South Australian Jockey Club is the principal race club in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
.
First racing events
The first horse racing events in South Australia took place at a well-attended picnic meeting held over 1 and 2 January 1838. In August 1838, riding his grey gelding ''Charley'', Fred Handcock won the first steeplechase event ever held in South Australia. Various racing events (including match races) continued throughout the 1840s, but without a regulating body.
Early foundations of the S.A.J.C.
The first incarnation of the South Australian Jockey Club (S.A.J.C.) was in 1850, when it ran a race programme at Brighton on 14 February. Thomas Shayle was the Hon. Sec. and Edward Strike the Clerk of the Course.
Many variously named clubs were subsequently formed and folded, and races were run under Jockey Club rules within and outside these organisations at various locations: Dry Creek, the East Parklands (the "
Old Adelaide Racecourse
Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, also known as Park 16, is a park located in the Southeastern Park Lands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is bordered by Fullarton Road, Greenhill Road, East Terrace and Wakefield Road.
It hosts ...
") and Glenelg.
Following several successful race meetings organised by E. M. Bagot and Gabriel Bennett on their grazing property south of
Henley Beach Road
Currie Street is a main street in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.Map of the
Mile End
Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...
is today), the first being 6–8 January 1859, and a series of preliminary discussions held in June and July 1861, a new committee was formed, whose members included
Sir James Fisher (president), E. M. Bagot, Gabriel Bennett, W. K. Simms,
P. B. Coglin
Patrick Boyce Coglin (15 January 1815 – 22 July 1892) was a businessman and politician in the early days of South Australia.
Coglin was born at Ballynote, in the county of Sligo Ireland to an old and honorable family. His uncle, Dr. Boy ...
(starter) and William Blackler, with James Chambers as judge. They settled on the Thebarton track as their racecourse, with the first Club programme held 1–3 January 1862.
The Thebarton course, dubbed the "Butchers' Course", grew increasingly unpopular with both the racing fraternity and the racegoing public. It was difficult of access compared with the "Old Course" on the East Parklands; moreover it could be unpleasant (depending on wind direction) on account of smells emanating from nearby animal processing industries on the banks of the Torrens. It was, however, supplied ''gratis'' by Bagot and Bennett, whereas
P. B. Coglin
Patrick Boyce Coglin (15 January 1815 – 22 July 1892) was a businessman and politician in the early days of South Australia.
Coglin was born at Ballynote, in the county of Sligo Ireland to an old and honorable family. His uncle, Dr. Boy ...
, who had the lease for the "Old Course", demanded £1,500 for its use. A notable race held in this period was the 1865 Grand Steeplechase won by the horseman-poet
Adam Lindsay Gordon
Adam Lindsay Gordon (19 October 1833 – 24 June 1870) was a British-Australian poet, horseman, police officer and politician. He was the first Australian poet to gain considerable recognition overseas, and according to his contemporary, write ...
on Cadger.
The Club folded in 1869 through bankruptcy then was revived in 1873 after its debts were paid by a consortium of businessmen.
The second S.A.J.C.
The Club was re-formed in 1875 with Stewards: Sir
John Morphett
Sir John Morphett (4 May 1809 – 7 November 1892) was a South Australian pioneer, landowner and politician. His younger brother George Morphett was also an early settler in South Australia.
Early life
Morphett was born in London, th ...
, Sir
Henry Ayers
Sir Henry Ayers (now pron. "airs") (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873.
His lasting memorial is in the name Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru, which was en ...
Philip Levi
Philip Levi (1 February 1822 – 13 May 1898) was an early settler and pastoralist of South Australia.
Born at Brixton Hill, Surrey, England,
Levi arrived in South Australia at the age of sixteen, aboard the '' Eden'' in 1838 with his parent ...
. The Committee consisted of: G. Bennett, W. K. Simms, MP. Judge: Mr. E. M. Bagot. Starters: Henry Hughes and G. Bennett. Clerk of the Course: J. Boase. The first handicapping committee consisted of W. B. Rounsevell, G. Bennett and H. Hughes. Longtime handicapper Henry Hughes was succeeded by his son William Charles Hughes.
