twice delayed for a fortnight owing to heavy flooding in Christchurch. The Avon River had risen by four feet overflowing its banks at various points. The nearby Railway Station had three feet of water and Ferry Road near Lancaster Park was a sheet of water. It was the first specific “trotting club” to hold a meeting in the South Island.
Lancaster Park, the rugby and cricket stadium ((later Jade/AMI Stadium in the commercial sponsorship era) has a long history being the scene of numerous rugby battles and victories with the Springboks, Lions, French and Wallabies. It hosted famous NZ Olympian Peter Snell’s (three time Olympic champion/ multiple world record holder) world record 800m/880yds run on grass on 3 February 1962, when he set times of 1:44.3/1:45.1 in the same event. The New Zealand cricketers recorded their first ever “official” test success against Australia at Lancaster Park in the second test of the series held in March 1974. Glen Turner scored centuries in both innings as New Zealand recorded a five wicket win.
The main sporting arena in Christchurch for rugby (and cricket), was damaged beyond repair as result of the September 2010 and February 2011 earthquakes. The stadium in Phillipstown, suffered considerable structural damage including extensive liquefaction damage to the turf. Lancaster Park was deconstructed commencing early in 2018, taking over a year to complete this task.
Plumpton Park Trotting Club racing at Sockburn (later Wigram Air Force base HQ), an area of 74 acres, the original course was centred on the current location of the Air Force Museum. Plumpton Park Racing Club included a trotting race at its inaugural meeting of 11 March 1884 where the Press newspaper (12 March 1884) reported the track to be a “trifle over a mile” in circumference. Whilst the Racing Club went into recess for three years, the Plumpton Park Club held its inaugural full trotting meeting consisting of eight races on 12 November 1891. It continued to operate successfully, mixing galloping and trotting meetings until 1896/7 when its two meetings that season were strictly for trotters. The Christchurch Racing Club held trotting races on its programme at Plumpton Park between 13 December 1900 and 6 May 1911.
Changing its name to Canterbury Park Trotting Club (CPTC) in October 1909, its last meetings were held at Sockburn on 1 and 3 June 1922 then moving to Addington Raceway for the 1922/23 season onwards (first CPTC meetings held at Addington 1 and 2 January 1923; except for 14 February 1941 when meeting held at New Brighton). On 11 September 1928 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith landed his Southern Cross aircraft at Wigram Aerodrome (privately owned airfield then called Sockburn Airport) in front of a crowd of 30,000 people completing the first flight crossing the Tasman Sea between NZ and Australia. The Government purchased the airfield for a Royal New Zealand Air Force base in 1936 and used it as such until its closure in 1995. Wigram Airfield Circuit (3km long) was a motor racing circuit at the Wigram Airfield, considered the oldest motor race circuit in New Zealand since it began racing in 1949. The land was vested in Ngai Tahu as part of a Waitangi Tribunal Treaty Settlement – land has been sub divided for residential properties (Wigram Skies), shopping centre, industrial area, Summerset retirement village.
New Brighton Trotting Club racing at New Brighton, raced on a three quarter mile grass track from 16 March 1895 until the final meeting on 21 September 1963 (mixed galloping/trotting meetings had been held from 1886 – 18 December 1893 and earlier racing had been conducted on the beach itself). The Christchurch Racing Club held trotting races on its programme at New Brighton between 16 December 1895 and 12 May 1900. The New Brighton Trotting Club held its two day Royal Meeting (12/15 March 1927) for the Duke and Duchess of York, with the future King George VI and Queen Mother in attendance at Addington on Tuesday 15 March 1927.
New Brighton held meetings during and shortly after WWII at Addington (10 June 1942 – 21 February 1948) while the military occupied the New Brighton grounds. Rangiora held its 18 March 1961 meeting at New Brighton. The New Brighton club moved to Addington Raceway joining NZMTC and Canterbury Park Trotting Clubs in the use of those grounds from December 1963.
The New Brighton track was sold to the Christchurch City Council in 1963 for £75,000 and re-named Queen Elizabeth II Park, the trotting grounds were developed into a multi-purpose sports stadium (athletics/swimming) used as the main arena for the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Filbert Bayi (Tanzania) set a new world record for the 1500m of 3:32.2 when he and NZ’s future Olympic Champion/world mile record holder John Walker ran under the former record on 2 February 1974.
