Written by Jennifer Churchill 

NSW The Birthplace of the Thoroughbred in Australia

After the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Cove in 1788, horses served a vital role in the development of white settlement in Australia. Records show that seven horses arrived with the first fleet. These horses came from the Cape of Good Hope and were not thoroughbreds. By 1810 the number of horses listed in the colony had increased to 203, and by 1820 the horse population had grown to 3,639. Much of this increase in numbers consisted of thoroughbreds as the need for fast sound horses increased.

The story of Australian pioneering unfolded, with colonial horses playing a major role in transport and exploration. They were horses of mixed origins, although as the 19th century progressed a superior type of stockhorse evolved, largely from the mating of the tough colonial horse with the thoroughbred and Arabian blood of the early racehorses. Known as the Waler, and infused with the blood of the Cleveland Bay (a popular light carriage horse of the day), this breed was later to gain great renown for its soundness, durability and courage as remounts for the Lancers, Mounted Rifles and Commonwealth Horse troops in the South African War of 1899-1902 and for the AIF in Egypt in the Great War of 1914-18, when a total of over 120,000 horses, mostly Thoroughbred were shipped to Egypt and India. A large trade in remounts to India for use by the British Army developed and the Thoroughbred became the prized possession of squatters and gentleman farmers of the colony. The "bush thoroughbreds" provided cattlemen with polo and camp-drafting mounts as well as working horses and show hacks.

The early Australian racehorses were highly prized by the bushrangers who frequented the edges of white settlement in New South Wales in the 1800s, and stories abound of notable racehorses stolen from farms in daring raids. Surprisingly some of these horses were returned by their captors to their original owners after they had served their purpose.

The Thoroughbred played a major part in transportation, particularly in the coaching days, which developed rapidly in the 1950s. Notable was Cobb & Co who were harnessing 6000 horses a day by 1870. The horses used on the Great Southern Road were "of the best, most of them coming from the thoroughbred stock on the Macarthur Estate at Camden.

First racing

The oldest established club in Australia is the Hawkesbury Race Club in the Richmond-Windsor district, with business records of meetings held on its Clarendon racecourse, running back unbroken to 1832. Although the actual date of formation is unknown, there is evidence of unofficial meetings being held before that time, with reference being made of a "raceground" in the district in the Sydney Gazette in 1809, and four years earlier the Sydney Gazette reported that "a goanna out ran a racehorse being ridden by the servant of a settler on the Hawkesbury. In 1803, one Thomas Biggers was timed to ride from the Hawkesbury to Sydney in under three hours. Hawkesbury district racing could not go by without mention of the district’s legendary "iron gelding" Jorrocks (by imported Whisker) who was reputed to have raced until he was 19 years old, and won at least 60 races, mostly over distances of 2-3 miles and run in heats. Bred at Bayly’s farm, at Mudgee in 1833, Jorrocks died in 1860 at Clifton Stud, now the area of the RAAF base at Richmond, where a memorial stone marks his grave to this day.

The first official meeting was held from 15th to 19th October, 1810, on ground called The Common, later to be called the Race Course, and finally Hyde Park which exists as its name today. The meeting was organised by officers of the 73rd Regiment. Further meetings were held on the Hyde Park course in subsequent years. Matches were also popular, the best documented being the match of "the celebrated horse Parramatta" and the "bay entire Belfast" held among others at Parramatta on 5th April, 1810, the former being victorious.

Sydney Turf Club (variously called the Sydney Jockey Club or the Australian Turf Club) was formed by a group of gentlemen headed by Sir John Jamieson of Regentville, near Penrith, and with Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane as patron. The club’s first meeting was held on 23rd April 1825 at a course known as the Bellevue Course on the Toll Road between Sydney and South Head. The Governor attended and patronized the Race Ball. It was a great social success and the club held its second meeting over three days at Hyde Park in September. Later in the year a meeting at Parramatta was held by the Parramatta Turf Club which appeared to be an auxiliary body of the Sydney Turf Club. A crowd of 2000 attended the next meeting held at a new race course at Governor Bligh’s property, Clarendon, at Annandale, and meetings continued at this course for several years.

From 1827 on regular meetings were held at other centres including Campbelltown, at Alloway Park, Bathurst, and at Maitland, Wollongong and Patrick Plains, Yass, and throughout the areas where white civilisation spread. Nearly every country centre had its race club and its regular meetings became an important focal point for social and business activities of the surrounding district.

