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THE EARLY YEARS OF SPRINT RACING IN AUSTRALIA
The first Quarter Horse stallions seem to have been shipped to Australia via quarantine in the UK in 1954. However, it was not until October, 1970 that the first known Quarter Horse race took place at Trangie in NSW.
$1000 prize money was advertised and the race attracted five nominations, 3 of which arrived at the race track. One was disqualified on the day leaving two starters for what turned out to be Australia’s first match race.
Quarter Staff, by Mescal, won the quarter mile race in a time of 25.9 seconds with El Grande trailling.
In April 1971 Nevada Joe x Vaquero became the first Quarter Horse known to win a race against a Thoroughbred when he won over a distance of five furlongs.
The Quarter Horse racing scene really began to take off in 1973 as a number of running stallions were imported and the Victorian Jockey Club permitted the conduct of the first Quarter Horse race at a licensed Victorian race track. The exhibition with no wagering and was conducted at TATURA. The race was won by Brandywine Alpha.
Queensland got into the act in June 1973 with the Weyba Cup being run at Noosa. This race was won by the imported stallion Chicks Boys Image and followed home by another import Tinys Patriotic in second place.
In 1973, Capricorn Estates in NSW listed the following stallions at stud:
- Hunch Bid,
- Booty Man,
- Wise Bid,
- Tinys Patriotic,
- Chicks Boy Image; and,
- Thundering Jet
In the same year Muskoka Stud was standing:
- With It; and,
- Three Devils
Willomurra were standing
- Jet Master; and,
- Warning Flag
and others of particular note were Bob Charge (Bob Crothers), Dickie Bar Joe (Barry Laws), Mr Bar Charge (Flying ‘L’ Stud), Sonic Jet and Jet Boom.
From 1974 the build up continued with the announcement of several ‘FUTURITIES’, in particular the Dubbo Quarter Horse Association and the Central Queensland Quarter Horse Association both developed excellent racing opportunities.
In March 1976, Capricorn Estates staged the greatest dispersal sale of running Quarter Horse stock seen in this country, grossing $375,000. In that month also the Quarter Horse Extravaganza, promoted as Q76, was held at Queanbeyan (NSW) attracting a crowd of 20,000 and provided Mighty Meyers as the winner of the All Australian Futurity over Lion Don.
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