Historic connections to horse racing in Baradine will be recalled when racing buffs, horse owners and punters gather to celebrate a milestone event.

Members of the Baradine Jockey Club are commemorating 120 years of racing involvement at a lunch with a display of memorabilia followed by a Baradine Cup Calcutta.

Local resident, Roy Matthews has had a lifetime association with country racing in his role as long-serving president of the Western Racing Association. A racehorse owner and member of the Baradine Jockey Club, Roy is also the caretaker of some of the early records of the club.

“Records show that over the years the club was actually known by three different names,” Roy says. “In 1902 it was known as the Baradine Amateur Turf Club, then the Soldiers and Citizens Race Club and in the 1950’s the Diggers Race Club.

“The club’s honorary secretary in those early days was Baradine identity, John Witter. He was obviously prepared to give his time to work for local community groups and support events that brought benefit to the town. He is recorded as being the organiser of many successful race meets.

“Another notable contributor to the local race meets was Mick Worrell, who was the official starter for many years.”

Historical records show that horse racing started in Australia not long after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney and was well established by 1810. Since then, horse racing has developed into one of the nations most loved sports. 

Although officially formed in 1903 the first record of the Baradine Jockey club race meet appears in the Mudgee Guardian of Friday, 8 December, 1899 ‘The Baradine Amateur Jockey Club has a good programme out for 5th January. This is just a week before the Coonabarabran meeting and should just fit in with the requirements of owners.’

From that time on there are regular news reports on race meetings held in Baradine.  

PHOTO: Locally owned and bred racehorse 'Game Stream' ridden by S. Sprinks and owned by A. Purdy, M.R. Matthews, C.J. Matthews and L. Leonard.

Course fenced

The issue of the Coonamble Independent newspaper dated 5 January, 1906 reports that the weather was ‘pretty warm but pleasant and the attendance was exceptionally good. Since the last meeting the Baradine course has been fenced, a saddling paddock enclosure erected and a neat stand built, which proved a great convenience to the officials and also to the public. The appointments were much admired and the stand by people liberally patronised, especially by the ladies, where gay costumes lent a charming appearance to the meeting. The course was in apple pie order and the officials let no stone unturned to achieve an unqualified success, the hon. Secretary (Mr J Witter) being most assiduous in his attentions’.

Apparently after the first race Mr J.P Commins unfurled the Federal flag and officially declared the new grandstand open and the Baradine Amateur Turf Club presented John Witter with a gold watch as a token of their appreciation for his value services.

An indication of the local enthusiasm for horse racing is gained from the Dubbo Liberal on 25 August, 1914, which reported ‘Baradine is only a small place but the people there are good sports and know how to make life interesting. They now have two race clubs, the Jockey Club and the Amateur Turf Club.’

In 1930 a report in the ‘Arrow’ publication had the headline ‘Racing not dead in western NSW’ and rather amusingly stating that ‘Despite the presence of old man Depression, racing is holding its own in the central and far-west. Baradine Soldiers and Citizens Race Club is the latest to hold a successful meeting. There were plenty of gee-gees and lucre there, and the club emerged with a three-figure profit. The ‘books’ had a profitable time with two clean sheets by the unexpected wins of ‘Coonanbar’ and ‘Cylienne Laddi’e. ‘Cylienne Laddie’, who is now owned by that all-wool-and-a-yard-wide Coonabarabran sportsman, ‘Buster’ Brown, won the chief event at the second day in Baradine by a head from ‘Titus’ and ‘Swan Dial’. 

But racing in Baradine was not without some controversies. In a news report from the Mudgee Guardian of 13 January, 1927 the local horse ‘Coolah Hatton’ won a double at the New Year’s Day races in Baradine. ‘Coolah Hatton carried off the principal handicap of one mile on the first day and followed this up by winning the Baradine Cup over one and a quarter miles on the second day. Mat Fitzpatrick who owns the horse piloted him in both races and on the first day earned the displeasure of the stipendiary steward for careless riding and was fined £8. It appears Coolah Hatton was winning easily, but before reaching the post was eased up by his rider, as a result of which the race was nearly lost.” 

 In 1951 the Coonabarabran Times reported that three horses fell during the running of the Coral Sea Improvers Handicap at Baradine that resulted in ‘Partando’ being destroyed 

PHOTO: Baradine Jockey Club members Roy Matthews and Denis Todd holding the original racing records and minute book.

Flourished

In her book ‘Best of Times’, local historian Judith Hadfield writes that the club flourished until WWI when its activities were suspended and then struggled to hold events until the commencement of WWII, when operations were again put on hold. Racing returned to Baradine after the war and regained popularity. However, eventually race meets in the town were affected by the introduction of tougher rules and regulations that control present day events.  

In 1954 the consistent local horse ‘Conviviality’ ridden by Arthur Seymour won the Diggers Cup held at the annual race meet. The trophy, donated by Mal McDonald, Jnr was presented to Mr H Fitzsimmons owner/trainer. The then president of the club, Roy Miller congratulated Mr Fitzsimmons on his success and presented a whip to Arthur Seymour.

In 1980 longtime Baradine Jockey Club member and racehorse owner, Denis Todd had a winner at Baradine, which was followed with winners at fifty different racecourses.

“There are currently about twenty members of the Baradine Jockey Club and we have benefitted from the experience of some excellent trainers over the years,” Denis said.

“The history of the Baradine Cup goes back many years and it is still awarded at our annual race meetings, held these days in either Coonabarabran or Coonamble.”

Roy added that it is disappointing to see racing dying in small communities because of the difficulty in meeting the regulations and covering operational costs.

“The last race meeting was held in Baradine in 1993,” Roy said. “It is sad for our small town; these types of events bring the community together as well as attracting visitors."

PHOTO: John Witter, Baradine Jockey Club honorary secretary.

Interest

Current president of the Baradine Jockey Club, Nathan Harris says that in the last few years the club has been lucky enough to have generated strong interest from locals in being committee members.

“We can usually fill a 45-seat bus for the annual Baradine Cup meeting,” Nathan said. 

“A group of us became involved in the jockey club after we purchased a mare ‘Shady Favour’ from the Inglis Easter broodmare sale at Sydney, but it was pretty slow. Denis Todd kindly offered us a service to his stallion ‘Chat up line’ with a condition that we joined the Jockey Club committee! Before that the club was kept functioning with a handful of older locals, who we have now nominated for club life membership.

“Moving forward are hoping to open membership to the general public and we still have a dream of holding a race meeting in Baradine, but at another track as unfortunately the original one is no longer usable; but that is another story.” 

The celebration lunch will be held at the Baradine Bowling Club on Saturday, 21 October with everyone welcome. It will be followed the next day with the running of the Baradine Cup at the Coonabarabran Racecourse.