Industry
Harness racing in Queensland has had a long and illustrious
history going back to the 1880s with meetings in the ensuing years
conducted at tracks such as Kedron, Redcliffe, Southport,
Maryborough, Ipswich, Rocklea, Gympie, Toowoomba, Kingaroy,
Warwick, Dalby, Boonah, Mackay, Charters Towers, Townsville,
Cairns, Innisfail, Ayr, Rockhampton, Marburg, Albion Park and
Parklands.
The sport received a much needed lift when night harness racing
commenced at Albion Park in 1968 on a half mile right-handed track
inside the famous sand thoroughbred circuit at 'the Creek'. Albion
Park was redeveloped in the early 1980s when thoroughbred racing
ceased there with a 5/8th of a mile track complimented
by a new grandstand that housed the famous Silk's Restaurant.
Queensland has played host to the Inter Dominion Pacing
Championship on six occasions with the winners being Welcome
Advice, Stanley Rio, Village Kid, Jack Morris, Yulestar and Mr
Feelgood. The 'Sunshine State' also hosted the Inter Dominion
Trotting Championship in 2001 that was won by the NZ gelding Take A
Moment.
Queensland was also the home of the legendary champion
standardbred Black's A Fake who was trained and driven by Natalie
Rasmussen the winner of a record four Inter Dominion Pacing
Championship Grand Finals and in excess of $4 million in lifetime
earnings. Other top horses of note to come out of Queensland are
Lucky Creed, Wondai's Mate, Flashing Red, Be Good Johnny and
Slipnslide.
Queensland has produced its fair share of champion horsemen
such as Kevin Thomas, John C. McMullen, Keith Addison, Jim
O'Sullivan, Bill Dixon, Grant Dixon, Natalie Rasmussen, Stuart
Hunter, John McCarthy, Luke McCarthy and Andrew McCarthy to name
but a few.
The vision of Racing Queensland is to further develop the
standard of the harness horse in Queensland that will add to the
already imposing record set by the champion horses and horsemen
since the inception of the sport in this state.
