This is the eleventh in a major series of articles concerning racetracks of the world starting with those in New Zealand.
OTAGO –
The major centre of what is now the Otago Region, “formerly” province is Dunedin, this excludes North Otago (Oamaru) and Central Otago (Alexandra, Cromwell etc – referred to in a separate article).
Dunedin –
Dunedin’s racing history dates back to early 1860’s – Otago Jockey Club held meetings 1862 – 1868 on the Taieri at Silverstream. The earliest reported trotting race was held on the second day of the Otago JC meeting on Thursday 5 March 1863 run over the Dunedin course at Silverstream on the Taieri Plain. The four mile handicap trotting event (in saddle) for 50 sovereigns was the fifth and last race on the day’s programme. A further four mile trotting race was reported to have been run by the Lake County JC at Frankston Flat in January 1864. A two heat trotting race over 1½m for 60 sovereigns was a feature of the Silverstream meeting in 1867.
Forming in 1869 the Dunedin Jockey Club (DJC) raced at Silverstream. At a race meeting on Racing first on 23/4 March 1870 included a 3m and distance handicap trot on day one; they raced again on 28/29 April, the Duke Of Edinburgh was in attendance, the first royal to do so in NZ. This meeting being the last autumn fixture held on the Silverstream course (trotting races held on day one).
The DJC acquired a lease in 1869 from the proprietors (Forbury Park Co) for Forbury racecourse negotiating a term of thirty years. In 1870 111 acres 2 roods 25 poles of swamp land was developed by the Forbury Park Co at a cost of £20 per acre. Once cleared and drained, a one mile track was constructed becoming Dunedin’s main galloping venue at the time. The DJC held its first meeting on 20 October 1871 which included match races/trot with two starters and repeated on 23 March 1872.
The February 1881 meeting featured a celebrated match race between WL Philip’s Native Cat (H Goodman) and W Kirkwood’s Our Pony (Thomson) over three miles (thrice round Forbury track) for £500 a side run on the second day of the annual DJC meeting. Our Pony (late Betsy) was the winner, being a prominent match race winner for many years and also winner of the two mile pony saddle trot at the inaugural all trotting meeting of the Lower Heathcote (Christchurch) Racing Club on 11 February 1886.
On Monday 30 November 1885, the second day of the DJC meeting, a match race was included that may have been the South Island’s first trotting race in harness (drivers in sulkies as opposed to in saddle) over three miles for fifty pounds a side in which Dot (A Drake) defeated Constance (J Smith). In 1889 during the Dunedin Exhibition, meetings were held on 27, 30 November, 2 and 7 December – the latter meeting contained six trotting races – two heats and a final at the distances of one and two miles respectively. Princess set a NZ pacing record in the mile final of 2:38.5; she won a heat and the final at both distances on the same day i.e. ran four times, all victorious.
The last recorded meeting of the Otago RC holding trotting races on its programme was on 24 May 1894. The club continued to race at Forbury racecourse (last meeting December 1898) until its 1899 shift to Wingatui. Expenditure of £12,000 had been spent on improvements at Forbury by the Club when its exited the course. The Otago Hunt Club held trotting races on its programmes from 12 September 1890 until 9 September 1893 and the Dunedin Hunt Club meeting of 11 September 1897 included a trotting race on its programme run at Forbury racecourse. The Forbury Park RC held six meetings on the “abandoned” Forbury racecourse between 1902 and 1905, only one of which included a trotting race.
The Taieri Amateur Turf Club (formed and raced on Dr Inglis’ paddock from early 1870’s) racing on the Mosgiel racecourse, Mosgiel held trotting races on its programmes from 10 November 1890 until 13 April 1909. The Central Taieri JC held their meeting of 17 March 1892 at Mosgiel racecourse due to flooding at Bexley Park, Henley course and like the Maori Kaik RC’s meeting on Boxing Day (26 December) 1890 at Lower Portobello on the Otago Peninsula, both included trotting races.
Prior to discussing the two main trotting venues in Dunedin over the years, it is worth looking at a few other short lived trotting clubs that pioneered trotting in the early days around the Dunedin area. The honour of holding the first all trotting meeting in the vicinity of metropolitan Dunedin went to the Green Island TC where Mr Kirkland’s paddock was used (about 3km from Green Island township on flat land on the left hand side of the road leading to Brighton) on Saturday 29 August 1891 where six races were run. A further and final meeting was held on New Year’s Day (1 January) 1892.
