Off and Racing At Moorefield Racecourse, Kogarah 1888-1951

A GUEST TALK ON MOOREFIELD RACECOURSE TO THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY , BEXLEY, SYDNEY   

May 13, 2014   and June 4, 2014 

NEW MATERIAL IS INCLUDED

  Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you today about Moorefield Racecourse, Kogarah. We all look lovely with our race day hats on !

Moorefield Racecourse opened on October 13,1888 and the last race was held on July 14, 1951.

* WHO CAN RECALL THE RACECOURSE IN KOGARAH?

* WHO ATTENDED THE RACES AT MOOREFIELD RACECOURSE?

The locals referred to Moorefield Racecourse as the Goat Track – up hill and down dale so to speak. ( I know that to be the case when I arrive at the top of Marshall Street after a brisk walk – I often think of the horses racing “up that hill“)  There were many colourful characters associated with this Racecourse- jockeys, trainers, punters, caretakers, SP bookies, broadcasters and golfers.

There was a strong emphasis on Kogarah Railway Station for a long time, as horses were brought from the Mortuary, Central Railway Station, Sydney to Kogarah Railway Station. There was a platform siding for the horses to exit the train at Kogarah Station. Then, the horses were walked down Montgomery Street or Gladstone Street, Kogarah, to the course. Patrons and jockeys alike caught the train to Kogarah and walked to the course.

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE HORSES BEING WALKED DOWN THESE KOGARAH STREETS?

Since January 1985, I have lived on the Moorefield Racecourse, so it is fitting that I am researching the story.

It was Governor Lachlan Macquarie who, on August 25, 1812, granted the land to Patrick Moore. The Moore family, of Irish background, developed the Racecourse to equal that of other Sydney racecourses of the time. The Moorefield Racing Club sold the Racecourse in 1946 to the Sydney Turf Club.

THE ORIGIN OF MY RESEARCH

I began work on the history of Moorefield Racecourse in approximately mid -1993. I have had many interruptions over those years – my teaching career ,  Local Government career ( a Rockdale and Kogarah Councillor 1991-2008 ) looking after my elderly parents, along with many other matters.  I have persisted with my research.

My project started with a phone call, in mid-1992 from an elderly resident of O‘Connell Street, Monterey. Mr Ray Cunningham phoned me in my capacity as a Third Ward Councillor on Rockdale City Council. He wanted a footpath in his section of O’Connell Street, Monterey.  I went to see him sometime later to tell him the good news – that “he would get his footpath”.

We talked for some time, and Mr Cunningham asked me where I lived. I told him that ”I lived on the old Racecourse.” He then said, “I used to work there in the 1940’s, but when I die the history will die with me”.  I turned to him and said, “Mr Cunningham I will do you a deal. The deal is that I will write the History of Moorefield Racecourse for you. You are lucky that I love local history and I love horse racing “and this is how my project came about. (My book will be dedicated to my late father, Ron Field, the late Ray Cunningham, and Billy Lappin, a former jockey, who was tragically killed in a February 10 , 1940 Randwick race fall, riding Passport.)

I contacted the St George Leader, who published a story in the Leader on July 20,1993. A number of people contacted me with information as a result of this story, and my project went from there.

In mid – January 1996, I had the pleasure of meeting an ex- Aussie, Mr Bill Harris, now deceased, who lived in Delaware, USA. His family had moved to the USA. He joined the Unites States Army and returned to Australia only once during World War 11) Bill lived directly opposite the Racecourse in Marshall Street in the 1930’s . Bill gave me a photo, which was taken from the front yard of his family home looking across to the Racecourse. A high fence is featured around the Racecourse.

HOW HAVE I COLLECTED RESEARCH MATERIAL ?

Over the years I have spoken to many elderly residents, read old newspapers, researched Sands Directories and Racing Registers at the Australian Jockey Club (now ATC) and the Racing Museum,then located at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne.

I recorded all race dates from 1888-1951. When I was missing 21 years of race dates, in 1997, I researched those 21 years in newspapers on microfilm at the State Library , Macquarie Street, Sydney. This took a lot of time ……

I successfully bid on e-bay, in 2007 for a 1949 painting of a  Moorefield race finish, and in  mid-2007 for a 1930 Moorefield Racing Club race book . The painting was by F.W. George and it shows the STC  Moorefield Meeting of October 29, 1949, where Royal Meteor ridden by A. Podmore won the Flying Handicap. The trainer was H Webb.

