In the preceding chapters we have given, not perhaps a detailed report of racing affairs in the colony, but a fairly full history up to the establishment of the Australian Jockey Club’s first Spring Meeting at Homebush in 1842.
As a matter of course much racing has been passed over. No space can be devoted to details of the sport at such places as Barwon Park (a small track near St. Peters), Cook’s River, Parramatta, Five Dock, Cross Roads, Ashfield, or the meetings promoted by a syndicate at Homebush after the A.J.C. had located at Randwick. Perhaps the most notable of the meetings carried out while the A.J.C. were racing at Homebush were the yearly fixtures at Liverpool. For instance, at the Autumn Meeting in 1857 the Liverpool Derby of 200 sovereigns, with a sweepstakes of 15 sovereigns for starters, was won by Lauristina, and the Liverpool Town Plate by that famous performer—Dora, by Camel. The Liverpool Club’s Members’ Plate was won by Mr. G. T. Rowe’s Planet, by Waverley. His rider was the owner’s son-in-law, the late Mr. Ettie de Mestre.
Undoubtedly the old order of racing passed away in 1864, as the A.J.C. then drew up the conditions of their now classic events, the Australian Derby and St. Leger Stakes, as they were then termed. Some years ago the word “Australian” was changed to “Australia” Jockey Club Derby, which has been shortened to A.J.C. Though Clove is given as the first Derby winner at Randwick, this is hardly correct. Certainly she was the winner of the first Australian Derby Stakes. There were, however, four Derbies even prior to Clove’s win in 1865.
At the Autumn Meeting of 1865 the Western district horses Pasha (De Clouet’s), Union Jack and Alphonse were in great form. Union Jack, by St. John, who raced in the name of Mr. Gregory, won the Randwick Grand Handicap of 200 sovereigns (2 miles), and Alphonse, owned by Mr. McGregor, claimed the Waverley Stakes. Maid of the Lake won the All-Aged Stakes, and Tamworth defeated Sir Soloman in the Autumn Metropolitan Maiden Plate Stakes. There is no reason to give further details of racing at Randwick.
It is stated in the club’s annual report of 1869 that the general improvements during the year cost £390/1/6. In buildings and fencing they spent £352/7/9. Members on the roll numbered three hundred and fifteen. The committee reported an increase in entries for coming events. Those for the Sydney Cup numbered forty-eight, against forty-one for the previous year, while there were twenty-eight in the coming Derby, twenty-seven for the St. Leger, fifteen stallions were put in for the Sires’ Produce Stakes, one hundred and thirty-two entries for the Mares’ Produce Stakes, and thirty-three for the Champagne Stakes. It is interesting to compare these figures with the entries for similar races run off in 1921. For the Derby of that season there were four hundred and thirty-three nominations, one hundred and eighty-five in the Metropolitan, three hundred and seventy-one in the Sires’ Produce Stakes, and three hundred and eighty-four for the St. Leger, while for the Champagne Stakes of 1922 the entry list totalled four hundred and fifty-two. How the members have increased is told by a resolution passed in 1921, when it was decided to limit the number to one thousand five hundred.
During the last forty years several proprietary race clubs have come into existence. They race at Rosehill, Canterbury Park, Moorefield and Warwick Farm. Racing under the rules and regulations of the Jockey Club they have done well. In addition to these, four other clubs were racing in the metropolitan area in 1921, under what was termed Associated Club Rules—Ascot, Victoria Park, Kensington and Rosebery Clubs. They raced ponies and horses (all heights), and for the above year paid out in prize-money £106,646.
Past and Present New South Wales Riders.
During the past hundred years or so there have been a number of most proficient horsemen. In the early days the riding was principally done by members of the military forces stationed in the colony. Since then our riders have achieved fame, not only on the Australian race tracks, but also in England, Germany, Austria, Russia, India, China, Japan and the East India Islands.
Early racing reports are very brief, and rarely is the rider mentioned. However, as the sport increased in popularity, the Press gave details, which mentioned the names of the winning riders. Thus we read Mr. Broughton and Mr. Rouse, two of the early owners, rode their own horses. Among the early professionals were Dunn, Badkin, Hedly, Marsden, Cashman, Ford and John Higgerson.
The most remarkable of those old-time jockeys was John Higgerson who, in his 95th year, met with fatal injuries through the accidental discharge of a gun. Higgerson commenced riding in races when about seventeen years of age, and in his fifty-fifth year won the Champion Race at Flemington after a dead heat between Tarragon and Volunteer; time, 5 min. 47 sec. As the principals could not agree to divide, mainly owing to Tarragon’s owner, Mr. Town, not being present, the dead heat was run off, when Tarragon won in 5 min. 58 sec. In October of 1857, at Flemington, Higgerson rode Veno, when he beat Alice Hawthorn (S. Mahon) in the great match for £2,000 (3 miles). The same afternoon, on Cooramin, he beat Tomboy (R. Mitchell) in a match for £200 aside, 1½ mile, and two hours after winning the match against Alice Hawthorn, Veno saddled up again and beat Van Tromp (S. Mahon) over three miles. The stakes in this last contest were £700, Mr. G. T. Rowe, who owned both Veno and Cooramin, laying £500 to £200. Higgerson also won the match on Ben Bolt, beating Lauristina. A complete history of Johnny Higgerson’s career in the saddle would fill a volume.