The New South Wales city of Tamworth, on the Peel River, lies in the New England region of the state some 320 kilometres from the Queensland border. The region was originally inhabited by the Kamilaroi people prior to the explorer John Oxley passing close by in 1818. In 1888 the city gained fame by becoming the first in Australia to be lit by electric street lights. Today the city boasts a population of 60,000 and has its own very important racecourse where racing is administered by the Tamworth Jockey Club. The earliest record of a meeting in Tamworth was a two-day meeting in December 1853, with key results shown below.

Monday 26th December 1853
Tamworth Purse £15
1. Death owned by Mr Lettatree
Maiden Plate
1. Nugget owned by Mr David Thompson
Tuesday 27th December 1853
Publican’s Purse 15 guineas
1. Billy Grey owned by Mr Barnes
Ladies Purse £7
1. Wait-a-while owned by Mr Blake

For each of the next three years a meeting took place on New Years’ Day until the first meeting hosted by the Tamworth Jockey Club took place on the banks of the Peel River on 15th and 16th January 1857 on an 80 acre site owned by the Peel River Company. The Jockey Club used 3 acres of the site, pitching a grandstand and saddling paddock on the site, although even by 1908 it had not purchased the site outright. At that 1857 meeting the Maiden Plate of £40 went to Flying Wonder owned by Mr Keighley, beating Alice Hawthorn and Grasshopper, but this was not the principal race on the card, as the Tamworth Cup was also staged on the second day.
Friday 16th January 1857
Tamworth Cup (60 sovereigns) over 1 ½ miles
1. Lottery owned by Mr Conn
2. Telegraph owned by Mr Gill

Today the Jockey Club hosts a large number of meetings annually, although the highlight of the season is the Tamworth Cup traditionally contested on a Sunday in April. It was staged on Tuesday 9th March 1880 when won by Mr R Lynch’s Rosebud. At this point in time the Tamworth Jockey Club was under pressure and had a debt hanging over them. The two-day meeting helped, although the gathering was small despite the racing being good.
Tuesday 9th March 1880
Tamworth Cup (100 sovereigns) over 2 miles
1. Rosebud owned by Mr R Lynch
2. Erin’s Isle owned by Mr T Franey
3. Recherche owned by Mr J Kerr
9 ran
Wednesday 10th March 1880
Innkeeper’s Purse over 1 ½ miles
1. Bulgarie owned by Mr R Lynch
2. Sir Hercules owned by Mr Farnsworth
3. Erin’s Isle owned by Mr T Franey

Selected Tamworth Cup winners
(Full details of all winners is available on request)
1880 Tamworth Cup (100 sovereigns) over 2 miles was won by Rosebud owned by Mr R Lynch, beating Erin’s Isle owned by Mr T Franey and Rechersche owned by Mr J Kerr 9 ran
1881 Tamworth Cup (100 sovereigns) over 2 miles was won by Express (5/1) owned by Mr J Simmon and ridden by Cuff, beating Bulgarie (8/1) owned by Mr R Lynch and Reindeer (8/1) 14 ran
After this meeting the number of meetings held annually reduced. The 2-day meeting in March did not appear to host a Tamworth Cup, nor did the October and December meetings. In 1883 the meetings seemed to have reduced still further and no record can be found of the Tamworth Cup for that year.
1897 Tamworth Cup (100 guineas & 25 guineas trophy) was won by Semiramus (2/1 fav) owned by Mr W Y Cousins and ridden by Lamb, beating Old Clo (7/1) and Aerolite (20/1) 13 ran