On November 21, 2009, an ex- jockey, John Maguire, and I “went walkabout” around some Kogarah streets, which had Moorefield connections. . Whilst I know where many of the horse trainers were located, John knew much more. The streets of Kogarah –French Street, Green Street, and Stanley Street, for example, all had stables in them. (Some trainers had only 2 stables, as it was a hobby for them.)

Some of the trainers walked their horses from Tempe, Banksia, and Sans Souci to the Racecourse .There were no horse floats in those days.  Motorised horse floats were possibly in existence in the 1930’s, but were certainly in use in the 1940’s. Horse float companies were Foleys, Kevin Spain and Livestock.

John Maguire and I have talked about the trainers in the local area. Whilst Bill McCurley, Bob Mead, Ray Barker, Mick Polson, and William (Bill ) Kennison are acknowledged as significant trainers, there were many more.

These include Reuban Adcock, Russ Brennan,  Billy Crockett, Jack Cush , Tibby Dale, Neville Davis, Les Gilman “Dirty Dick “ , Ray Formosa,  Bunge Gibbs, Gilchrist , Harry Graham , Bob Gray, George Halpin , George Hanna, Hansell, George Harris, Fred Hart, Rolley Horton , Christopher (Allan ) Hunt , Ted Kearns, Joe Keep , Bertie Marks, Ted McNamarra, Sach Milne , George Newell, Richard O’Connor, Sid O’Rourke, Jack Perret, Bob Ryan , John Saunders, George Smith , John Suna, Old Bluey Trenear, R. Walton , Billy Watkins, Alf Widgery,  Tom Young.

Jack Packer, Frank Packer’s uncle, built horse stables in Burlington Street, Monterey.

Billy Childs later trained from Burlington Street, and in more recent years, Terry O ‘Leary trained out of here. These horse stables were demolished in mid-2013. They were photographed by both myself and Rockdale Council’s Local History Librarian before the stables were demolished.

In the mid-1990‘s, I photographed Tibby Dale’s former stables at 53 French Street , Kogarah, when this house and stables were to be demolished. A block of villas , “Moorefield Mews”, replaces them today.

A stable, with connections to Moorefield Racecourse, still stands today in French Lane, Kogarah.It had belonged to horse trainer Pop Edler. Another stable, connected to Moorefield Racecourse, and later converted to a residential dwelling, also remains today in Chuter Avenue, Ramsgate. The horse trainer located here was Abe Hetterick.

There were many well- known horses which raced at Moorefield.

CAN YOU LIST ANY OF THE WELL KNOWN HORSES?

Some well known horses :

Cavedweller , trained by Son McKinnon ( Son Mckinnon’s first name was not known)

Columnist, trained by Jack Packer, Maurice McCarten, Billy Childs (briefly) and Charlie Cullen

Brazier, trained by  T.J.Smith

Journalist, and Le Dauphin, trained by Billy Childs
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Decorate and Widgee Lass, trained by Alf Widgery

Messenger and Blandstream, trained by Neville Davis

Mr Britt and Knockout, trained by Billy Watkins –called  Wokko Britt- an ex –boxer, heavyweight Australian champion

Hiraji  and Nizam’s Ring, trained by Jim McCurley

There were many well -known jockeys who rode at Moorefield.

CAN YOU LIST ANY OF THE WELL KNOWN JOCKEYS?

Some jockeys were apprenticed to trainers at Moorefield. Others rode at the course.

Norm Munsie was apprenticed to Billy Child  and  George Podmore was apprenticed to Bob Mead.

Ted Bartel, Sid Carter , Keith Cook , Billy Cook , Jack Coutts , Teddy Doon , Norman Gale, Andy Knox, Billy Lappin, Maurice McCarten, Neil McGrowdie,Ted McMenamin, George Moore, Athol Mulley, Darby Munro, Charles Noble ( killed at Kembla Grange) Alex Parr, Jack Parsons, Jim Pike ( Phar Lap’s jockey), Arthur Podmore, George Podmore, Ray Selkrig, Fred Shean , Jimmy Simpson , Ted Swinton , Jack Thompson , Arthur Ward , J . Waterhouse, George Weate, T, A Webster etc were  some of the jockeys  who rode at Moorefield.

