The new club at Parramatta held its opening meeting on October 7 and 8. There was a most fashionable attendance. Slender Billy, nominated by Mr. Nash, won the J.C. Plate in three heats; Mr. Bayley’s Traveller took the Ladies’ Purse, and also beat Slender Billy in a match for 20 sovereigns, following up by gaining the Town Plate in two heats. His Excellency the Governor presented a purse won by Mr. Yorrick’s Prince.
A New Racecourse.
The Committee of the Sydney Turf Club were evidently determined to push the sport ahead. They had a fresh course laid out during 1826. The new track, about four miles from Sydney, lay on the Parramatta Road, between Gorse Farm and the farm belonging to Mr. Johnson, where the annual races took place on June 14 and 16 of that year. It is said that there were 2,000 people present when Junius won the Brisbane Cup (heats, twice round). Junius also won the Turf Club Plate. Other winners were Mr. Wentworth’s Don Giovanni, Colonel Dumaresque’s Alraschid, Mr. Bayley’s Nesta and Mr. Roberts’ Captain.
The second meeting on the new course took place on April 25 and 27, 1827, in unfavourable weather. Junius again won the Brisbane Cup, and Australia won a Sweepstakes (mile heats). On the second day Junius walked over for the Town Plate, when Mr. Nash, his owner, gave the prize for a second competition. It was won by a horse owned by a Mr. Brown, of Windsor. Australia also won the second Subscription Race.
The other notable event of this year—1827—was the first race meeting ever held at Campbelltown, on August 13, when three events of £50 each were run off. The keenest contest of the day is said to have been between Young Junius and a horse owned by a Mr. Sikes. Young Junius took the prize.
On September 14 Mr. Deely secured Steeltrap for £250, with the proviso that the horse should be allowed to cover, free of cost, twenty-five mares the property of his late owner. Steeltrap was a chestnut horse, imported by Mr. Aspinall in 1823. He was by Scud from Prophetess, by Sorcerer.
During the month of October, 1829, at a show held at Parramatta, Sir John Jamieson’s Bennelong, a son of imported Steeltrap, was awarded first prize, and at Parramatta races Australian won the Promoter’s Purse and the Handicap Sweepstakes. Scratch, who came down from the Hawkesbury district, won the Australian Youths’ Stakes, beating a good field—Highflyer, Bowler, Abdallah, Creeper, Smallhopes and Honeycomb.
A New Race Club.
In November, 1827, an event happened which played a most important part in Australian turf history. At a dinner given in honour of Sir Thomas Brisbane some remarks were made by Mr. Wentworth and Dr. Wardell, which were thought to bear a political significance. The result was that Governor Darling considered himself insulted, withdrew his patronage from the Sydney Turf Club, and subsequently issued arbitrary injunctions to all members of the Civil Service to do likewise on pain of dismissal. Many members had thus to leave the old club, but they were not long idle in setting about forming another.
However, the split in the camp did not prevent the old club from racing on April 9th and 11th, 1828. On the first day, the third Brisbane Cup was won by Mr. Brown’s bl. h. Scratch, beating the old champion Junius. There was a great race for the Produce Stakes of £75, for 2-year-olds, the progeny of Steeltrap, Cammerton and Baron. There were four starters, Mr. Lawson’s bl. c. Spring Gun, by Steeltrap, winning by a neck from Sir J. Jamieson’s b. c. Bennelong, by Cammerton. In a match for £1,000 aside, Abdallah beat Don Giovanni, and Mr. Lawson’s 2-year-old filly Nell Gwynne, by Steeltrap, won the Turf Club Plate of 50 guineas (heats once round). The winning of the race was a great surprise, as she beat such good performers as Australian, Young Hector, Brown George, and Junius. The lastnamed must have been out of form, as he was distanced. On the second day Abdallah won the Members’ Purse, also the Sweepstakes, while Australian won the Town Plate and Handicap Sweepstakes.