This is the seventh in a major series of articles concerning racetracks of the world starting with those in New Zealand.
WESTPORT –
The Westport, Buller area has seen over one hundred and fifty years of horse racing commencing in the 1860’s.
The Westport Jockey Club was formally constituted about 1880 with trotting events being held as part of Westport Jockey Cub’s meetings e.g. December 1880 at Dr Thorpe’s paddock on Orowaiti Road JC (later known as Snodgrass’s paddock on Orowaiti River). The earliest meetings of the Westport JC were held at Granity, some twenty miles away with others at locations such as Gibson’s paddock on Orowaiti Rd (1867) where the course started in the paddock, went onto the beach and then back over to the paddock; Jones’s paddock near old Orowaiti Bridge (1869) as well as Dr Thorpe’s paddock (1880).
The Westport Trotting Club held its first meetings at Victoria Square (until 1887 known as Brittania Square), on 24 May 1898 and 29 December 1898 (non-totes) with the venue used again for the club’s first tote meetings in December 26 and 28 1899.
The Jockey Club purchased land behind the Pig and Whistle Hotel at Sergeants Hill (Granity) in 1890 holding their first race meeting in 1895 on a six furlong track where they raced until 1915 before the inaugural race meeting of either code occurred at Patterson Park in 1916. Trotting races were conducted at the Jockey Club’s meetings at Sergeants Hill during the periods of 26 December 1895 – 28 December 1897 and 4 March 1904 – 18 March 1911. The Jockey Club’s Sergeants Hill (Granity) track was used for Trotting Club meetings from December 1900 until 1902. The last trotting meeting (non-tote) held at Sergeants Hill took place in 1914.
Totalisator meetings of the trotting club shifted to its own course at Mill St Westport hosting meetings from 1903 (first meetings Saturday 26 and Monday 28 December) through until the final meeting there on 27 December 1944. Combined meetings of the Westport and Reefton clubs were held at Mill St during the war years on 27 December 1943 and 27 December 1944. The 24 acre site fronted onto Donett St and Easton Road with stabling at the end of Mill St (now the main entrance to Craddock Park). The half mile banked clay track was then bequeathed to the Buller Rugby Union and renamed George Craddock Memorial Park.
The Westport Jockey Club commenced racing at Patterson Park (reserve board land at lower end of Derby St) on 18 March 1916 with a new grandstand readied for the 1919 meeting. Named as a mark of gratitude to Bob Patterson who responsible for finding the property on which racing was conducted. Originally titled the club’s course, Beach Reserve for its 1916 to 1918 meetings. A joint meeting of the Trotting and Jockey clubs on 10 April 1945 agreed to them amalgamating on a 50/50 basis resulting in the inaugural Westport Trotting Club meeting held at Patterson Park taking place on Boxing Day, 26 December 1945 where they have raced ever since. The Westport Jockey Club held trotting events at its meetings at Patterson Park during the period March 1916 – October 1968 and February 1992 – February 1995. The final Westport JC meeting took place at Patterson Park on 8 March 1996.
Postponements of Westport Trotting Club meetings due to adverse weather events have occurred at Patterson Park in 1949, 1953, 1957, 1983 and in March 2015, the one day Friday meeting of the club was abandoned. The spectacular flood of 1 February 2018, a combination of ex cyclone Fehi, an area of very low depression and a king tide, had seawater enter the track causing considerable damage.
The Kawatiri Trotting Club held trials/non-tote meetings at Patterson Park between February 1974 and December 1991.
The Westport Trotting Club Inc celebrated one hundred years of racing in the Buller district at their 26/28 December 1990 meetings while the seventy fifth anniversary of the commencement of harness racing at Patterson Park was marked at its annual two day Christmas meeting on 26/28 December 2020. Westport currently race on two days at Christmas and one day in March (additional licence obtained with closure of Victoria Park, Greymouth in 2009) on their 1206m grass track (350m straight). An all-weather clay track (1150m) positioned inside the main grass track is used as a training track and utilised for qualifying trials. There is another grass track situated inside the clay track which is also used for training.
The world’s first official triple dead heat in a trotting race recorded by a photo finish occurred in the Westport Presidents Hcp on 27 December 1957. The three horses dead heating were : Wimpy, Night Owl, and Keff.
Refer also www.harnessbred.com article of 16 December 2020.