Outstanding Moorefield Horses.

Fujisan won the 1925 Doncaster, and the 1926 Tramway Quality Handicap– trained originally in Victoria, but then by Mick Poulson at Moorefield.

The 1947 Melbourne Cup winner, Hiraji ,was trained by Jim W McCurley, a Moorefield trainer and ridden by J Purtell. The horse was owned by F.W . Hughes. ( Prize money was 7,200 pounds)

Columnist,owned by Frank Packer, won the 1947 Caulfield Cup .My parents attended the 1947 Caulfield Cup and I attended the 2007 Caulfield Cup to acknowledge the 60 years since their attendance.

Columnist was initially trained by Jack Packer, then by a former jockey, turned horse trainer, Maurice McCarten, then Billy Childs (briefly) and finally Charlie Cullen  (Frank Packer, as the owner of newspapers, gave his horses “appropriate names” – Columnist and Journalist, for example)

Nizam’s Ring trained by Jim McCurley and owned by F.W. Hughes,  won the 1947 Wakeful Stakes (named after a champion mare at the turn of the century ) in Melbourne ; the 1947 Flight Stakes at Randwick, and the 1947 Thousand Guineas in Melbourne.

KOGARAH GOLF CLUB  

Kogarah Golf Club was located in the middle of the Racecourse – 9 golf holes which were played twice. The Kogarah Golf Club was founded in 1928, and relocated initially to Bonnie Doon, when the Racecourse closed down.

On February 5, 2014, at the invitation of club member, Alf Leslie, I again visited Kogarah Golf Club. The General Manager of Kogarah Golf Club informed me, that there were still members of the current Kogarah Golf Club, who had played at Moorefield Racecourse.  I indicated that I would need their assistance to check my chapter on Kogarah Golf Club.

On December 17, 2013, I received an email from Anne Morris in Newcastle. Her mother, Shirley Williams, had spent a large part of her life at “Leumbrah” 42 President Avenue , Kogarah . Anne said  in her email , that she recalls as a young child, in possibly 1952, being taken by her father to witness the damage vandals had done to the Moore family home.  This memory has remained with her.

The Moore family home was a grand property befitting the status of the family in the local area. A stained glass window in St Patricks  Catholic Church, Kogarah,  commemorates the family’s contribution to the local area.

THE LAST RACE AT MOOREFIELD

The last race was held on July 14, 1951 with Arthur Ward riding Chief Pontiac. Arthur died in Perth, in mid – October 2013, aged 94. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2007, and rode many champions during his career – Tulloch,  Rising Fast , Redcraze, Comic Court , Carbon Copy , San Domenico , Hydrogen and Prince Courtauld.

James Cook Boys High School and Moorefield Girls High School were occupied from the beginning of the 1957 school year. The residential estate behind these schools was built in the mid 1950’s by Oakdale Investment Pty Ltd , a subsidiary of L. J. Hooker. 270 residential housing lots were for sale. Originally, 278 were proposed. The cheapest block was 875 pounds, and the dearest block, 1,175 pounds in Lachal Street, Kogarah.

In 1953, it was announced that the Racecourse was to close –it was used as a training ground until 1955.  The stands were all demolished, except for one which was taken to Fairfield Trotting Club.  The Moore family home was vandalised, and ultimately demolished as part of the Racecourse.

SUMMARY I am pleased that I met Ray Cunningham all those years ago. it was fate that we met at the time.  To record the story of Moorefield Racecourse, is to commit to history its rightful place in the social history of Kogarah.

I trust that you will enjoy reading my book when I finally publish it. It will have been a privilege to have researched it, and to have spoken to so many interesting people, who had connections to Moorefield Racecourse.

My late father gave me a love of horse racing history, and I must acknowledge his role in this huge project.

If I don’t write the History of Moorefield Racecourse, I believe that it will be lost forever to our racing community, as well as to our local area.

 Anne  Field

Kogarah

June 4, 2014

NOTE:

I am happy to receive additional material from the community  up until my draft book is completed.

I can be contacted at PO Box 391, Kogarah. 2217 or my email address ko77582@bigpond.net.au

Please read my Speech Moorefield Racecourse Guest Talk To Year 7 History  (James Cook Boys High)