8 ‘Canberra racing – humble beginnings’ Canberra’s thoroughbred racing industry stems from considerably humble beginnings. In 1921 the local branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association thought a race meeting might be an interesting way to raise funds. The first problem? No racecourse! There was however plenty of land and the Association appointed three of its members to investigate. They laboured in vain to find an appropriate site until one of them – Mr P F Douglas, who had fortuitously come on the mission mounted, suggested he should ride around some land at Acton and provided he and his horse safely negotiated a course of about six furlongs work might begin on developing a suitable track. It took him about six minutes but horse and rider prevailed. The Association put its volunteer members to work cutting down trees, digging out stumps and filling rabbit burrows and the fundraiser took place, in 1922, under what is now Lake Burley Griffin. The ‘saucer-like’ track, measuring a mere six furlongs and 66 feet, continued to host thoroughbred racing for the growing district. The first Canberra Cup was run at Acton on 12 Feb 1926 - one of five races with total prizemoney of 150 pounds. The Cup itself was run over 6 furlongs for a purse of 60 pounds. The interior of the saucer was used to grow crops, which may have provided welcome income for the course operators, but on occasion raised the ire of racegoers whose view of the races was obstructed by a crop that had grown perhaps too well and too high. The racecourse also shared its location at Old Acton with a golf course, a hospital, and farms until the land was resumed for the construction of the lake in the 1960s. By then the Gungahlin Racing and Trotting Club and the ACT Jockey Club had pooled resources to rebuild the track after WWII in the knowledge that it was a temporary venture. The Jockey Club had the foresight to begin work on a new course at Lyneham in plenty of time before the old course was submerged. Work began in early 1961. The course had a circumference of 1764m with a 400m straight. The first meeting was held on 3 November 1962. From that date the place of what is now Thoroughbred Park in Canberra’s social, sporting and economic life has grown to the vibrant event centre that comes to life on occasions like Black Opal Day.
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