REEFTON –
The Reefton JC was formed in 1877 holding their first meeting the same year at Fern Flat, Waitaha. They shifted to their present track (six furlongs originally) on the outskirts of the town boundary in 1879. The Reefton JC held trotting races on their race programmes from 8 April 1905 – 5 May 1977 and 17 January 1993 – 12 January 1999.
The Reefton TC came into existence in 1898 but at that time was known as the Inangahua TC with its inaugural meeting held on 28 December 1898, the final meeting under the Inangahua TC banner was held on 30 December 1929. At their meeting of 30 December 1930, the club became known as the Reefton TC, racing ever since on the course (1149m) first used by the Jockey Club in 1879. Their 1942 meeting was abandoned due to the war and they ran combined meetings in the following two years with Westport (see above). The club held its fiftieth Jubilee meeting in 1948 when a record eighteen races were run on the one programme – numerous two and three division races.
The trotting club purchased a half share in the track in 1965 for £2,000 (£1,500 up front with the balance of £500 payable within twelve months). In 1982, the trotting and jockey clubs were joined by a local rugby club to construct a new sports complex at a cost of over $200,000. It replaced the steward’s stand providing rooms for race secretaries, stipendiary stewards and other officials. Male and female changing rooms for jockeys and drivers were incorporated. The Reefton TC held its centennial meeting on 31 December 1998.
At Reefton TC’s annual meeting, Monday 8 February 1954 (postponed from Waitangi Day 6 February), Doug Watts drove consecutive winners of the first seven races on an eight race programme. Race winners were :
Jacinta (a trotter) and Air Raider both twice, owner/trainer Frank Watson, Murchison
Proximity (twice), owner NL Watson, trainer Frank Watson, Murchison
Bourbon Lass, owner A Tucker, trainer Oliver Oakley, Yaldhurst, winner of Reefton Cup
One of only three drivers to date to have driven seven winners on the same day. Setting the record in 1954, it stood for forty seven years before being equalled by master reinsmen Tony Herlihy (Alexandra Park 5 October 2001) and later Dexter Dunn (Forbury Park 8 May 2015). Frank Watson trained six of Watt’s seven winners, all three racing and winning twice on the same day.
GREYMOUTH –
The Greymouth Trotting Club’s premises at Victoria Park was the result of several land purchases over a number of years :
- Two acre block of rough land, sort of an island in a large swamp : Messrs HW Kitchingham and TA Murphy in conjunction with Messrs Perkins and Frickster (initially land sought by cricket club for new grounds, purchase declined) purchased in June 1886
- Two and half acres of an adjoining property purchased from Mr J Brady of Kaiata (purchasers joined by Messrs EA Wicks and Eissenhardt)
- An acre of WJ Coates property purchased
By draining and fencing the five and half acres, a track was formed and the grounds opened in the Jubilee Year of Queen Victoria (1887), hence the naming of Victoria Park. Further land purchases were made totalling eight and half acres including the balance of land owned by Mr Coates. The Victoria Park Company completed ground development by 1898 (including – grandstand, judges box, totalisator house, racetrack, lawn and saddling paddock).
The Greymouth TC was formed in 1890 holding its first meeting on the Queen’s Birthday 24 May of that year (Messrs Kitchingham, Wickes, Eissenhardt and Frickster – members of original Greymouth Trotting Club Committee). The club was to continue racing at Victoria Park until its closure following the meeting of 15 March 2009. Greymouth was one of the earliest trotting clubs formed together with Lancaster Park, Canterbury, Timaru and Nelson, affiliated to the Trotting Association in 1890. The original track was three furlongs round (660 yds) with the Trotting Club purchasing Victoria Park in 1900.
The track was upgraded to four furlongs in length in 1920 (half mile or three chains longer than the old track) following the acquisition of a further thirteen acres of land in 1916. Many of the facilities had to be relocated and provision was made for a new grandstand and two football grounds inside the track. On Thursday 4 March 1926 fire completely destroyed the new concrete grandstand; the concrete work was considered fit for purpose and the stand was rebuilt in time for the October 1927 meeting.