The Christchurch earthquakes rendered the stadium unfit for further use and its demolition was effected in August/September 2012 when a tender for $438,000 was accepted. Christchurch high schools Avonside Girls’ and Shirley Boys’ have both relocated to Queen Elizabeth II Park in the first co-location in New Zealand of two single sex schools. A new Recreation and Sports Centre has ALSO been built on the site.
The Sports House (New Brighton Trotting Club‘s grandstand), built in 1913 but not heritage listed was approved for demolition in late 2015. The stand was used by Civil Defence and leased to Canterbury Cricket before being closed after the February 2011 earthquake.
All of the above were proprietary clubs when formed with the operating profits going to the promoters. In addition, there were also the non-proprietary clubs of :
Lancaster Park Amateur Trotting Club, meetings held at Frog Pond (3 acres), immediately south of Lancaster Park between 10 November 1893 – 5 April 1899. This club followed on from the Lancaster Park Trotting Club when the Lancaster Park Board would not renew the lease agreement.
Canterbury Trotting Club, a mere stone’s throw from the existing Addington course, the Agricultural and Pastoral Associations (A&P) Addington Showgrounds was first used in 1888 for the purposes of conducting a trotting meeting. In January 1888 the Canterbury Trotting Club (CTC) was formed and conducted its meetings at the new A&P Showgrounds, Addington on a 667 yard track with the inaugural meeting held on Saturday 7 April 1888. This was to be the first of 55 meetings held by the club over the next twelve years. The CTC paid rental to the A&P Association for use of their facilities.
The Canterbury A&P Association bought a 29 acre (11.7ha) block at Addington from John (Jacob) Twigger (1817-1885), who gave the Association a further 5 acres (2ha). The main advantage of this new site was its proximity to the main South railway line. The new Showgrounds were opened on 24 March 1887. The first show ran from 9-11 November 1887 (seven months before the inaugural meeting of the CTC on the same site). In later years a “special” gate operated between the Showgrounds and Addington Raceway facilitating the movement of crowds between the two venues on Canterbury Show Day (Friday after November NZ Trotting Cup Day).
The A&P Showgrounds venue in Addington has been used for a number of sporting purposes over the years. The most notable are :
Yearling Sales venue, the first National Yearling Sales were held at Addington Raceway on 3 November 1944, when conducted by Wright Stephenson & Co. Ltd and H. Matson & Co. The sales venue moved to the A&P Showgrounds, Addington, where they remained until 1996. After two years at Addington Raceway, they then moved to permanent location at Canterbury Agricultural Park, Curletts Road, Wigram.
Rugby League/Rugby venue : formerly at the old Addington Showgrounds, Rugby League Park was the base for rugby league in Canterbury from early 1970s. The ground owned by the Canterbury Rugby League was purchased from the Christchurch City Council in the 1990s. The park was part of a complex with the [CBS] Canterbury Arena and Addington Raceway. Provincial rugby league competitions and international rugby league matches, including the 1988 World Cup rugby league semi-final won by New Zealand against Great Britain were hosted on these grounds.
Rugby League Park sustained significant damage during the 22 February 2011 earthquake with the stands having to be demolished. As a temporary replacement for the city, (currently permanent subject to a new stadium being built in the central city), Rugby League Park was upgraded to seat 18,000 in March 2012 with provision for expansion to 26,000 for major games (up to 35,000 for concerts). The events management company Vbase manage the “new” AMI Stadium (now OrangeTheory Stadium) on behalf of the Christchurch Stadium Trust, a charitable trust established to construct and operate it. The stadium contains thirteen corporate suites capable of hosting from twenty to sixty people and a venue for small meetings. The new AMI Stadium was built in less than 100 days providing Christchurch with the ability to host large outdoor sporting matches (rugby league – Warriors and other NRL teams, football – Wellington Phoenix/All Whites and rugby union – Crusaders Super 18, now Super 15 rugby franchise/Canterbury union/All Blacks tests), community/cultural events and concerts.