The Australian Racing and Jockey Club was formed in 1828, and held its first meeting at Parramatta in October 1828 with the Governor’s Cup as the main race. Admiral Rous, renowned for his influence on British racing in the mid 19th century, had come to Australia as captain of Rainbow in 1825, and was based in Sydney from 1827 to1829. He helped to organise the first meeting of the Australian Racing and Jockey Club, and also became involved with breeding, importing the stallions, Theorem and Emigrant.The present site of Randwick Racecourse was set aside as early as 1833, by the authority of Sir Richmond Bourke, and a list of subscribers to the building of the course appeared in the Sydney Gazette in January, 1833, with the joint treasurers being Messrs Thomas Icely and Deas Thomson. However, racing did not commence there until 1860. The Australian Jockey Club was formed in 1842, and raced on the Homebush course until it moved to Randwick, then known as the "Sandy Course". It was at Homebush, Australia’s centre of racing for many years, that Australia’s oldest classic, the St Leger Stakes, was first run in 1841. Homebush was situated close to William Wentworth’s property where stood Old Hector, the leading stallion from 1813 to 1823. The first Derby was held at Randwick at the 1861 spring meeting, and was held every year subsequently until moved to its present Autumn time in 1979. Other time honoured races inaugurated in the 1860s were the Epsom Handicap in 1865, the Sydney Cup, the Doncaster Handicap and the Champagne Stakes in 1866, and the Sires’ Produce Stakes in 1867. All of these races, except for the Epsom, are now held at Randwick at the AJC’s Autumn meeting, which coincides with Australia’s major yearling and bloodstock sales and the Royal Easter Show.

During the first half of the 20th century, racing thrived with clubs being formed to race at courses at Rosebery, Moorefield, Canterbury and Rosehill. Popular races were the so called "pony" meetings, run by the Associated Racing Clubs, a proprietary group formed by small groups of speculators, which came into being about 1900. They were a non profit organisation which raced under the patronage of the Government, and in opposition to the Australian Jockey Club. Four prominent ARC racecourses in the first half of the century were Ascot, Victoria Park, Rosebury and Kensington.

The present Sydney Turf Club, the other major race club in the Sydney metropolitan area, has no connection with the first club of the same name. The club was proclaimed by the Government of the day in 1943, and subsequently purchased the racecourses of the Rosehill Race Club and Canterbury Race Club. They also secured Rosebery and Moorefield racecourses, which after many years of racing were used for training until they were both sold for development. The principal meeting held by the Sydney Turf Club precedes the Australian Jockey Club meeting in the Autumn, and includes the world’s most valuable two-year-old race, the Golden Slipper Stakes.
Stud Book

The first attempt at documenting the racehorses of New South Wales was made by Fowler Boyd Price, who compiled and edited The Stud Book of New South Wales published in 1859, containing the "Pedigrees of Race Horses from the Earliest Arrivals in the Colony to the present time. Further editions were compiled by Harry P Mostyn in 1868 and 1870. The first Australian Stud Book in its present form, which is published every four years, was developed from the first Victorian Stud Book, first printed about 1860, was published in 1878 by the Melbourne firm of William C Yuille and Co, two members of which, Messrs Archibald and A Lodden Yuille, were variously Keepers with Mr Leslie G Rouse in the intervening years. Mr A Lodden Yuille was followed by long serving veterinarian Mr W J McFadden, VSc, who compiled the invaluable volumes, Thoroughbred Sires of Australia and New Zealand and Thoroughbred Families of Australia and New Zealand, which were published in the 1960s. The present Keeper is another veterinarian, John Digby, VSc, under whose directorship all computerised records of the stud book have made available free on the internet, a service which is a first world-wide.

Breeding Industry

Rockingham is recognised as the first Thoroughbred stallion to stand in Australia, although he was of uncertain parentage, coming from Cape of Good Hope in late 1790s. His name appears regularly in early colonial pedigrees particularly through his daughters, and he was the sire of the third dam of Jorrocks (referred to above).

