For the love of horse racing

The people of Wagga have always loved their horse racing.

Case in point: Wagga Wagga was declared a village in November 1849; nine months earlier, Ginger Roberts, a Wagga publican, declared his intention of holding six horse races on St Patrick’s Day, the first race netting the winner a purse of £15 and a silver trophy worth another £15 for the second race.

There are very few institutions in Wagga who can claim over 150 years of existence but the Murrumbidgee Turf Club is one of them. At the Australian Hotel in June 1860, the MTC was established, setting up a permanent track in 1865 and grandstand in 1867. And while they can celebrate many successes in their long history, they may not be so proud of hosting the infamous Ten Mile Race…