Between these two meetings, a five race non-tote meeting was held for the ponies at Carisbrook on Saturday 26 September 1891. The Carisbrook Pony races (Carisbrook Cricket and Dunedin Polo Clubs) were held on an approximately 500 yard track on the Carisbrook Ground (developed during the 1870s). It was first used for international cricket in 1883, test cricket from 1955 (ten tests 1955 – 1998) and hosted rugby union internationals from 1908 (thirty eight All Blacks tests). Carisbrook was home to the Highlanders Super Rugby team and Otago ITM provincial team until 2011 (moved to Forsyth Barr Stadium) and the former home of Otago Cricket (moved to University Oval at Logan Park in early 2000’s).
The meeting of 26 September 1891 proved to be the only meeting ever held by the Carisbrook club although it was the forerunner to the Dunedin Amateur TC. The Dunedin Amateur TC first raced at Carisbrook Ground on 19 December 1891 then 26 February 1892 and finally Saturday 21 May 1892 before moving to race at St Clair Park (north side of Forbury racecourse, near where St Clair School stood in 1949) with meetings held on Saturday 25 March 1893, 20 May 1893, 1 December 1983, 24 March 1894 and 27 July 1895 before the club was wound up and the site left to property developers.
Dunedin Metropolitan tracks –
The first meeting of the Tahuna Park Trotting and Racing Club was held on the half mile Tahuna Park (Tahuna Recreation Company’s grounds) course on 28 May 1892 and on 28 October and then 14 January 1893. Flat races were held until February 1894 but it wasn’t until 1898 that “Racing” was dropped from the club name, becoming simply the Tahuna Park TC. The Agricultural and Pastoral Society who leased the ground to the Tahuna Recreation Company built a substantial grandstand in 1902, used by the TC and the Otago Rugby Football Union who were granted use of the grounds for club games in 1903. The All Blacks played their first ever home test match at Tahuna Park in September 1905 against the Wallabies (Australia), a match won 14 – 3 by the All Blacks.
Meetings on this course continued until 8 May 1909 whereupon trotting in Dunedin moved to its permanent location of Forbury Park Raceway (final Tahuna Park TC meeting on 3 March 1909). The final two meetings were in fact the first two held under the auspices of the Forbury Park TC (FPTC) on 5 and 8 May 1909, a name change from Tahuna Park TC to Dunedin TC was amended to Forbuy Park TC and carried by six votes to two at a special general meeting on 9 March 1909.
The FPTC purchased under an instalment plan an area of 30 acres (12 hectares), reclaimed swamp on Victoria Road at St Kilda from the Forbury Park Land Company (including buildings and plant) for £6,250 (£250 deposit, £1,250 on settlement and balance over five years at 5% interest), taking possession in January 1909. Part of the site had earlier been the home of the Otago Jockey Club before it moved to Wingatui. This site is known as Forbury Park Raceway, home to the Forbury Park TC since 1909. A name change from Tahuna Park TC to
Having taken over the property the club set about fencing it and developing a new five furlong track (1007m). The Dunedin JC had left a number of facilities on the property, specifically two grandstands (steward’s stand presented to Waikouaiti RC), stewards building, refreshment and telegraph rooms, totalisator house, loose boxes and lavatories. The inaugural FPTC meetings at Forbury Park were held on Friday and Saturday 26/27 November 1909
Early tenants at Forbury Park included the Dunedin Coursing Club in 1910, a forerunner to today where the Otago Greyhound Club (registered 1973) have a track inside the trotting course. The Otago Ladies Hockey Association (1910) and the Otago Rugby Football Union (originally a sub-lease from the Ladies Hockey Association; 1923 leased outright) also used the centre of the Forbury course for their Saturday afternoon winter sports.
Over the initial years of the FPTC, a number of new or improved facilities were implemented such as a new public grandstand (1915), new totalisator building (1918), stewards/members stand opened on 20 December 1921 having taken two years to construct, large public stand (1921), main totalisator building (1924) while radio race broadcasts commenced at the spring meetings of 1927. The second day of the 29 April and 1 May 1926 meeting coincided with the closing day of the (1925) Dunedin Exhibition.
Among many great horses to have raced at Forbury Park, one of the earliest major spectacles would have been the invitation match race between dual NZ Cup winner Harold Logan, Australian champion Walla Walla, the current NZ Cup winner Red Shadow, Jewel Pointer and future Auckland Cup winner Roi l’Or. Set down to take place on Saturday 5 May 1934, due to the inclement weather this was delayed until Wednesday 9 May. A sticky track prevented a fast time being recorded for the mile with Harold Logan defeating Walla Walla by a half-length in 2:13.2.
Due to WWII the Army occupied Forbury Park for three years from 26 September 1940, using it as a training depot for Infantry Regiments. Races were still held during this period with some postponements due to railway travel restrictions. Patriotic meetings in support of the war effort were also a feature. On 1 March 1946 stipendiary stewards were appointed by the NZ Trotting Conference to control all meetings and at the summer meeting of 1948 photo finish equipment was used for the first time.
