Area’s rich racing history

In 1864, Mr Emanuel Barratt and some patrons who attended the Deepwater Hotel came up with a plan to get races going in Deepwater on the next New Year holiday. They called a meeting for November 5 and the rest is history.

There were races on Boxing Day 1866 and 1867, at New Year and on Boxing Day in 1868 and these races were managed by a group calling themselves the Deepwater Jockey Club and they raced under Randwick rules.

Since 1940 the race day falls on the third Saturday of January – the week after Glen Innes race day. By 1891 the race committee decided to officially form a Jockey Club and all present at Collin’s pub on January 10, 1891 enrolled as members.

The race day in 1892 was run under AJC (Australian Jockey Club) rules and attracted crowds of up to 1200 – they met on 188 acres lent by Deepwater Station for the purpose.

Mr William T Cadell from Deepwater Station was a great supporter of the club and was the president for about 15 years and a judge for many years as well.

The club provided entertainment on the course as the crowds grew.

During the late 19th Century and early 20th Century special trains came in from Glen Innes bringing hundreds of ‘excursionists’ – the mail train was used as well. The Emmaville Band would meet the train and then all marched across to the racecourse.

The whole village would be abuzz. The trains would even be held back to take the punters home around 5.30pm. The train would also go to the 10 Mile stop so patrons could walk through the gate to the racecourse.

Local residents in Deepwater remember the paddock across from the railway station, where the horse and sulky taxis waited to take the train passengers over to the racecourse. By 1910 there was great excitement to see 100 cars on the grounds along with the previous modes of transport.

A local grazier has recalled in 1970 how, when he was a young boy, horses and sulkies used to pass his parents front gate at 4am on their way to the Races at Deepwater from Emmaville. There would be a continual stream of horse drawn vehicles till about 11 am.

This article from the Examiner on January 7, 1926 shines a light on those times: “As usual a big crowd of Emmaville people, attended the Deepwater Races, but this year most of the people travelled over per car, and horses were scarce on the road.

“One time there would not be a spare sulky left in Emmaville on New Year’s day and the blacksmiths would have a busy time during Christmas shoeing all the spare horses about the place.

“But those days are over now.”

A Race Ball was held in the School of Arts hall after the race day and good music and dancing followed until the break of day – these balls continued until about the 1940s. The DJC did not hold actual race days during World War II, but did benefit races for the Patriotic Fund.

No minutes were taken by the club from 1941 – 1945. The annual race day continued during World War I, still attracting crowds in those years as follows: in 1914 attendance was 3000, in 1915 down just a little at 2500, in 1916 drawing a good crowd of 2800, in 1917 a very good crowd of 3800 and in 1918 close to a record crowd of 4000.​

The Glen Innes Examiner of April 29, 1926 reported: “At a special Jockey Club meeting held on Saturday afternoon last, it was decided to purchase the present race course site, 188 acres, from the Deepwater Estate Ltd.

“The price paid was £7 per acre and the total purchase is within the vicinity of £1500. In the past the course has been practically given to the club for their meetings by the late Mr W T Cadell, of Deepwater Station, and since his demise the directors of Deepwater Estate Ltd have granted the same privilege, the only stipulation being that the club pay ten guineas per year to some charitable institution.”

During the late 1930s the DJC relinquished some land in order for the highway to be constructed.

After the trains stopped coming north in 1983 the patrons came by car, bus and light plane – though the first plane landed on the racecourse bringing 17 race goers in 1931.

Crowds continue to grow in the 21st Century, coming back to the numbers seen in the early days – for example in 2012 there was a crowd of 2000 and each year since, the number has risen by 200 to 500, barring rain.

In 2005 sale of merchandise with the DJC logo was added to the attractions. Drink and food stalls do well on the day. Fashions on the Field have proved a most popular addition since 2004 – and today is a real highlight.

A band supplying music after the last race was introduced by the committee from 2003 and up to 300 young people stayed then, and still do today, to dance in the dust or the mud.