Dunkeld & District Historical Museum

Dunkeld's racing history

The first Dunkeld race meeting was recorded to be in 1856. There was reported to be a large assemblage of people, and the best order prevailed. Mr Thomas Keegan, of the Dunkeld Royal Mail Hotel offered a pig skin saddle worth ten guineas, bridle, whip and spurs, together with a Musical Box, a ladies’ side saddle worth fifteen guineas and a rifle valued at 12 guineas.

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Euphemia "Effie" McArthur on Scotch Mixture c1914

Large attendances

Through the years, local newspapers gave various reports as to the success or otherwise of the race meetings at Dunkeld, reporting in 1884 that attendance was waning and the racing of an un-interesting character, with only three horses contesting the hurdle race, then in 1887, there were only two races, with some of the horses ran in both races. 

In 1903, the meeting was held in splendid weather conditions with a large crowd. Good profits were made and the course was improved with the addition of a steward’s stand and other alterations. By 1905 attendances were unusually large with some exciting finishes. This year the committee gave exhibitions with their improved starting machine. By 1906 a grand amount of ten pounds, ten shillings was taken in admission fees.

Since 1856

The first Dunkeld race meeting was recorded to be in 1856. There was reported to be a large assemblage of people, and the best order prevailed. Mr Thomas Keegan, of the Dunkeld Royal Mail Hotel offered a pig skin saddle worth ten guineas, bridle, whip and spurs, together with a Musical Box, a ladies’ side saddle worth fifteen guineas and a rifle valued at 12 guineas.

"Tauto" The Dunkeld Dynamo

Tauto's illustrious career for the "Champ of the Bush" started at Penshurst in 1969, in a maiden race as a three year old. The race prize money was $140. After this victory he won restricted races at Hamilton and Ballarat. Still very green, and early in his career, he had trouble with running off the track, and at a Hamilton meeting he lost 15 lengths on the home turn by racing too wide, but still managed to win by five lengths.

A Day’s Outing Among The Mountains

Today's racing

Today the race meetings are very different from these early years, crowds have swollen to over 10,000 people in attendance, marquee’s, and entertainment being arranged, and race day “packages” offered to patrons.

Top image: Dunkeld Racing Club Committee in 2015
Lower image:  Fashions on the Field at Dunkeld 1998

A new racecourse

In 1911, things had changed! The racecourse had moved. There was a new, ideal spot chosen for the race track, (out towards where the new cemetery is located), with advertising saying visitors should enjoy “A Day’s Outing Among The Mountains”, with special holiday excursion fares being arranged, and a special train to leave Hamilton and Ararat on the day of the races. The train fare to be refunded for horses travelling 40 miles or over.

Not without problems

In 1915 the committee of the Dunkeld Race Club were placed in a predicament in connection with their annual races. Arrangements were first made to hold the races on April 3, but was altered to May 8th. The Chief Secretary was not notified of the alteration, and the meeting was, therefore held without authority. Some time after this the club went into recess, no meeting being held during World War 1, the next meeting being held in 1920. 

The club ticked along, at times struggling because of poor weather conditions and problems with the state of the course. In 1950 their meeting was held at the Penshurst Course. Then in 1952, the meeting was possibly held at the Hamilton Course, and back at Penshurst in 1953, and again held at Dunkeld in 1954, after the difficulty in obtaining a licence to race was resolved. Over the period of racing at Dunkeld, the course, first operated on land roughly described as near the corner of William St and the Victoria Valley road, later moving to land roughly describes as near the new Dunkeld cemetery, then to the present day re-formed race track, that is privately owned by the Dunkeld Racing Club.

The Champions of the Grampians

The cup was not always correctly described in written reports, mainly newspapers of the district, and was referred to as the Dunkeld Cup, and in fact to this day that is the case at times. In 1937 it was called the William Cup, and since that year it has been the William Thomson Cup.

