This Week in Racing History
JANUARY
29th
A record crowd attended Wentworth Park in 1972 to watch a non-betting hurdle race. The runners had come up from Victoria. The winner was Cheeky Student. On the same night, Milo's Charm won the Surf Lifesaver's Cup by four lengths from Amethyst Queen.
Gunnadoo Magic, trained by Robert Britton, joined Rellarena (1974 & 1975), High Intensity (1988 & 1989) and Magic Stroller (1990 & 1991), as a dual winner of the Roy Maidment Memorial, run over 715 metres at Sandown Park, when scoring in the 2009 running.
30th
Amorous Angie, after winning at her first five starts, all at Ballina, was beaten for the first time when unplaced at Lismore, in 1950. She would later go on to be a finalist in the 1951 Hobart Thousand, running fifth behind Pleasant Foam.
Call Me Casey won the 1993 Association Cup, over 720 metres at Wentworth Park, defeating True Temptation and Equability. This was the first Association Cup run on the new loam surface at Wentworth Park.
31st
Dream's Image became the highest stakes-winning greyhound in Australia, in 1952, taking his earnings to £3,003 and eclipsing the previous mark set by Erin's Ace in late 1949.
FEBRUARY
1st
Win Sheen won the first running of the Launceston Cup, in 1936.
Macareena set a new track record of 31.4 for 580 yards (530 metres) at Wentworth Park in 1954 when she used box one to full advantage to score by eight lengths over the smart Farloc. It was Macareena's 22nd win in just 29 starts.
Equability won the 1992 Association Cup over 720 metres at Wentworth Park, the last conducted on grass. Equability scored by eight lengths and set a new race record of 42.40. The win was Equability's seventh victory in 12 starts at the track, and the win was her ninth on end.
2nd
Elwick Boy took out the first running of the Hobart Cup, in 1935. The race would later become known as the Hobart Thousand and reign as the richest event in the country for many years. The race was run over 410 yards (375 metres) with the heats run earlier in the day and first and second going through to the final, which was worth £20 to the winner.
3rd
Sue's A Credit took her record at Hobart to seven wins from nine starts when she annexed the 1973 Hobart Thousand, the first run over 500 metres. Sue's A Credit ran a track record 29.3 for trainer Leo Burnett.
National Lass won the 1986 Wentworth Park Gold Cup, over 722 metres, by a head from Western Beau, running a race record 42.81, clipping 7/100ths off Kawati Boy's 1978 mark.
Sure As won the 2012 NCA Derby, run at the Gardens, defeating Direct Bullet by three lengths to earn $75,000 for trainer Syd Swain.
4th
NSW sprinter Neat Brandy won the 1950 Hobart Thousand by a short head from Nippy Bug before a record crowd of 9,000 people.
The last meeting was held at the Gabba track in Brisbane, in 1993. The last race was won by Pretty Boy Buddy, trained by Don Gammon.
Top-class stayer Tonight's Wish downed NSW contender John Beam by four lengths in the 1999 Dandenong Dry Cleaners Stake (later the DDC Launching Pad), run over 715 metres at Sandown Park. Tonight's Wish had won the same race in 1997 and then been an unplaced finalist in 1998.