 
Northumberland, who arrived on Buffalo in 1801 accompanied by an English mare, were the first English horses to come direct to Australia. Northumberland was at stud at Annandale and later at Macarthur’s Camden Park Stud, until he died in 1812. The greatest of all the early sires of the colony, however, was Hector, an Arabian imported from Calcutta.Other early thoroughbreds, famous in their time were Steeltrap (by Scud) who arrived in 1824 and stood at Farrington Farm at Glanmire near Bathurst, and at Vaucluse and at the Mr H H Kater’s prominent Bungarribee Stud, near Doonside, where he died in 1934. He sired Matilda (dam of Jorrocks) and the Australian colonial taproot mare "The Steeltrap Mare". Another important importation of 1824 was Bay Camerton, a descendent of Highflyer, imported to NSW by Mr Lethbridge of Prospect.Other notable sires included Rous’ Emigrant, by Pioneer and Cap-a-pie (sire of the great colonial sire Sir Hercules), imported by Mr H H Kater of Bungarribee, Doonside. Cap-a-pie sired Sir Hercules, bred by Mr C Smith in 1843, from a daughter of the renowned English mare Paradigm (of Illuminata and Paraffin fame). One of the greatest of early Australian bred sires, Sir Hercules stood at Mr Thomas Icely’s Coombing Stud at Carcoar, before being sent to NZ for five seasons, and returning later to Mr C G Tindal’s Ramornie Stud at Grafton. Sir Hercules sired Cossack, The Barb and the great Yattendon, and established a flourishing male line including Chester, Grand Flaneur and Chester’s son Abercorn, the latter exported to England in 1898. Chester (by Yattendon), bred in 1874 by Hon E K Cox at Fernhill, near Penrith, NSW, was a great racehorse and sire who stood at the Hon James White’s Kirkham Stud at Camden. Grand Flaneur, bred in 1877 by Hon E K Cox at Fernhill, Penrith, NSW, was unbeaten on the racetrack and stood at Andrew Town’s Hobartville Stud at Richmond. He sired the Melbourne Cup winners Patron, Bravo, and at least 13 other major performers including Merman who was sent to England to win the 1900 Ascot Gold Cup, and also won the Goodwood Cup, Jockey Club Cup and Cesarewitch Handicap. Grand Flaneur died at his owner’s property at Chipping Norton in 1900.There were more than 400 thoroughbred stallions imported to Australia in the first 100 years of British colonisation. Mention should be made of Fisherman (an outstanding racehorse who won 69 races including the Ascot Gold Cup, twice, and had great influence in a short stud career in South Australia), William Tell (by Touchstone – and sire of Archer, winner of the first two Melbourne Cups), Musket (the sire of Carbine and Trenton), who stood in New Zealand, and Goldsbrough (by Fireworks), bred in NSW in 1870, who won the AJC St Leger and did great service at the Tocal Stud in the Maitland area, and sired 19 major winners including the Melbourne Cup winner Arsenal, and the dams of Trenton and Abercorn.Another outstanding English racehorse was imported in the 1857. He was Pitsford (by Epirus), the winner of the 1859 2000 Guineas and second in the Derby, who stood at Messrs Milne and Tindall’s Ramornie Stud at Grafton. Another 2000 Guineas winner, The Hermit, was imported in 1860 and was evident of the increasing quality being sought after by NSW breeders. In 1856 came the very successful New Warrior (by Pyrrhus the First), who stood at Jerrys Plains, and sired the outstanding Tim Whiffler, who won the Melbourne Cup, Australian Cup and AJC Metropolitan.The first thoroughbred mare tracing to a General Stud Book taproot was Manto (by Soothsayer), who was brought from England, in foal to Young Grasshopper, by Mr Thomas Icely in 1825. She foaled the filly Cornelia at Mr Icely’s Bungarribee Stud, and became a great foundation mare for Mr Icely’s Coombing Park at Carcoar, while her daughters carried on the strain in New Zealand and for other prominent New South Wales breeders. The New Zealand branch spawned the great racehorse and sire Trenton, while her line is still among the most prolific in the Stud Book.

NSW-breds Abroad

Long the source of sound durable horses (the first shipment of thoroughbreds from Australia left Sydney on the Henrietta in January 1844 carrying 33 pedigreed thoroughbreds for Calcutta), the James White bred Merman (by Grand Flaneur, by Yattendon) after winning good races in Australia was sent to England to win the 1900 Ascot Gold Cup, and also won the Goodwood Cup, Jockey Club Cup and Cesarewitch Handicap. Abercorn, a son of Chester (by Yattendon) foaled in 1884 was the champion of his day and was exported to stand in England after an outstanding start to his stud career in NSW, paving the way for the great New Zealand bred Carbine.

New South Wales bred horses exported with success in more recent times include the great Midstream miler, Shannon who, after proving the best of his time in Australia, equalled the world record time (1m 59.8s) for 10 furlongs in the Golden Gate Handicap and for nine furlongs (1m 47.16s) in the Fortyniner Handicap as well as winning the Hollywood Gold Cup and Argonaut Handicap at Hollywood Park. Shannon had success at stud in the USA his best being Clem who defeated Round Table in track record time in the Washington Park Handicap and Sea O Erin who won the Citation Handicap and 18 other races and $407,259 in stakes.

