QUEANBEYAN RACECOURSE

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The city of Queanbeyan, on the Queanbeyan River, lies in the Southern Tablelands region of the state. It developed in the early part of the 19th century around an inn and squat owned by Timothy Beard on the Oaks Estate which today lies about a mile west of the city centre. The city has a population of about 36,500 inhabitants and benefits from a local racecourse where racing is administered by the Queanbeyan Race Club. The earliest record of racing in the city was a three-day meeting from Tuesday 2nd to Thursday 4th June 1857, featuring the Town Plate, Publican’s Purse and Queanbeyan Hurdle Race. The Stewards for that meeting were Mr W Davis, Henry Hall, Thomas Routledge, Mr W F Hayley, Mr N S Powell and Dr Morton, and the racecourse was two miles from the town centre on Jerrabomberra Plain.

Local Patrons Queanbeyan Race Club
Principal Races Queanbeyan Cup, Town Plate, Publican’s Purse, Queanbeyan Hurdle Race

Tuesday 2nd June 1857
Queanbeyan Maiden Plate (25 sovereigns) over 1 mile

1. Toby owned by Mr J Davis and ridden by Maherty
2. Troilus owned by Mr Scott
3. Shamrock owned by Mr Jas Williams
Queanbeyan Town Plate (40 sovereigns) over 2 miles
1. Tranby owned by Mr W Payne
2. Springy Jack owned by Mr John Williams
3. Highlander owned by Mr W Herbert
Wednesday 3rd June 1857
Queanbeyan Hurdle Race (25 sovereigns) over 3 miles and 9 leaps of 3ft 6in

1. Mosstrooper owned by Mr E Beckham and ridden by Williams
2. Bushman owned by Mr Herbert
3. Gustavus owned by Mr Thompson
Thursday 4th June 1857
Publican’s Purse (40 sovereigns) over 2 miles

1. Young Electricity owned by Mr Guy and ridden by Guy
2. Toby owned by Mr J Davis
3. Tranby owned by Mr Payne

The 1859 meeting was held from Tuesday 10th to Thursday 12th May 1859 on the course 2 miles from town on Jerrabomberra Plain and attracted 300 spectators. The signal making townsfolk aware that it was a holiday and that racing was being staged was a flag hoisted on the flagpole at the Harp Inn.
Tuesday 10th May 1859
Queanbeyan Town Plate (£40) over 2 miles

1. Tranby owned by Mr T Davies
2. Valentine owned by Mr J McAllister
3. Dan O’Connell owned by Mr P Davoreen
Thursday 12th May 1859
Publican’s Purse (£35) over 2 miles

1. Teddington (1/2 fav) owned by Mr H Herbert and ridden by P McAllister
2. Tranby owned by Mr T Davis
3. Forester owned by Mr P Carroll
County Stakes (£30) over 3 miles
1. Valentine owned by Mr J McAllister and ridden by McAllister
2. Greenmantle owned by Mr P McAllister
3. Tranby owned by Mr T Davis

In 1860 a two-day meeting was held on the Jerrabomberra Plains course 2 miles from town, requiring a walk across open countryside, with thinly wooded hills in the distance. The meeting was blessed with a good number of the fairer sex in attendance and open on the first day with the Volunteers Stakes.
Tuesday 16th October 1860
Volunteers Stakes £20 over 3 miles

1. Lorrimer owned by Mr W Bowen
2. Why Not owned by Mr J John
Maiden Plate £10 over a mile
1. Fairy Queen owned by Mr E Walsh
2. Dictator owned by Mr Bowen
3. Stranger owned by Mr Cameron
Wednesday 17th October 1860
Publican’s Purse £15 over 2 miles

1. Warlock (1/2 fav) owned by Mr McAllister
2. Stranger owned by Mr Cameron
Queanbeyan Hurdle Race £10 over a mile and 4 leaps each 3ft 6ins
1. Dictator owned by Mr Bowen
2. Crichton owned by Mr McAllister
After the races had ended the local publican, Mr Hunt, was waylaid clearing up after the event. Om his way home he was attacked by 3 robbers who were after his takings for the two days, but he managed to elude them and make his way back the two miles to town. It is uncertain whether the local constabulary managed to apprehend the 3 robbers.

Leading up to the World Wars, and in the period between the Wars, racing was held intermittently, but after the Second World War had ended the Queanbeyan Race Club staged annual meetings, culminating in the running of the Queanbeyan Cup, originally run over 10 furlongs, but now run over 2000 metres usually on the last Sunday in October. After the Second World War ended, and prior to 1950, the Queanbeyan Diggers Race Club staged meetings on Queanbeyan racecourse.

