Roll With Joe
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Melbourne trotting tracks

  1. #1
    Junior Member Foal BABY PRONTO will become famous soon enough
    Real Name
    Peter Boland
    Posts
    1

    Melbourne trotting tracks

    My great uncle mick (micheal) boland drove at Richmond trots (ascot) I have a few surviving Photos of my grandfather Edward (teddy) boland driving winners at these tracks can anyone
    Tell me exactly where they were . Also in the 60s and early 70s my mum and dad would take me to trials or gymkhanas at heatherton or dingley where Bruce Skeggs would call or sometimes Ray benson
    Does anyone remember these I am nearly 60

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
    Real Name
    Kevin O'Donoghue
    Location
    The Gap
    Occupation
    Retired
    Posts
    14,029
    Horses
    A long, long time ago
    Welcome Peter, there are a few posters on here like Amlin (Kyle) and Adaptor (Noel) who will be able to help you next time they call in. In the meantime I am pretty sure there were some mentions in this thread

    http://www.harnessracingforum.com/sh...t=Ghost+tracks
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  3. #3
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Adaptor will become famous soon enough
    Real Name
    Noel Ridge
    Location
    Bendigo
    Posts
    639
    Hi
    The first Melbourne tacks were at Elsternwick, and Croxton Park ( Fitzroy). WF Cox had one at Kensington as well. There were others...see the Ghost Tracks link above
    The Tracks that are mentioned by Peter : Richmond was on Bridge Rd Richmond , between Bridge Rd and the Wertheim sewing machine factory ( later to be the Channel 9 studio) and Ascot was opposite the gates of the Showgrounds,. Both were owned by John Wren, and used also for pony raciing.
    Last edited by Adaptor; 06-14-2016 at 03:43 PM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year Amlin will become famous soon enough Amlin's Avatar
    Real Name
    Kyle Galley
    Posts
    605
    A few people still train at Southern Speedways in Oakleigh. This is perhaps the track you recall. The club set up here after they ran gymkhanas at Darkie Wilson's property at nearby Heatherton.

    There are no longer horses trained at Gower Park in Preston but the track is still there opposite Northland shopping centre.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year arlington will become famous soon enough
    Real Name
    Wayne Hayes
    Posts
    787

  6. #6
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
    Real Name
    Kevin O'Donoghue
    Location
    The Gap
    Occupation
    Retired
    Posts
    14,029
    Horses
    A long, long time ago
    Great stuff Wayne.
    Be sure to click on the 2nd link for a fantastic article by Paul Courts
    Sad how the first link so easily dismisses the heritage overlay:

    "While there is a heritage overlay on both the home and stables, Mr Keogh said developers — who had shown the most interest in the property — could override this overlay with council, due to the home’s condition."

    As we no longer race anywhere near there, there is no point in our industry attempting to save it as a museum, especially at the asking price (see below)

    https://www.realestate.com.au/proper...vale-127856114
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  7. #7
    Senior Member Stallion Showgrounds is just really nice Showgrounds is just really nice
    Real Name
    Trevor Brown
    Posts
    1,078
    Quote Originally Posted by Messenger View Post
    Great stuff Wayne.
    Be sure to click on the 2nd link for a fantastic article by Paul Courts
    Sad how the first link so easily dismisses the heritage overlay:

    "While there is a heritage overlay on both the home and stables, Mr Keogh said developers — who had shown the most interest in the property — could override this overlay with council, due to the home’s condition."

    As we no longer race anywhere near there, there is no point in our industry attempting to save it as a museum, especially at the asking price (see below)

    https://www.realestate.com.au/proper...vale-127856114
    Spent much of my infancy in the Whisky Hill area and used to watch the horses working on the old Steadman's trotting track, the current-day golf course. There were many stables in the area including Jack Shelley's the opposite side of James Street, Farmer's on the corner of Nairn St, Danny Hoban and Peter Manning had stables beside the track on the river flats. Wonderful days.

    I used to see Bill Davin a lot working horses on the Showgrounds and Steadmans. His stables were basically boarding stables for visiting horses. To go there after races at the Showgrounds was a hive at activity with country and interstate visitors over-nighting in their super-sized boxes. You could sink in the depth of straw in those boxes.

    I visited he area a couple of months ago and most of the old landmarks have gone. Bill Davin's stables is the end of a great era.

  8. #8
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
    Real Name
    Kevin O'Donoghue
    Location
    The Gap
    Occupation
    Retired
    Posts
    14,029
    Horses
    A long, long time ago
    Old Ascot Vale stables Sold for $2.7m

    http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...g-stables-sold
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts