Great regret was expressed at the death of Mr. T. Ivory’s William Tell. His death robbed the Spring Meeting of 1862 of a lot of interest. At the Spring Meeting the All-aged Stakes resulted in a dead heat between Ben Bolt (Thompson) and Eugenie (Bishop). The former, who was favourite, won the run off. The Derby Stakes went to Mr. T. Ivory’s Regno (Higgerson). The winner was a half-brother to Tarragon, who was beaten by Traveller in the Innkeepers’ Purse on the last day, but had previously won his first race—Metropolitan Maiden Plate—on the first day. The added money to the meeting was £940, while that to the Autumn Meeting of 1862 was £1,130. At the last-mentioned meeting the St. Leger was won by Mr. de Mestre’s Exeter.
The Hon. John Eales. Judge Cheeke’s St. Leger. Champagne and Derby Wins. Tarragon in Form.
The racing in 1864 practically concluded what may be termed the second racing period in this colony, as in the following year the A.J.C. altered the title of the Randwick Derby Stakes to the more high-sounding name of the “Australian” Derby Stakes, increased the sweepstakes fee, and cut out the added money to both it and the St. Leger. In connection with the opening event of the Autumn Meeting of 1864 appears the name, as owner of the winner, Mr. John Eales, the popular owner and breeder of Duckenfield Park. He won the Autumn Metropolitan Maiden Plate with The Dutchman, ridden by Moore, beating Sir Patrick, owned by Judge Cheeke, who on the second day of the meeting won the St. Leger Stakes with Ramornie. Mr. de Mestre’s Deerfoot second, and Mr. Massey’s Mavourneen third. Both second and third were by New Warrior.
That year the Champagne Stakes—a sweep of 16 sovereigns—with 80 added, was won over a mile, in heavy rain, by Yattendon (Sir Hercules—Cassandra), ridden by Sam Holmes. Time, 1 min. 58 sec.
At the spring meeting in September he won the Spring Maiden Stakes, 1½ mile, in 2 min. 52 sec., and on the third day beat Colleen Bawn in the Randwick Derby Stakes, 1½ mile, 150 sovereigns.
At the Autumn Meeting in April, Tarragon, ridden by Johnny Higgerson, won the Randwick Grand Handicap of 300 sovereigns (2 miles) in 3 min. 48 sec., and on the third day took the Queen’s Plate of 200 sovereigns (3 miles) in 6 min. 20 sec.
In the following Spring (1864) Meeting Tarragon, 10st. 1lb., beat Volunteer, 8st. 9lb., by a length in the Cumberland Handicap of 150 sovereigns (3 miles) in 5 min. 57 sec. On the third day, in the Metropolitan Cup of 200 sovereigns (2 miles), Tarragon, 10st. 4lb., defeated Ramornie, 7st. 12lb., with Ben Bolt third. Tarragon was by New Warrior from Ludia.
The year 1865 witnessed the first Australian Derby Stakes, won by Judge Cheeke’s Clove. From that year the Australian Jockey Club has made extraordinary progress. At Homebush, in 1842, the added money for the meeting held in the spring was £245.
In the first season at Randwick (1860) the club distributed in added money £2,327. In 1870 it handed out £3,140. For the season ended 1880 the added money had increased to £6,792, and in 1890 the A.J.C. balance sheet showed that it had distributed £24,450 in added money. Still going strong, and despite the hard times during the following ten years, the club contributed in stakes during the season of 1899 and 1900 the sum of £23,475, which had increased to £44,950 in 1910. In the season of 1919–20 the A.J.C. treasurer was signing cheques to the amount of £80,560, and for the season ended July, 1922, the added money amounted to £111,200.