58 150 years ago In 1875 the Winter Steeplechase Meeting was expanded to two days, with four races on each day. The Warrnambool Handicap Steeplechase (Grand Annual) attracted a field of 13 and was won by Postboy, which had figured in a dead heat for second in the Handicap Hurdle Race on the first day. Postboy was a Warrnambool and district horse through and through. He was sired by Panic, bred by John McGuinness, owned (and no doubt trained) by Hugh Gallagher and gave Tommy Corrigan the first of his four wins in the big race. Postboy is one of very few horses to have won a race at the old Jetty Flat course (in 1873 the South Warrnambool Handicap) and the new course (in 1875 the Free Handicap at the Annual (March) Races and the Warrnambool Handicap Steeplechase in June). 130 YEARS AGO The thrilling finish to the Warrnambool Handicap Steeplechase of 1893 heightened calls that the race should be given a distinctive name. At a meeting on Saturday 9 February 1895 the committee decided to rename the feature race “the Great Western Steeplechase”. This curious decision was apt to cause confusion. The Great Western Steeplechase was inaugurated at Coleraine in 1858 and for some years was the most famous steeplechase in Victoria. The Hamilton Racing Club adopted the name “Great Western” for its feature steeplechase for a time when Coleraine stopped holding its race. The Warrnambool committee’s decision therefore met with understandable criticism. William Dakin suggested that the race be called “the Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase”. He and his brother, Francis Ferdinand Dakin, had distinguished careers in racing in a variety of roles after they came to Australia from England in 1871. William acted as judge at Flemington, and as handicapper for many country clubs. His many successes as a trainer included Darriwell’s victory in the 1879 Melbourne Cup. At its meeting on Friday 22 February 1895 the Warrnambool committee carried a motion put by James Jellie, and seconded by James Dickson, that the “name of the steeplechase at the forthcoming Winter Meeting be altered from Great Western Steeplechase to Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase.” On 2 May 1895 Dan O’Brien’s Knebsworth, ridden by Jack Smith, won the first race at Warrnambool to carry the name Grand Annual. Grand Annual Steeplchase First Run 1872 – named Grand Annual from 1895
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