The Lancaster Park Amateur Trotting Club (LPATC) and the Canterbury Trotting Club (CTC) amalgamated to form the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC). Whilst not exactly a shot gun marriage of the two bodies, all was not plain sailing. It took over a year before the amalgamation process (NZMTC formed on 22 June 1899) concluded with the new track in the residential suburb of Addington, next to the A&P Showgrounds, holding its first meetings at Addington Raceway on Monday 6 and Friday 10 November 1899 (initially five furlongs track; upgraded to six furlongs around 1910). The CTC held the club’s final two meetings on 15 and 17 August 1900 following which the Canterbury Trotting Club stopped racing and by Christmas 1900 ceased to exist as an entity. The NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club’s certificate of incorporation was issued on 16 October 1900.
The amalgamation was fully justified as evidenced by NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway having been a premier club in Australasia since its formation over 120 years ago. Its signature race the New Zealand Trotting Cup has been run annually since November 1904.
The NZMTC has had an interesting history since it was formed in 1899. Some significant events include
- Famous match race between champion Australian trotter Fritz and leading NZ pacer Ribbonwood at the Easter meeting held on 11 April 1903
- In 1912 an infield semaphore board showing drivers and riders names installed
- January 1922 Canterbury Park club purchased the lease to Addington Raceway from NZMTC and moved its racing to Addington (first meeting 1 and 2 January 1923) with NZMTC becoming a tenant of Canterbury Park (CPTC) at Addington. NZMTC intended moving to a new property at Riccarton which never eventuated
- Duke and Duchess of York (future King George VI and Queen Mother) attended New Brighton TC Royal meeting at Addington on Tuesday 15 March 1927
- Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, attended NZMTC Royal Complimentary meeting at Addington on Saturday 19 January 1935
- First Christchurch Interdominion Championships held at Addington in April/May 1938
- First sub two minute mile outside Northern Hemisphere when Lawn Derby time trialled in 1:59.4 on 11 November 1938
- Photo finish first used Cup Day 1946
- Queen Elizabeth II attended NZMTC Royal meeting at Addington on Thursday 21 January 1954
- In the late 1950’s a trust board with equal number of representatives from both CPTC/NZMTC was established to manage Addington Raceway
- Tactician established first sub two minute race mile in Australasia at Addington on 6 April 1957 (1:59.8)
- The Corrigan starting gate was trialled at Addington Raceway on the final day of the 1957 Cup carnival on Saturday 23 November 1957 – NZ Flying Stakes won by Caduceus in a 2:00.0 mile with False Step finishing second
- Twiggers Stand opened 1960
- The fourth major fire at the Raceway destroyed the public stand on Show Day during the running of Cardigan Bay’s 1961 NZ FFA victory (others occurred on Cup Day 1916, September 1926 and Show Day 1953)
- On Saturday 26 May 1962, Canterbury Park Trotting Club introduced a mobile barrier modelled on those used in North America
- NZMTC used the CPTC mobile gate at its National meeting in August 1962
- New Brighton club moved to Addington Raceway with first meeting held on 7 December 1963, holding their first mobile event on Wednesday 10 March 1965.
- Night trotting meetings commenced at Addington during the November 1963 NZ Cup carnival (Cardigan Bay won the Alan Matson Hcp on Wednesday 20 November 1963)
- The Queen Mother attended Royal Easter Cup Final day at Addington on Saturday, 23 April 1966
- Administration Office transferred from central city (for forty years sited on corner of Oxford Terrace and Armagh St) to Addington Raceway
- Queen Elizabeth II in her Silver Jubilee year attended NZMTC royal night meeting at Addington Raceway on Thursday 3 March 1977
- Nigel Craig became first sub two minute trotter in Australasia – T1:58.8TT at Addington on 19 February 1977
- In December 1980 the three clubs (NZMTC, CPTC and NBHRC) purchased 87 acres at the Raceway from the North Canterbury Hospital Board for $1.1 million. Addington Raceway Limited had leased this land from the Hospital Board since 1942
- The “Pavilion” opened in October 1988 as an events/function centre; closed when the new stables complex was developed
- Members and Stewards Stand (Metropolitan Stand costing $7.6m) opened Easter Saturday 1990
- Hospitality suites opened 1992
- In 1998 the three clubs (NZ Metropolitan, Canterbury park and New Brighton) amalgamated to form one “new” club NZMTC
- Passing lane introduced 10 March 2000
- New stables complex opened 15 May 2009 at a cost of $7m
- Demolition of the public stand resulting from the Canterbury earthquakes of 2011
- 2011 Interdominions shifted to Alexandra Park, Auckland due to earthquake damage (25 March – 8 April 2011); also Rangiora utilised for NZMTC meeting of 23 March 2011
- Hosting of first Harness Jewels, 1 June 2019
Apart from the NZ Trotting Cup, current major races held at Addington include NZ Derby (first run at New Brighton in 1914; 1925 onwards Addington), NZFFA (1914), NZ Oaks (first run at New Brighton in 1948; 1963 onwards Addington), NZ Breeders Stakes (1973), Dominion Hcp Trot (1910), Easter Cup (1955; previously Easter Hcp 1902), NZ Trotters Derby (2002; previously Trotting Stakes- 3 1943-2001), NZ Trotting Championship (1966), NZ Trotting FFA (1946) plus hosting of numerous Age Group, Sires Stakes, Yearling Sales heats and finals over many seasons.
