Names from the past Great Dalla was Clarrie Long a great guy who loved to help young people get into sport Ken Pococks father in law
They raced at Woodend.
https://www.google.com.au/maps/place...30a0d220?hl=en
The remnants can be seen here of both the gallop and trotting tracks.. The Woodend Cup (gallops) has been held at Kyneton for some years.
One of the Abraham brothers, either Harry or Frank of Meadowbrook Stud fame (Gyro, Convivial etc) was President of the Woodend Trotting Club.
Here are 2 races ( from the results compiled by John Peck) with one time leading Australian sire Noble Scott winning at 2 consecutive meetings
WOODEND TC 31-12-1945
DISTANCE (2:23) – 45 pounds – One & quarter miles
H & F Abrahams bh NOBLE SCOTT, scr (R Males) 1
Jim Dalla, scr 2
Royal Clay, scr 3
Others: Great Dalla (scr), Flower Derby (scr), Bonnie Pedro (scr), Lucky Man (scr), Sir Dalla (36yds), Admiral Wilkes (60yds)
Margins: 2yds X 10yds Time: 2m 52 1/4s
WOODEND TC 01-01-1946
DISTANCE (2:27) – 45 pounds – One & half miles
H & F Abrahams bh NOBLE SCOTT, scr (R Males) 1
Great Dalla, scr 2
Native McGregor, scr 3
Others: Billy Ruhon (scr), Bonnie pedro (scr), Royal Clay (scr), Lucky Man (scr), High Lawn (scr), Northern Miss (scr), Sir Dalla (12yds), Dons Joy (12yds), Senor Wilbur (24yds), Admiral Wilkes (36yds)
Margins: 2yds X 8yds Time: 3m 40 1/2s
Last edited by Adaptor; 02-18-2015 at 03:51 PM.
Names from the past Great Dalla was Clarrie Long a great guy who loved to help young people get into sport Ken Pococks father in law
Pretty sure the house can you see from the main road is one of the original houses. But the property mostly subdivided. Right on the edge of Riddells Creek township now. Few roads there named after the horses. Gyro Close, Argent (Gyros mum I think) Close and also Meadowbrook Way.
Woodend served as an important venue for trotting during WWII - before the government took control of the sport Woodend was one of the few trotting tracks in Victoria to operate.
Trotting ceased there I believe in the early 1950s according to this article from The Argus from '52.
Gallops racing wound up there in 1982.
Another track that was among the pioneers in Victoria but is no longer - Healesville
The overhead shot appears to show an outline of a track - but I would have thought if the old track there was a half mile or so it would have been bigger, as the gallops track is only around 1400 metres in circumference.
Opened in 1948 and closed in 1972 and moved to nearby Yarra Glen. Birthplace of the famous "Melbourne Cup Day trots".
That would have to be something else Kyle. I once had the chance/wanted to buy a 7 acre triangle that finished roughly where the C726 is on the map.
I cannot get over how good the willow plantation looks - I was always told they were to be future cricket bats
per un PUGNO di DOLLARI
For those on or near the Central Coast of NSW may recall the Gosford Trotting track which was used in the 90's as a training track for a few locals, not sure whatever happened to it.
Gosford raced on a track around the outside of the dog track. When the dog track was rebuilt and converted to sand it was enlarged and took over the trotting track. Perhaps 15 years ago?
A recent photo of the Gosford facility. The harness track would not have been very big by the looks