History
Regarded as the 'Sport of Kings', the first horse race took place in England in 210 AD. Encouraged by Royal patronage over the last 300 years, the English thoroughbred has been the foundation stock of racehorses world-wide.
In fact, all modern-day thoroughbreds can be traced to one of three great English sires:
- Darley Arabian (1700): 90%
- The Byerly Turk (1689): 5%
- and The Godolphin Arabian or Barb (1724): 5%.
The arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 signalled the first importation of horses to Australia. By 1798, the Australian horse population had grown to 44 horses and 73 mares. In 1799, the blood stallion Rockingham arrived from Cape Colony, marking the beginning of Australia's thoroughbred industry.
Australia's First Organised Race Meeting
Australia’s first organised race meeting was held in Sydney’s Hyde Park in October 1810. This meeting was of three days duration and was recognised as Australia’s first race meeting.
On 28 January 1833, the Sydney Herald reported that His Excellency the Governor had seen fit to sanction the reserve of an eligible piece of ground on the Botany Road for a new racecourse.
The Botany Road referred to in these notices was the eastern-most of the two roads that lead towards Botany Bay. This road more or less follows the present route of Anzac Parade and the eligible piece of ground is what we know today as Royal Randwick Racecourse.
A Committee was formed to superintend the work of laying out the new course, working under the direction and advice of the Surveyor-General, Major Thomas Mitchell. The first race recorded at Randwick was a private match between two horses and was held on the new course in June, 1833.
There was regular racing at the "Sandy Course" until 1838 when the track deteriorated to the point that it was used for training purposes only.
In May 1840 the Australian Racing Committee was formed to establish a system of racing worthy of the growing importance of the colony. By January 1842 this Committee had resolved itself into the Australian Jockey Club and the Homebush Course was the headquarters of racing in NSW until 1860.
A New AJC Ltd Committee
In 1859 a new AJC Committee confirmed the revised Rules of Racing for NSW, published a new weight scale and encouraged Mr F B Price to publish his Stud book of New South Wales, which appeared for the first time that year.
On 29 May 1860 racing resumed at Randwick, with a grandstand seating 700 and a total crowd of 6,000 in attendance.
The AJC Derby was first run at Randwick in 1861 and was won by Kyogle.
In June, 1863, the Randwick land was granted by the Crown to trustees representing the Australian Jockey Club for an annual rental of "one black peppercorn payable on demand", a rental which has never been collected. In 1873 the Australian Jockey Club Act confirmed the Club’s tenure of Randwick Racecourse.
In 1900 the AJC Register with Rules and Regulations of NSW racing was first issued.
In 1922 the Australian Jockey Club purchased the Warwick Farm course and undertook a number of improvements. The first meeting under AJC auspices was held on 27 January 1925 with 25,000 in attendance.
An Act of Parliament was passed in 1948 confirming the power of the AJC to hear appeals and requiring the committee to hear these in public. In the same year a crowd of over 90,000 attended the Doncaster Day with over 400 trams passing through the race course platforms.
In 1961 the Australian Jockey Club (Amendment) Act altered the AJC lease of Randwick racecourse from a 21-year to a 99-year term. The following year the AJC moved to its present administration offices at Randwick from its premises in Bligh St, where it had been since 1900.
The Queen Elizabeth II Stand Opens
The Queen Elizabeth II stand was used for the first time on 4 August 1969. The stand cost $4.6 million and was opened for public inspection on a Sunday in July with 40,000 people attending the non-racing open day.
In May of 1977 the computerised totalisator was introduced to Randwick. As a result of the faster operation and payout and greater information available with the computer tote, turnover rose sharply from $26.8 million in season 1976-77 to $45.9 million in 1977-78. The first Autumn AJC Derby was run in 1979 with Dulcify the winner. Queen Elizabeth II visited Randwick on 22 February 1992 and opened the new $30 million Paddock Grandstand.
The rest of the 90s was a turbulent time for the racing industry in NSW. On 18 October 1995 The Temby Report was handed down recommending formation of a new administrative structure for the industry.
In 1997 the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Board was empowered to run racing in this state leaving the Australian Jockey Club with the sole responsibility of running a race club.
AJC Ltd Masterplan - 2007 and beyond
In 2006 the AJC Ltd invested in masterplanning which included market research, community needs analysis, concept designs, commercial feasibility, heritage positioning and, crucially, human, equine and vehicle traffic management.
The aim of the master pan is two fold. Firstly, to guide the club in delivering the highest and best use of available space in an integrated fashion with the ambition to:
- Improve facilities
- Increase spectator numbers
- Improve spectator experience
- Improve human, equine and vehicle movement
- Diversify the AJC's Ltd revenue streams.
Secondly, to make the appropriate level of investment in facilities to secure the long term tenancy of the Royal Randwick site.
The AJC Ltd plans to take this project forward to deliver to our members, their guests and the community, plans for facilities of a standard that will make the AJC Ltd a premier multipurpose race and entertainment venue with a long term integrated focus.