As a true lover of the horse, William Thomson delighted in seeing his colours carried at the races. His many notable performers are well-known to followers of the turf, far and wide. Mr Thomson was a member of most of the principal race clubs in the Western District. His death in 1934 was a blow to the racing community. The Dunkeld Racing Club re-named the main event of the 1937 meeting in his honour to the "William" cup. In 1938 and subsequent years the cup has been named the “William Thomson Cup”, and in more recent years it was named as the “Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup. Through the years the Dunkeld Cup has maintained its connection to William Thomson’s family.

Race dates, tracks and Cup winners

1936 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Third Star
1937 Dunkeld - The William Cup - Star of the Mist
1938 Dunkeld - W.M.Thomson Cup - Amharic
1939 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Myton
1940 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Myton
1941 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Ma Chelone
1942-48 - No meetings held
1949 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Koombalah
1950 Penshurst - William Thomson Cup - Dead heat between Karroong and Somers
1951 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Burhan Chief
1952 Hamilton - William Thomson Cup (At Hamilton) - Better Law
1953 Penshurst - The William Thmson Cup - Brown Ben
1954 Penshurst - William Thmson Cup - Brutal
1955 Penshurst - William Thomson Cup - Miss Quaker
1956 Penshurst - William Thomson Cup - Royal Sirius
1957 Penshurst - William Thomson Cup - Black Knight
1958 Dunkeld - Picnic Meeting (Picnic Cup) - Tarawera
1958 Penshurst - William Thomson Cup - Braddock
1959 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Saintly Fire
1960 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Camber
1961 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Clouded
1962 Dunkeld - Annual Picnic Cup - Transfusion
1962 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Star Banner
1963 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Padlock
1964 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Great Darragh
1965 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Atout Star
1966 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Ivan's Hope
1967 Dunkeld - The Wm Thomson Cup - Tarcombe Shade
1968 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Gala Tan
1969 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Big Valley
1970 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Bevisann
1971 Dunkeld - No meeting held -
1972 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Gay Desmond
1972 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Rondica
1973 Dunkeld - Thomson Cup - Roman Challenge
1974 Dunkeld - The Wm Thomson Cup - Lenallas 
1975 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Ursus 
1976 Dunkeld - The Wm Thomson Cup - Macluen 
1977 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Burn-em-up 
1978 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Yarfoo 
1979 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Bilbo Brandy 
1980 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Spirit of Summer 
1981 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Griffin 
1982 Penshurst - The William Thomson Cup - All Way Go 
1983 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Prince Ameri 

1984 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Games Over 
1985 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Tap the Barrel 
1986 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Gavel 
1987 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Consenting Lover 
1988 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Noble Cavalier 
1989 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Toy Parade 
1990 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Toy Parade
1991 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Eastern King 
1992 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Tribe 
1993 Dunkeld - The William Thomson Cup - Above Deck 
1994 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Kimberlite 
1995 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Who's to Say 
1996 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Bay Strike 
1997 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup (1st div) - Clear Springs 
1997 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup (2nd div) - Grey Demon 
1998 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Nalom 
1999 Dunkeld - William Thomson Cup - Another Chance 
2000 Meeting cancelled - No meeting
2001 Hamilton - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Our Strike Breaker 
2002 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Scenic Glow 
2003 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Cup - Methodical Boy 
2004 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Cup - Prince Della 
2005 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Surfie Pete 
2006 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Just Leica Dream 
2007 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Bottle 
2008 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Key Symbol 
2009 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Hurricane Charley 
2010 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Trojan of Troy 
2011 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Abitofado 
2012 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Pennon (NZ) 
2013 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Gatalistic 
2014 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Diamonds at Noon 
2015 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Diamond Duke 
2016 Dunkeld - Royal Mail Hotel William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Sorcerer 
2017 Dunkeld - Dunkeld Cup - Unrealistic 
2018 Dunkeld - Dunkeld Cup - Penny to Sell 
2019 Dunkeld - William Thomson Dunkeld Cup - Unrealistic

Racing in our achives

The Dunkeld Museum has a large collection of racing club records, race books and memorabilia pertaining to the club. The above is just a taste of what can be viewed in our archives.

Background image:  "Tauto" The Dunkeld Dynamo at the foot of Mt Sturgeon