This is the second in a major series of articles concerning racetracks of the world starting with those in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

WAIKATO \u2013<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Claudelands Raceway, Hamilton City was home to the Waikato Trotting Club\/Harness Racing Club<\/em> (1987\/88 onwards). The 1890\/1 Turf Register includes a Waikato club meeting (pony and trotting) in that season and another meeting held at Gynnelands Racecourse, Cambridge on 3 November 1892. Although having a short tenure a Hamilton club formed in the mid-1890\u2019s raced on Coates Farm.<\/p>\n

The Waikato Trotting club was formed by an enthusiastic group of eighteen persons at the Knox Hotel, Hamilton on 10 September 1906. The club survived its early years with a series of annual non-tote meetings, the first of which was held on 18 January 1907. Non-totes were held on 16 January 1908 with others held in 1909 \u2013 1911 period.<\/p>\n

It was not until the club obtained its first totalisator licence in the 1914\/5 season (26 June 1915) that further meetings were held at Claudelands. Prior to this the South Auckland Racing Club held a two day meeting over consecutive days in February 1912 which included trotting races.<\/p>\n

The Waikato TC\/HRC raced throughout at Claudelands, the land being owned by Waikato Agricultural and Pastoral Society (A&P). The course had formerly been used by the Hamilton Racing Club whose interests and improvements were taken over by Waikato TC when the racing club moved to Te Rapa racecourse. Claudelands originally a six furlong track reduced in size to 800m in later years, at one time boasting three training tracks.<\/p>\n

The Claudelands track also hosted meetings of :<\/p>\n

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• Waipa Racing Club held on 4 December 1915 which included trotting races<\/li>\n
• Hamilton Trotting Club\u2019s non-tote meetings between November 1962 and January 1964<\/li>\n
• Waikato Trotting Owners Association meeting on 22 April 1981 including a non-tote 2yo trot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  while the club held its 29 March 1983 meeting at Cambridge Raceway.<\/p>\n

  The track became all weather in January 1959 (800m); had lights installed that were used from May 1961; its first mobile gate was used on Saturday 24 May 1958 for First and Second Te Awamutu Hcps. On Saturday 16 January 1960 at the summer meeting, four of its eight races were run using the mobile gate. Unused at their winter meeting or at the inaugural night meeting held in March 1961; this being the venue for several open class races for pacers \u2013 being the Waikato Cup, Auckland Cup trial and RA McMillan Memorial which in 1962 saw the sport\u2019s first millionaire Cardigan Bay compete and win by five lengths (bracket mate Waitaki Hanover was third).<\/p>\n

  The final meeting at Claudelands was held on 2 January 1997.<\/p>\n

  Cambridge Raceway<\/em> has been the home base for a number of clubs effectively operating under the same overall banner for the past century but using a variety of names over that period. The Cambridge Trotting Club from establishment date in 1920 through to 1986\/7; Cambridge HRC from 1987\/88; Cambridge\/Te Awamutu HRC from 1997\/8; Harness Racing Waikato from 2013\/4 and currently Waikato Bay Of Plenty HRC from 2017\/8 season.<\/p>\n

  The Cambridge Trotting Club was formed after a meeting held in the Cambridge Town Hall on 28 October 1919 and registered with the trotting authorities taking place on 15 December 1919. A twenty one year lease of the racecourse was obtained from the Waikato Central A&P Society on 30 April 1921. The club celebrated their centennial on Friday 11 January during the 2019\/2020 season.<\/p>\n