Muswellbrook Racecourse is one of the oldest horse racing tracks in New South Wales, having been established and hosting its first race back in 1862. The Muswellbrook Racing Club hosts as many as 18 race meetings on an annual basis, all of which are well attended due to the track being only a 3 hour drive from Sydney’s city centre.
The Muswellbrook Racecourse was renamed Skellatar Park in honour of the local thoroughbred racing champion of the same name who rose to fame during the 1930’s. The 5 racing tracks at Muswellbrook include course proper, cinders, dirt, sand and B-grass tracks, making the venue one of the largest and most prominent regional race training centres for New South Wales country racing.
The Muswellbrook Cup Carnival
The Muswellbrook Cup Carnival takes place in early November each year, and is held at the Muswellbrook Racecourse. The carnival serves as a culmination of a variety of racing events that take place during previous months in the area. The Muswellbrook Cup serves as the highlight of the 2-day carnival, with activities on the day including Fashions on the Field, children’s entertainment and other family oriented activities.
History of the Town of Nowra
Nowra is a city that is situated on the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia. The city of Nowra and its surrounding areas are known mainly for farming, including dairy farming and state forestry. The name of the town stems from a traditional Aboriginal word for ‘black cockatoo’.
Nowra was officially recognised as a township in 1852, and its first post office was established in 1861. During that year, the racehorse Archer became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup race, cementing his reputation as an integral part of the town’s racing history and also perpetuating the town’s reputation of being a competitive country racing hub. That was the onset of tips to aid horse racing betting punters
Annual Events at Nowra Racecourse
The Nowra Cup race meeting is hosted each year in May, coinciding with the race course’s Girls’ Day Out event. Other events hosted during the year at Nowra Racecourse include the Kids’ Day Out, which is held in January, the Greenwell Point Cup hosted in April, the Mollymook Cup hosted in October and the prolific Melbourne Cup Race Day.
The Nowra Cup at Nowra Racecourse
The Nowra Cup is a 1,600 metre thoroughbred horse race that is held annually at the Nowra Racecourse, which is located just 2 hours from Sydney’s city centre. The Nowra Racecourse is also known as the Archer racecourse, named for the celebrated champion racehorse of the same name who became the very first winner of the Melbourne Cup race meeting in 1861.
The Nowra Racecourse is operated by the Shoalhaven City Turf Club, which hosts a number of races at the Nowra track each year. The track itself has a total circumference of 2,019 metres and offers a 400 metre home straight.
Previous Nowra Cup Winners
In 2014, the Nowra Cup race was won by the 6 year old New Zealand gelding Genki Moochi with jockey Peter Wells, who secured first place by coming in at a time of 1:34.25 and claiming the race’s prize money of AUS$30,000. During the previous year in 2013, Robert Price and horse Ramsays Curse claimed first place at the Nowra Cup race day.