The topic of racing at night under lights was first mooted at a meeting held on Saturday 29 May 1954. This issue proved very controversial for the club with decisions made to go ahead only being defeated when the subject was again raised for discussion. This continued for many years with finally the green light being given at a Committee meeting held on 20 June 1960. The National Electric Company made the successful tender (£15,149) with Cory Wright and Salmon supplying the plans and specifications (£300). The installation of an all-weather white toped metal chip crusher dust track (8 October 1960) was followed by the inaugural night meeting taking place on 21 January 1961 (third track after Alexandra Park and Hutt Park) with 12,000 race-goers in attendance having paid sixpence admission fee. Forbury Park was then one of New Zealand’s eight night trotting venues (Alexandra Park, Claudelands, Cambridge, Manawatu, Hutt Park, Victoria Park, Addington, Forbury Park – 2020/21 season only Alexandra Park, Cambridge and Addington remain).). A new lighting system was turned on in August 1990 at a cost of $250,000.
One of only three tracks in New Zealand to host an Interdominion series (Alexandra Park/Addington), Forbury’s one and only Interdominion Championship was held over two weeks in late February/early March 1965 on their five furlong (1007m) track. This as a result of the Auckland Trotting Club relinquishing its turn to host the championships.
The first ID to be held under lights in New Zealand was a financial success. An attempt to host it in 1975 when it was again Forbury’s turn was unsuccessful by rejection and the carnival reverted to Auckland. Forbury Park has never again had the opportunity to host the Interdominions.
Grand Final night on Wednesday 3 March 1965 was attended by 15,760 patrons with harness racing history made when the Pacers Grand Final featured a dead heat between Robin Dundee driven by Doody Townley and Jay Ar (George Noble). The judge could not separate them. Whilst the Trotters Grand Final was won by Poupette, it will be best remembered for the brilliant performances of champion Australian mare Gramel, winner of her three heats and placed fourth in the final. Poupette formed part of a Southland Grand Final double with Robin Dundee (Gore trained).
The swamp land on which the complex was developed impacted on the original grandstands erected. The foundations of the old Members stand built in 1919 sunk in the peaty soil and the building was buttressed. A new Members/Public Stand (remains today) built and opened on time for the 1965 ID’s was supported by thirty seven eighteen inch reinforced concrete piles driven fifty five feet into a bed of hard gravel. Numerous upgrades and enhancements have taken place to this stand over the past half century.
The 90 year old two storey Stewards Stand built in 1919 (birdcage located in front of it) was demolished in late 2009 and replaced by an Administration building housing office and race day facilities completed in early 2012. The older of Forbury’s two remaining grand stands underwent a major safety upgrade in late 2017.
The FPTC has celebrated centennials in the past thirty years. The first was to acknowledge the club’s forerunner, that of the Tahuna Park TC, formed in 1892. The centennial meeting was held on Saturday 17 October 1992 preceded by a dinner on the Friday evening at the Raceway. The centennial meeting of the FPTC itself was held on Thursday 26 November 2009, exactly one hundred years since the date of the first meeting held on Forbury Park Raceway (Friday 26 November 1909).
The South Dunedin floods of 3 June 2015 caused the worst damage in forty years to occur at Forbury Park. The next meeting scheduled for Saturday 13 June 2015 was transferred to Gore but the following Thursday’s 18 June meeting returned to Forbury Park.
Forbury Park has hosted numerous FFA events for high class pacers (e.g. Dunedin Cup) and trotters (e.g. Dunedin Trotting Cup) over the years together with age group classics such as NZ 4yo Championship (1978 – 2015) and Forbury Juvenile (1968 – 1994). Alas, these events have fallen by the way side over the past few decades.
Forbury Park has always been a fast surface as referenced by times recorded over the years such as Highland Fling’s mile TT in 1:58.0 in 1948, just a fifth of a second slower than his 1:57 4/5TT on the larger (six furlong) Addington Raceway. Revenue (1910) T2:11 4/5 and Todd Lanzia (1932) T2:11 1/5 both established NZ Trotters mile records at Forbury Park; Emmeline set a Pacers and Pacing Mares mile record of 2:08.6TT during the 1912/13 season while Johnny Globe’s mile and three furlong records of 2:52 2/5 (winning) and 2:50 1/5 (placed) were set at Forbury Park in mid-1950’s. Naturally all times were surpassed in later years with three year old fillies recording sub 1:54.0 in 2017 on the still fast Forbury track.