The Addington track has played host to numerous other clubs for solitary meetings or as host track for many years of racing i.e.
- Akaroa TC – equalisator meeting 25 April 1970
- Canterbury OTB Trials (non-tote penalty bearing races) – between 6 November 1975 and 10 December 1985
- Cheviot HRC – meeting of 19 March 1983 and meetings from 7 March 2004 to current
- Christchurch TC – trials meetings from 3 November 1977 to 22 November 1995
- Combined Addington clubs – meeting of 16 October 1963 (trials under lights prior to first ever night meeting held Wednesday 20 November 1963)
- Combined Christchurch Trot Clubs – meetings of 14 September 1929 and from 13 April 1940 to 30 November 1948
- Combined Christchurch Trots Clubs/Canterbury Jockey Club – 4 September 1935
- Hororata TC – meetings from 1 March 2002 to 22 February 2013
- Kaikoura TC – 24 May 1947
- Ashburton TC – meetings of 1 April 1939; 1 June 1940; 1 October 1977 and 3 October 1981 (during construction of all-weather track)
- Rangiora TC – 19 April 1983
- Relief meeting (depression years) on 16 July 1932 organised by Owners and Breeders
- Timaru HRC, Banks Peninsula TC, Rangiora HRC Ashburton TC and Kaikoura TC have held occasional meetings at Addington over past couple of decades
Riccarton Park (2400m), Christchurch’s home of thoroughbreds, had a part to play in trotting in the Canterbury area at the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth century. This included time trials when Fritz made two attempts at the NZ Trotters mile record on 2 June 1898 recording T2:14.8 twice (NZ record); the three day NZMTC National meeting in August 1904 and occasional trotting races held on course as part of other thoroughbred club meetings i.e.
- Amberley RC – meetings of 28 April 1923; 8 May 1926; 2 May 1931(Amberley/Hororata Combined); 9 May 1940
- Banks Peninsula RC – 4 March 1944
- Bank Peninsula and Brackenfield Hunt combined – 20 June 1925
- Cheviot RC – 17 February 1923
- Christchurch Hunt Club – annual meetings between 29 July 1933 and 3 August 1935
- Amberley/Hororata/Christchurch Hunt Combined – 23 July 1932
- Hororata RC – meetings of 24 March 1923; 16 December 1933; 14 December 1946
Riccarton Park 1949
In recent years, Riccarton hosts the Kidz Kartz (children’s pony trots) on the middle day of their NZ Cup meeting (Wednesday) as a forerunner to the NZ Kidz Kartz Trotting Cup held on Canterbury Show Day (Friday of NZ Cup week at Addington).
Related and more detailed harnessbred.com articles on Christchurch racetracks can be found on the www.harnessbred.com website titled/dated :
Voices of Addington Raceway – 18/24 February and 3/9 March 2016
Addington Fires – 14 November 2018
New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s first amalgamation – 1 January 2019
See also article in Harness Racing International dated January/February 2013 titled “The Other Addington Race Course” which incorporates a report on the first Canterbury Trotting Club meeting held on Saturday 7 April 1888
Next article : will cover the Canterbury racetracks located in North Canterbury and Banks Peninsula.
Peter Craig
24 February 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