Seth Ferry and W. H. Formby (c. 1818–1892) were commissioned to investigate the suitability of (later Sir)
Thomas Elder
Sir Thomas Elder, (5 August 1818 – 6 March 1897), was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist, highly successful businessman, philanthropist, politician, race-horse owner and breeder, and public figure. Amongst many other things, he is notable fo ...
's property at Morphettville, then marshland known as "Bay of Biscay Flat", for a racecourse. They reported that the area was susceptible to flooding from the nearby Brownhill Creek, and that it was littered with dips and gulleys, but both problems could be overcome with earthworks and there was no shortage of sand nearby, and in other ways was an ideal location.
In March 1874 the South Australian Jockey Club Company (Limited) was founded with Simeon Barnard as secretary and share capital of £1000; Ferry was one of the original purchases of a £5 or £10 share.
Elder leased at
peppercorn rental
In legal parlance, a peppercorn is a metaphor for a very small cash payment or other Consideration#Nominal consideration, nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. It is featured in ''Chappell & ...
, later donated, the property on the Glenelg railway (later tram) line, near the Morphett Arms Hotel, to be known as the "South Australian Course" or "Elder Course" (and to the less charitable, the "Bay of Biscay course"), to the Company.
The directors elected at the first general meeting of the Company were Sir
Henry Ayers
Sir Henry Ayers (now pron. "airs") (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873.
His lasting memorial is in the name Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru, which was en ...
, Sir
John Morphett
Sir John Morphett (4 May 1809 – 7 November 1892) was a South Australian pioneer, landowner and politician. His younger brother George Morphett was also an early settler in South Australia.
Early life
Morphett was born in London, th ...
,
Thomas Elder
Sir Thomas Elder, (5 August 1818 – 6 March 1897), was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist, highly successful businessman, philanthropist, politician, race-horse owner and breeder, and public figure. Amongst many other things, he is notable fo ...
, John Crozier, R. C. Baker,
Philip Levi
Philip Levi (1 February 1822 – 13 May 1898) was an early settler and pastoralist of South Australia.
Born at Brixton Hill, Surrey, England,
Levi arrived in South Australia at the age of sixteen, aboard the '' Eden'' in 1838 with his parent ...
, Joseph Gilbert, E. W. Pitts, and H. B. Hughes, all highly influential gentlemen and racing enthusiasts.
The Company promptly spent the subscribed money establishing racing facilities at Morphettville. The course was laid out by R. C. Bagot, first secretary of the
Victoria Racing Club
The Victoria Racing Club was founded in 1864. It was formed following the disbanding of the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club. A legacy passed from the Victoria Turf Club was the annual "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup ...
. The course was partly walled in, a ladies' lawn laid, and a grand stand, judge's box, stewards' stand, telegraph office, loose boxes erected.
On 7 August 1874 the Club signed the lease of the course from the Company for one year, with a right of renewal from year to year for five years at a rental of 6 per cent. on the outlay. Their first race meeting was held there on 23 September 1875? 3 January 1876? Due to the track being waterlogged their May 1875 meeting had to be held at the "Old Adelaide Racecourse" (later known as
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to:
Places Australia
* Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales
* Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse
* Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
), hired from the Adelaide City Council at a cost of £40. The sum of £1,000 was found to be inadequate and the Company decided to increase the capital to £7,000.
The Company then sought from Sir Thomas Elder, and received, conversion of the peppercorn rental to freehold purchase of the Morphettville land so they had the ability to borrow against the value of the land.
:A breakaway group, formed in 1870 following collapse of the first S.A.J.C., had acquired at minimal cost, but with substantial obligations as to improvements, the lease to the "Old Course" from the Council. They became in 1879 the Adelaide Racing Club, and until amalgamation of the two rival clubs continued to hold race meetings there.
In 1880 use of the totalizator on South Australian racecourses was legalized (or more correctly exempted from certain provisions of the Gaming Act), and Barnard and R. C. Baker introduced a simple totalizator, which was conducted on a large sheet of cardboard in the secretary's office. A commercial totalizator, from Hill & Schinnerling of Melbourne, was trialled in 1879, but appears to have gone no further.
