Quarter Horse Sprint Racing Alive and Well in Far North Queensland

By: Jody Murray - featured in the Spring 2014 Edition of the Horse Downunder Magazine

Race 4: 1st Black Magic, 2nd Fearless, 3rd Raven

Jockey Craig Lee and Ala Sugar waiting for the Calcutta of the first race

And they're racing!

Quarter Horse Racing is alive and well in Far North Queensland. From the dusty tracks of Normanton to the grassy tracks of the Atherton Tablelands to the beaches of Mackay, Quarter Horse racing is making a comeback to the tracks of North Queensland in a big way. 

It doesn’t matter if it is a bush race meet in the middle of woop, woop or on a Thoroughbred track as a feature race at the end of the thoroughbred race day. People of North Queensland are keen to see their Quarter Horses hit it out over distances at this stage, between 200m and 400m.

Over the last few years sprint racing has become very popular with some smaller race clubs as they have either turned away from traditional Thoroughbred race meetings as it becomes harder and harder to comply with Queensland Racing regulations, or they hold a sprint race at the end of their regular race program as a feature event to draw crowds to their race days. 

Horse racing in small country towns is very important to the social structure of communities.  It is not just an important fundraising opportunity for local clubs and organisations it is often the main social gathering for many people.  It is a way to get out and about and say g’day and catch up with people they haven’t seen for a while.   

It is in North West Queensland where sprint racing has really taken off. The Mailman Express, the 200m time trial event that is held during the Mt Isa Rodeo week is hotly contested each year. This is a single horse race with the fastest time over the 200m as the eventual winner.  There have been many great horses win this prestigious event with people travelling from all over Australia to see if they have the fastest horse over 200m.

Normanton can nearly be classed as the home of sprint racing as each year their sprint racing events get bigger and stronger. This year they have three race meets with the first held just after Easter with heats, maiden, time trials and a barrel race. In July they are holding a time trial event, similar to the Mailman Express, and then in October it is the legendary Stingers Cup event.  The sprint racing enthusiasts of Normanton have been sourcing running bred Quarter Horses from all over Australia with some well known Victorian sprinters making new homes in the gulf country. It can be said that the Normanton people love their sprint racing as they travel all over North Queensland to attend a sprint race.

It has mainly been the success of sprint racing in Normanton that other race clubs in North Queensland are modelling.   Clubs like Sedan Dip, north of Julia Creek, Richmond and Einsleigh and Eureka Creek west of Cairns.

This year Easter at Einsleigh held its first sprint races in conjunction with their annual picnic races and rodeo. It was the enthusiasm of members and locals wanting to see this fast pace and very quick form of racing at their races. And it was with support and help from Queensland Racing that 2 sprint races were held following the completion of the Picnic Races. Horses came from Normanton and Mareeba to race with three starters in the Open and four in the Maiden race.  It was said that it is the first time ever that the bar area was nearly deserted as everyone went track side to witness these fast horses burn up the track. Planning is underway to include the sprints again next year.

The Richmond Fossil Fest held its second bush race meet along with its bi annual Fossil Festival where they celebrate everything dinosaur. And this year was another successful race meet with horses again coming from Normanton, Prairie and locally. There was a total of seven races for the afternoon with three heat races and third and fourth placed horses going into race 6, the Pliosaur Plate and the first and second place horses going into race 7 the Kronosaurus Cup.  The other races held were the Maiden Sprint and the Ladies Sprint with a full field of horses in each race of the day. There is talk that the Richmond Bush Races are going to now be a yearly event.

August 2013 saw three 400m Quarter Horse races held following the completion of the regular races held at Mareeba,  Atherton and then Mareeba. These races had barrier starts with all horses racing having barrier trials prior to being able to race. All horses were from local owners to the Atherton Tablelands with one coming from Prairie in Western Queensland. These races saw attendance track side increase as it has been a long time since a Quarter Horse raced on a thoroughbred track in North Queensland. 

August 2014 is a big month for sprint racing with events held all over North Queensland starting with Eureka Creek west of Cairns followed by the Mailman Express in Mt Isa, the Mackay Harbour Beach Races at Mackay and then Sedan Dip north of Julia Creek. Each race event is unique to its area. Some encourage local participation and have extra prize money up for grabs if a horse wins a Campdraft and a race for the weekend, like Sedan Dip. While other races it is the glitz and glamour of being beach side or maybe watching the races from a boat moored just off the harbour to being out in the heart of the bush for a family fun filled weekend.

No matter which sprint race you attend you will see super fast horses like Black Magic, who has won all the major races form the Stingers Cup to the Mackay Harbour Beaches races, Richmond Bush Races and Eisleigh’s open race, Lyla, Summer, Nibbles and Fearless of the unregistered horses.  And the registered Quarter Horses there is Chick Ching Cash Q-A1-10712, Jabelle Mighty Judge Q-69812, Superiors Apache Q-69841, Wingara Slide N Out Q-66019 with Ala Dozen having a very large influence with progeny like Denbie Badger Q-74921, Ala Gator Q-61015, Ala Sugar Q-74934, Ala Duke Q-74933, Apachie Cat Q-A2-2110, Paleface Amigo A2-2702 and R Ya With It A3-535.  Other bloodlines include, Chicks Regard, Winning Deck, Cash On Loan, Great Stuff, Model Bird, Gold Boom and Major Decision.  Hats off to the enthusiastic people who own these super fast horses that not only race on the weekend but are used for work horses and other competitions the rest of the year.

Our friends at Downunder Magazine kindly shared this story with Horsezone - Downunder Magazine is Australia’s leading horse, cattle and country lifestyle publication.

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