History of Horse Racing in Australia

Horse racing is a major professional sport in many countries including Australia. In fact, Australia is among the top three leading Thoroughbred racing nations in the world. The sport generates millions of dollars in revenue each year and it’s easy to become a part of this opportunity. With the right horse racing tips and a basic understanding of its history, anyone can start enjoying the benefits of this popular sport.

Competitive horse racing is one of the most ancient sports known to mankind. Some of its earliest sightings are among the tribesmen of Central Asiaduring 4500 BC. This was the time when man first started to domesticate the horse and for thousands of years, the sport flourished and became the favourite activity for kings and noblemen.

Horse racing found its way to Australia during the early years of settlement. The first horses arrived in Australian shores in 1788 along with the First Fleet. The cargo consisted of a stallion, a colt, a filly and four manes. The horse population grew quickly throughout the 19th century with around 203 horses in New South Walesalone by 1810.

Horse racing became one of the first sporting activities organized in the colony and since horses were scarce and expensive in those days, only military officers and land owners were able to own horses back then. Race-goers however, consisted of people from all levels of society and they probably shared horse racing tips with each other too!

In October of 1810, the first official race meeting was inaugurated by Governor Macquarie at the new Sydney Racecourse. The race program lasted for three days.

As time passed, Sydney’s suburbs sprawled upward and its racecourses had to be relocated. Soon, other racecourses were established around the city and all over the country as well. Every town soon had its own jockey club with regular meetings.

In 1826, the Australian Racing and Jockey Club was formed. The Australian Jockey Club (AJC) was established in 1842 and by this time, all the major Sydneyrace meetings were held at the Homebush Racecourse.

The first Australian steeplechase was held on September 19, 1844 at the Five Dock Farm. It was a free public event and attracted a large crowd from all over the country.

Australia’s first country racing club was established in 1852 at Wallabadah.

Many great racehorses became popular in Australia but the most famous of all was Phar Lap-a native from New Zealand who raced from 1928 to 1932. Another popular horse is Makybe Diva. This UK-bred beauty became the only racehorse to ever win the coveted Melbourne Cup three times and in consecutive years at that! Many horse racing tips will tell you to study the horses well in order to make intelligent bets.

Nowadays, horse racing in Australia takes place weekly with meetings conducted by Provincial, Country and Metropolitan Race Clubs. The racing season starts each year on the 1st of August and ends on the last day of June. And as for racing days, Saturday is considered as the main day for racing.

Now that you know the history of horse racing in Australia, it’s time to get up and find some quality horse racing tips. Don’t be afraid to do a little research first. Ask your friends, search the web and read some articles. With the right knowledge and preparation, you will definitely get hooked on this enjoyable sporting event.

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