After a problem which arose in 1881 when a winning horse, Dan O'Dea's D.O.D., paid out £836/16s to its only backer, a Woolford totalizator (for Adelaide inventor Robert Woolford) was installed. It worked admirably until 1921, when it was replaced, and whose only drawback was that it did not show the grand total invested for each race.
The "tote" was a success but the S.A.J.C. did not prosper as expected, largely due to competition from the Adelaide Racing Club.
Then in 1883 Parliament passed the Totalizator Repeal Act, which had the immediate effect of making South Australian racecourses much less profitable.
The Club continued to lease the course, and to conduct meetings, but with reduced prizes, patronage and profits.
This coincided with the severe South Australian drought of 1884–1886 and a consequent financial downturn.
In December 1884 the South Australian Jockey Club Company (Limited) was voluntarily wound up, with Barnard appointed liquidator, and carried out the secretarial duties of the S.A.J.C. in an honorary capacity.
Morphettville racecourse was placed in the hands of the Queensland Mortgage Company, and fell into a state of disrepair.
The Club, whose finances were in a precarious state, in desperation ran the 1885 Adelaide Cup at Flemington.
The Company was then forced to relinquish the Morphettville property to the Queensland Mortgage Company and the Club was defunct.
The S.A.J.C went into recess and held no meetings for four years. Barnard acted as honorary secretary.
The current S.A.J.C.
In 1888 Parliament reversed its ban on the Totalizator.
The property was then purchased for £8,000 by T. F. Wigley, R. B. Pell, and Sylvester Browne. Browne subsequently purchased Pell's interest and in July 1889 Wigley and Browne placed the racecourse on the market in order to close the partnership; it was purchased by Browne.A. O. Whitington, who had previously had a supervisory role at race meetings, and whose employers John and William Pile were prominent racegoers, was approached by T. F. Wigley to help revive the Club, and Whitington convened a meeting in the arbitration room of the Stock Exchange in Pirie street on 19 September 1888, presided by Sir Richard Baker. Those present included Sir Richard Baker, Tom Barnfield, William Blackler, Irwin A. Bleechmore, P. Frederick Bonnin, Dr. Thomas Cawley, Hugh Chambers, John Deeney, Daniel Dunlevie, James A. Ellery, William Filgate, James Hay, Ernest W. Howard, Henry Hughes, Philip Lee, W. B. Rounsevell, A. Simms, H. Simms, W. K. Simms and T. F. Wigley.
The outcome of the meeting was that Whitington was appointed Club Secretary, Baker, Rounsevell, Wigley, Pile, Chambers, Bonnin, and Ellery were appointed committee members, and agreed to lease the Morphettville course from Browne for £900 ''per annum'' with a right to purchase after four years for £12,000. Racing by the S.A.J.C. was revived at Morphettville on 1 January 1889, despite a downpour.
The S.A.J.C. continued to lease the course until 1895 when, thanks to "the tote" and Whitington's careful stewardship, the S.A.J.C. was able to exercise its "right to purchase" from Browne the freehold was acquired by Sir R. C. Baker, W. B. Rounsevell, William Pile, H. Chambers, P. F. Bonnin, Fred Ayers (son of
Henry Ayers
Sir Henry Ayers (now pron. "airs") (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the eighth Premier of South Australia, serving a record five times between 1863 and 1873.
His lasting memorial is in the name Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru, which was en ...
), and J. A. Ellery, who constituted the S.A.J.C. committee, so at last the course was the property of the S.A.J.C.
In 2008, firstly
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to:
Places Australia
* Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales
* Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse
* Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
, and then in 2009 Cheltenham Park were discontinued as racing facilities in South Australia, and now races are conducted at one metropolitan course: Morphettville. Major races include the
Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal
* Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N
* Group On ...
Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to:
* Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification
* Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962
* Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in ...
Adelaide Cup
The Adelaide Cup is a South Australian Jockey Club Group 2 Thoroughbred handicap horse race for three-year-olds and older, run over 3,200 metres at Morphettville Racecourse in Adelaide, Australia on the second Monday in March. Total prize mone ...