The main totalisator was built in 1958 with a ribbon indicator board. Night trotting was introduced when the lights were turned on at Victoria Park on 24 October 1963, just four months after the lighting contract was let (crowds of 5,000 for the first night and 6,000 for second night). Hurricane Alison demolished a small grandstand in 1975. An all-weather track reconstruction (807m), curbing, channelling and hub rail were completed in 1976. The Dr Brian Nixon Stand (former President) was opened in the early 1980’s and the Greymouth Trotting Club celebrated its centenary with meetings on 28 February and 3 March 1990.
The Greymouth TC ceased operations after their March 2009 two day meeting.
The Greymouth JC races at Omoto racecourse, inland from Greymouth on a 1200m track. It held its first meetings at Omoto on consecutive days 18 – 21 March 1867. This makes it the oldest racecourse on the West Coast, racing throughout on its original site, although subject to flooding, fire destroyed the grandstand in 1935. The first photo finish equipment on the West Coast was installed at Omoto and used for the first on 8 March 1952. A new grandstand built at a cost of $800,000 was opened for use in 1988.
Included in the Greymouth JC’s programmes were trotting races held during the periods 29 December 1928 – 21 December 1964 and 13 January 1998 and 5 March 2004. In the following two seasons, the Greymouth JC raced at Reefton racecourse on 11 March 2005 and Hokitika racecourse on 9 March 2006, with scheduled trotting races.
KUMARA –
The Kumara RC was formed on 27 July 1887 with it first meeting held on 28 December 1887. The track was cleared of native bush by gold miners so the first meeting could be held. The Kumara RC races at Kumara racecourse (1500m) and held trotting events during their annual meetings from 6 April 1896 until 8 January 1977 and again in January 1994. The Kumara RC utilised the Omoto racecourse in Greymouth in 1922, 1923, 1939, 1947 and 1950 for their annual meeting.
The club is known for its “Gold Nuggets” Cup race, the main event at its annual meeting. The only club in New Zealand to retain the practice of awarding gold nuggets to the winner of the main event. Nuggets were first presented in 1915; the club celebrated 100 years of racing in 1986; several meetings have been abandoned due to weather events in recent years and despite having been under threat of closure/transfer to other tracks for the past seventy years, the Kumara RC flourishes to this day.
HOKITIKA –
The Westland RC was formed in 1866 holding its first meetings on 30/31 December 1866 with a third day on New Year’s Day 1867. This initial course (Clapcott’s property, half mile) held several meetings before the course and grandstand were swept down river when flooded; a second course and grandstand was developed further down river but ended up swept out into the Tasman Sea!!; the third and current course was established on higher ground at the eastern end of the township on heavily stacked timbered tableland. This track was remodelled in 1897 and provided for three grandstands and a totalisator.
The Hokitika Trotting Club held non-tote meetings at the Westland RC’s Hokitika racecourse (1290m) between 2 April 1902 and 3 June 1904. Renamed the Westland Trotting Club, they continued racing at Hokitika until 3 January 1935. The Westland club joined with Greymouth TC in a combined meeting at Omoto racecourse, Greymouth on 3 June 1931.
In 1928 the main and stewards stands were destroyed by fire with the remaining outside stand being moved to a central position and enlarged. However it suffered a similar fate in 1931 also being destroyed by fire with a new concrete stand being in place for the 1931 Christmas meetings.
The trotting club moved to racing at Victoria Park, Greymouth from 4 January 1936 to 22 April 1946 before combining forces with Greymouth TC to continue racing at Victoria Park from 17 April 1947 (Easter) until 6 April 1953. The Westland club’s permit was then taken over by the Greymouth Trotting Club.
The Westland RC held trotting races on its programmes at Hokitika from 4 January 1899 to 10 January 1972 and again from 18 January 1994 to 12 March 2006. The Hokitika course is ear marked for closure following the recommendation of Messara report and non-issue of licences from 2020/21 season onwards.
Other clubs/tracks to race on the West Coast included :
- Ahaura races, raced on a track near Raupo rail station and Totara Flat. Ahaura is a service town on the southern side of the Grey Valley, 34km north of Greymouth
- Granity Trotting Club, Kerrs Paddock conduced a non-tote meeting on 4 April 1914
- Murchison Trotting Club commenced racing in 1976 (1 – 4 April 1976) to celebrate the Murchison centenary on a track laid out by Mr D. Oxnam. The track was destroyed in the big flood of 1988 and never rebuilt. The club held a trials meeting at
Waterlea Raceway, Blenheim on 3 December 1989
Peter Craig
17 February 2021
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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