Post-War Queanbeyan Cup winners
(A full list of all winners is available on request)

1950 Queanbeyan Cup (£60) over 10 furlongs was won by Jeir (4/1) owned by Mr J Magennis and ridden by K Fleming, beating Prince Terry (3/1) and Don’t Hurry (5/2) 7 ran
1951 Queanbeyan Cup (£60) over 10 furlongs was won by Jeir (10/1) owned by Mr J Magennis and ridden by J Dennett, beating Fire Patch (4/6 fav) and Apple (6/1) 7 ran
1952 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Allocate
1953 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Weira Beau
1954 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Argument
1955 Queanbeyan Cup was won by El Segunda
1956 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Scarlett Emblem
1957 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Daily Column
1958 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Golden Shadow
1959 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Mowla
1960 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Kashan
1961 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Eden Monaro
1962 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Flash Friend
1963 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Kashan
1964 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Milagre
1965 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Want
1966 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Calidad
1967 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Forgive
1968 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Moonbar
1969 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Radiant Dan
1970 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Star Field
1971 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Miss Jet D’Eau
1972 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Willett
1973 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Willett
1974 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Willett
1975 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Nova Vega
1976 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Nova Vega
1977 Queanbeyan Cup was won by J’Approve
1978 Queanbeyan Cup was won by All Hands
1979 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Ima Master
1980 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Blue Ricci
1981 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Light Wish
1982 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Flairgun
1983 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Brontome Lad
1984 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Debonair Boy
1985 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Bungarby
1986 Queanbeyan Cup was won by China Garden
1987 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Remeny
1988 Queanbeyan Cup was won by My Parade
1989 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Shintilla
1990 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Shintilla
1991 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Bongo Rythmn
1992 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Wayer’s Delight
1993 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Anything’s Possible
1994 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Temptone
1995 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Beloaka
1996 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Roadworthy
1997 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Arkady
1998 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Chance Affair
1999 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Bombardment
2000 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Sporting
2001 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Kingston Shores
2002 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Il Don
2003 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Dancarama
2004 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Shy Prince
2005 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Winkurra
2006 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Read The Book
2007 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Monga Mist
2008 Queanbeyan Cup meeting was not held
2009 Queanbeyan Cup was won by Bomber Command
2010 Queanbeyan Cup ($26,000) over 2000 metres was won by Carski’s Drum (6/1) trained by Mike Petrovic and ridden by Josh Adams, beating Universal Pack and Granite Bluff 13 ran
2011 Queanbeyan Cup ($26,000) over 2000 metres was won by Voice Commander (2/1 fav) trained by Nick Olive and ridden by Billy Owen, beating The Patriot and For Cruyff’s Sake 13 ran
2012 Queanbeyan Cup ($22,750) over 2000 metres in April was won by Peal of Bells (11/4) trained by Gwenda Markwell and ridden by Peter Wells, beating Kariz and Two for Tea 12 ran
2012 Queanbeyan Cup ($23,560) over 2000 metres in October was won by Setta Rocks (7/1) trained by Tara Laine and ridden by Richard Bensley, beating Fullerton and Universal Pack 10 ran
2013 Queanbeyan Cup ($23,560) over 2000 metres was won by Celtic Soul (9/1) trained by Rado Boljun and ridden by Deanne Payne, beating It’s A Virtue and Phrases 10 ran
2014 Queanbeyan Cup ($17,460) over 2000 metres was won by Landlocked (13/8 fav) trained by Joe Cleary and ridden by John Kissick, beating Scene of the Crime and Lord of the Isles 8 ran
2015 Queanbeyan Cup ($17,460) over 2000 metres was won by Hudson County (3/1) trained by Joe Cleary and ridden by John Kissick, beating Ward and Uncle Sugar 9 ran
2016 Queanbeyan Cup ($19.750) over 2000 metres was won by Midnight Obsession (3/1) trained by Keith Dryden and Scott Collings and ridden by Jeff Penza, beating Uncle Gerry and Only In Red 10 ran
2017 Queanbeyan Cup ($19,555) over 2000 metres was won by Charlie Royale (5/1) trained by Matthew Stephens and ridden by Michael Travers, beating D’Beak and Mrs Willy Nilly 14 ran

Course today The racecourse continues to operate very successfully.
If you have photos, postcards, racecards. badges, newspaper cuttings or book references about the old course, or can provide a photo of how the ground on which the old racecourse stood looks today, then email johnwslusar@gmail.com

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

Copies of the above books are only available by emailing johnwslusar@gmail.com stating your requirements, method of payment (cheque payable to W.Slusar) or Bank transfer, and the address where the book(s) should be sent.
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