The courageous Australian champion Sailor’s Guide, got in England but foaled and bred at Sledmere Stud at Scone, was selected to represent Australia in the Washington International in 1958. He finished second to America’s Tudor Era, defeating English champion Ballymoss into third place, but was subsequently awarded the race on the disqualification of Tudor Era.

Star Kingdom’s superb champion Sky High was selected by Mr Bull Hancock for his Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, together with the Argentinian Horse of the Year, Forli, to provide an outcross branch of Hyperion to mate with the preponderance of Bold Ruler and Nasrullah blood dominating Claiborne pedigrees at the time. While Forli went on to greatness, Sky High unfortunately lived only a couple of seasons, but proved the experiment by siring 1972 US Handicap Horse of the Year Autobiography (out of a Bold Ruler mare) and other stakes winners. Autobiography won the Jockey Club Cup (then run over two miles) by 12 lengths.

Noholme, another talented son of Star Kingdom, was exported with less fanfare and had to battle for recognition. Standing in the obscure breeding state of Arkansas, Noholme sired 20 two-year-old winners in his first crop, putting him on top of the American list of first crop sires. In that first crop was champion handicap horse Nodouble, later to become Champion Sire in 1981. Nodouble sired over 72 stakes winners during his career. Another of his sons, champion Shecky Greene, in a short career, sired Green Forest, the champion two-year-old of Europe in 1981, and a successful sire. Another American bred son of Noholme was South African 1986 Horse of the Year, Fools Holme, and yet another General Holme, has been a significant sire in France.

Most recent NSW bred export to the Northern Hemisphere has been the great Strawberry Road, who raced with distinction at Grade 1 level in Europe and North America, and has been an outstanding sire at top level, getting winners of over US$23 million – 32 stakes winners including Breeder’s Cup winners Escena and Fraise, the champion filly Ajina, and other major winners including Fowda and Mud Route.The dominance of New South Wales breeding continued right through the 20th Century, as the accompanying chart shows.

Australia’s Champion Sires, 1900-1998.

1899-1900 Lochiel (Prince Charlie – Nelly More) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW
1900-1901 Lochiel
1901-1902 Trenton (Musket – Frailty) Hobartville Stud, Richmond, NSW & St Albans Stud, Victoria.
1902-1903 Pilgrim’s Progress (GB) (Isonomy – Pilgrimage). Stood in Victoria.
1903-1904 Grafton (GB) (Galopin – Maid Marian) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1904-1905 Lochiel
1905-1906 Lochiel
1906-1907 Grafton
1907-1908 Grafton
1908-1909 Grafton
1909-1910 Maltster (Bill of Portland – Barley) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW
1910-1911 Maltster

1911-1912 Maltster
1212-1913 Ayr Laddie (Ayrshire – Catherine Douglas). Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1913-1914 Maltster
1914-1915 Maltster
1915-1916 Wallace (Carbine – Melodious). St Albans Stud, Geelong. Victoria.
1916-1917 Linacre (GB) (Wolf’s Crag – Lismaine). Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1917-1918 Linacre
1918-1919 The Welkin (GB) (Flying Fox – Woodbury). Melton Stud, Victoria.
1919-1920 Comedy King (GB) (Persimmon – Tragedy Queen). Noorilim Stud, Murchison, Victoria.
1920-1921 The Welkin (GB)
1921-1922 The Welkin (GB)

1922-1923 Comedy King (GB)
1923-1924 Valais (GB) (Cicero - Lily of the Valley) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1924-1925 Valais (GB)
1925-1926 Valais (GB)
1926-1927 Valais (GB)
1927-1928 Valais (GB)
1928-1929 Magpie (GB) (Dark Ronald – Popinjay) Kia Ora Stud, Scone, New South Wales.
1929-1930 Night Raid (GB) (Radium – Sentiment) Seadown Stud, Timaru, New Zealand
1930-1931 Magpie (GB)
1931-1932 Limond (GB) (Desmond – Lindal) Koatanui Stud, Wanganui, New Zealand