In 1907 the Tamworth Amateur Race Club Handicap Cup was staged on Wednesday 8th May. The trophy was a handsome candelabra and fruit dish on a solid silver stand made from 183oz of silver, which was gifted by Mr C Baldwin and Mr C J Britten. It was contested annually on condition that it became the possession of the owner of any horse which won it twice in succession or three times in all.
Wednesday 8th May 1907
Tamworth Amateur Race Club Cup (40 sovereigns & trophy) over 1 ½ miles
1. Crowfoot (6/1) owned by Mr C J Britten and ridden by Mr W Baldwin
2. Ranmore (4/5 fav) owned by Mr C J Britten and ridden by Mr A Baldwin
3. Eric (4/1) owned by Mr Harvey Brown and ridden by Mr Halloran
5 ran
1908 Tamworth Amateur Race Club Cup was won by Ruby Tin (6/1) owned by Mr C J Britten and ridden by Mr Wynn Baldwin, beating Earthquake (6/4 fav) owned by Mr C J Britten and ridden by Mr C R Halloran, and Dormaid (5/2) owned by Mr A A Cohen and ridden by E T Cohen 6 ran
1920 Tamworth Cup was won by Laddie Blue, beating Popularity and White Grain
1921 Tamworth Cup was won by Kephaldol, beating White Grain and Birchgrove
1922 Tamworth Cup was won by Bobanut, beating Billombah and Andolight
1923 Tamworth Cup was won by Ominate, beating Beau Bee and Wisemond
1924 Tamworth Cup was won by Loyal Merv, beating Acrodorus and Piasroot
1925 Tamworth Cup was won by Merrabrooka, beating Fail Never and Mahoney
1926 Tamworth Cup was won by Villeroy, beating Mahoney and Sun Wave
1927 Tamworth Cup was won by Lady Buckinbar (2/1), beating Defy and Chrissie Yet
1928 Tamworth Cup was won by Colmera, beating Noelena and Horton Gag
1929 Tamworth Cup was won by Sir Chrystopher, beating Ceterque and Land of Leisure
1930 Tamworth Cup was won by Greensea, beating Prince Avian and Sir Chrystopher
1931 Tamworth Cup meeting was not held because of the depression and the tax on winning bets
1935 Tamworth Cup was won by Sir Thorn, beating Cool Spell and Assai
1936 Tamworth Cup was won by Prowler, beating Assai and Belgravia
1937 Tamworth Cup was won by Mohican, beating Speltho and Buzalong
1938 Tamworth Cup was won by Disalto, beating Heroic Faith and Red Thespian
1939 Tamworth Cup was won by Grey Derby, beating Hybol and Red Thespian
1940 Tamworth Cup was won by Sethia, beating William Wont and Prairie Chief
1952 Tamworth Cup was won by Jenny Lind, beating Pembroke and Macreena
1953 Tamworth Cup was won by Brazil, beating Watson and Lady Dinah
2008 Tamworth Cup over 1400 metres was won by Gold Buckle, beating Ready As and Life’s Too Short
2009 Tamworth Cup ($39,000) over 1400 metres was won by Centover (7/1) trained by Toby Edmonds and ridden by Ben Looker, beating Ready As and Newton’s Rings 16 ran
2010 Tamworth Cup ($39,000) over 1400 metres was won by Looking for Lang, beating Boomerang and Prior Bacon
2011 Tamworth Cup ($39,000) over 1400 metres was won by Scussy Moola (5/1) trained by Peter Bloomfield and ridden by Robert Thompson, beating All Again and Sutton Friend 15 ran
2012 Tamworth Cup ($39,000) over 1400 metres was won by Universal Belief (16/1) trained by Jim Delaney and ridden by Peter Graham, beating Save A Buck and Prussian Secret 14 ran
2013 Tamworth Cup ($47,960) over 1400 metres was won by Prussian Secret, beating Universal Belief and Bonsai
2014 Tamworth Cup ($47,960) over 1400 metres was won by Pitt Street (9/2) trained by Kris Lees and ridden by Dale Spriggs, beating Knot Out and I’m In The Money 14 ran
2015 Tamworth Cup ($47,960) over 1400 metres was won by Tableaux (10/1) trained by Todd Howlett and ridden by Glenn Lynch, beating Kaypers and Jefferson Park 14 ran
2016 Tamworth Cup ($47,960) over 1400 metres was won by Chrysolaus (9/2) trained by Jane Clement and ridden by Rachael Murray, beating Pera Pera and In A Wink 14 ran
2017 Tamworth Cup ($54,000) over 1400 metres was won by Timeless Prince (12/1) trained by Tony Newing and ridden by Josh Adams, beating Mapmaker and Hammoon Boy 14 ran

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