Trotting clubs to have utilised the Forbury Park facilities since the 1960’s :
- Waitaki TC – annual meetings 1963 – 1965
- Alexandra TC meeting of 8 April 1967
- Tuapeka TC (HRC from 88/9 season) – annual non-tote meetings (24 March 1962 – 19 November 1977) and annual totalisator meetings since 18 November 1978
Latest Update –
For the 2020/2021 season, after initially not being allocated any race dates Forbury Park’s previous twenty plus annual meetings were on appeal reduced to ten meetings/one on grass at Wingatui plus Tuapeka HRC annual meeting. In late February 2021, the Tri-Code Otago Southland Regional Racing review recommended the closure of the Forbury Park venue in South Dunedin from 31 July 2021 with this recommendation adopted by HRNZ.
Forbury Park is recognised within the industry as having a high quality track and facilities, however both its coastal and residential location, brings with it operating and capital expenditure costs that are not sustainable long term, without substantial investment and an increase in race dates.
The Forbury Park Trotting Club has announced plans to sell the South Dunedin park and intends to explore the opportunity to develop an all-weather multi-code Racing Hub and Equestrian Centre of Excellence either on a Greenfields site locally or at Wingatui (thoroughbred venue), while potentially supporting positive community outcomes for Dunedin. Both relocation options are being actively considered, and will be guided by input from both racing clubs and codes, as well as partner agencies as a business case is developed. A transitional plan for the club, including future race date planning in consultation with HRNZ is currently being developed.
Wingatui –
The Otago JC have raced on their Wingatui racecourse since March 1899 having purchased and developed 155 acres known as Spring Gardens Estate located eight miles south of Dunedin on the Taieri Plains in 1896. In recent years Wingatui has hosted a dual code meeting in conjunction with FPTC on Otago Anniversary Day (March).
Other clubs that held meetings incorporating trotting races at Wingatui :
- Otago Hunt Club : 12 September 1921 (first raced at Forbury racecourse on 8 September 1883/final Forbury meeting on 12 December 1896; club reformed on 8 September 1911 holding its first meeting at Seaview on Saturday 13 April 1912 with a mid-week run on 12 June 1912 at Waitai. The club’s first steeplechase meeting was held at Wingatui racecourse on 14 September 1912. The Otago Hunt Club held its first totalisator meeting in 1918 sharing an annual permit with the Birchwood Hunt, two years later both Hunt Clubs received their own licences
- Oamaru JC’s : 17 December 1927; 22/24 March 1928
- Vincent JC’s : 6 April 1940
- Beaumont JC’s : 8 December 1951
Other tracks utilised in the Otago area in earlier years that included trotting races on their programmes :
- Robert Paterson’s Flat – Clutha JC, Clutha (2 January 1891 – 11 January 1893)
- Hyde – Hyde races in vicinity of Hyde between Ranfurly and Middlemarch (31 October 1890 – 9 October 1891)
- Tokomairio races, near Milton (26 December 1890 – 17 March 1891). Racing held from 1862 onwards at Milton
Waikouaiti –
The first recorded gallopingvraces at Waikouaiti tookvplace on Island Farm owned by the trustees of Johnny Jones estate. By 1885 when the thirty seventh anniversary of the Otago province was celebrated racing was held by the Waikouaiti club. Trotting races commenced on the Waikouaiti racecourse (Domain land) as early as 1890 when included on the programme of the Waikouaiti RC (handicap trots run at March 1890, 2 January 1891 meetings) and then at galloping meetings from 2 January 1892 onwards until 1 January 1954. The course was enlarged from five or six furlongs to a mile around 1912. The stewards stand originally designed and built for the Dunedin Jockey Club when they raced at Forbury racecourse, was presented to the Waikouaiti club by the Forbury Park Trotting Club. The Waikouaiti RC also held trotting races at Wingatui (1 January 1912) and at Oamaru racecourse (1 January 1947).
The Waikouaiti TC was formed on 18 September 1950 with five non-tote meetings held between 24 March 1951 and 9 April 1955. The club’s first totalisator meeting was conducted on Easter Saturday 31 March 1956. Until 2014, Waikouaiti held an annual meeting only on what is now known as Courage Under Fire Raceway (1,545m grass track); since 2014, the club has two permits annually. Occasionally meetings have been held on the Oamaru grass track (22 June 1957; 5 January 1979) and since the 2018/9 season Waikouaiti meetings have moved permanently to racing on the grass at Oamaru racecourse.
Notable performances at Waikouaiti : Easter 1965, Gay Gordon (sire of 1973 winner Mighty Gay) won both legs of the double three races apart (Cup and Presidents Hcp); Robalan won the 1970 Cup; Palestine won 1974 Cup; Franco Ledger dual Cup winner (2012, 2014).
Falling just inside the Otago and slightly outside the North Otago boundary of Shag Point, trotting races were run at Cochrane’s paddock, Palmerston racecourse – Palmerston RC (Shag Valley 1890 – 1892), meetings 9 October 1890 – 1 January 1910.
Peter Craig
24 March 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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