1932-1933 Heroic (Valais – Chersonese). Tarwyn Park, Bylong, New South Wales.
1933-1934 Heroic
1934-1935 Heroic
1935-1936 Heroic
1936-1937 Heroic
1937-1938 Heroic
1938-1939 Heroic
1939-1940 Beau Pere (GB) (Son-in-Law – Cinna) Stood in NZ, St Aubins Stud, NSW, and USA.
1940-1941 Beau Pere (GB)
1941-1942 Beau Pere (GB)
1942-1943 Spearfelt
1943-1944 Manitoba (GB) (Manna – Berystede) St Aubins Stud, Scone, NSW.
1944-1945 Manitoba (GB)

1945-1946 Emborough (GB) (Gainsborough – Embarrass de Richesse). Kialla Stud, Greenmount, Qld.
1946-1947 The Buzzard (GB) (Spion Kop – Valescure) Lyndhurst Stud, Warwick, Queensland.
1947-1948 Midstream (GB) (Blandford – Midsummer) Kia Ora Stud, Scone, NSW.
1948-1949 Helios (GB) (Hyperion – Flying Gal) Warlaby Stud, Oaklands Junction, Victoria.
1949-1950 The Buzzard (GB)
1950-1851 Midstream (GB)
1951-1952 Midstream (GB)
1952-1953 Delville Wood (GB) (Bois Roussel – Everlasting) Kia Ora Stud, Scone, NSW.
1953-1954 Delville Wood (GB)
1954-1955 Delville Wood (GB)
1955-1956 Delville Wood (GB)
1956-1957 Delville Wood (GB)
1957-1958 Khorassan (GB) (Big Game - Naishapour). Trelawney Stud, New Zealand.

1958-1959 Star Kingdom (IRE) (Stardust – Impromptu). Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1959-1960 Star Kingdom (IRE) 
1960-1961 Star Kingdom (IRE)
1961-1962 Star Kingdom (IRE)
1962-1963 Wilkes (FR) (Court Martial – Sans Tares). Newhaven Park, Boorowa, NSW.
1963-1964 Wilkes (FR)
1964-1965 Star Kingdom (IRE)
1965-1966 Better Boy (IRE) (My Babu – Better So). Range View Stud, Vic.
1966-1967 Alcimedes (GB) (Alycidon – Honey Hill) Trelawney Stud, Cambridge, NZ.

1967-1968 Agricola (GB) (Precipitation – Aurora). Te Parae, NZ & Newhaven Park Stud, NSW.
1968-1969 Wilkes (FR) 
1969-1970 Alcimedes (GB)
1970-1971 Better Boy (IRE)
1971-1972 Better Boy (IRE)
1972-1973 Oncidium (Alcide – Malcolmia). Te Parae Stud, NZ
1973-1974 Matrice (Masthead – La Patrice). Tudor Vale Stud, Smithfield, South Australia.
1974-1975 Oncidium (GB)
1975-1976 Showdown (GB) (Infatuation – Zanzara) Stockwell Stud, Digger’s Rest, Vic.

1976-1977 Better Boy (IRE)
1977-1978 Showdown (GB)
1978-1979 Century (Better Boy – Royal Suite) Mornmoot Stud, Whittlesea, Vic.
1979-1980 Bletchingly (Biscay – Coogee). Widden Stud, Widden Valley.
1980-1981 Bletchingly
1981-1982 Bletchingly
1982-1983 Sir Tristram (IRE) (Sir Ivor – Isolt) Cambrige Stud, Cambridge, NZ.
1983-1984 Vain (Wilkes – Elated) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1984-1985 Sir Tristram (IRE)
1985-1986 Sir Tristram (IRE)

1986-1987 Sir Tristram (IRE)
1987-1988 Zamazaan (FR) (Exbury - Toyama). Carlyle Stud, Auckland, NZ.
1988-1989 Sir Tristram (IRE)
1989-1990 Sir Tristram (IRE)
1990-1991 Marscay (Biscay – Heart of Market) Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW.
1991-1992 Nassipour (USA) (Blushing Groom – Alama) Redoubt Stud, Pukekohe, NZ.
1992-1993 Marscay
1993-1994 Last Tycoon (IRE) (Be My Guest – Mill Princess) Arrowfield Stud, Jerrys Plains, NSW.
1994-1995 Danehill (USA) (Danzig – Razyana) Arrowfield Stud, Jerrys Plains, NSW.

1995-1996 Danehill (USA) 
1996-1997 Danehill (USA)
1997-1998 Zabeel (Sir Tristram – Lady Giselle) Cambridge Stud, Cambridge, NZ.
1998-1999 Zabeel (Sir Tristram - Lady Giselle) Cambridge Stud, Cambridge, NZ.

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