Bligh County, one of 19 original counties of New South Wales, extended from the Cudgegong River to the Gulburn River and is named after the infamous British Royal Naval Officer and mutineer William Bligh who became Governor of New South Wales in the early years of the 19th century, being in office between 1805 and 1808. William Bligh was a Cornishman of good family, born in 1753 at Tinten in the parish of St Tudy, near Bodmin. On 9th October 1787 he set off in the Bounty from Deptford on route to Australia. On 26th January 1808 he was deposed by the New South Wales Corps in what became known as the Rum Rebellion. Today Bligh has one of the oldest Amateur Picnic Race Clubs in the country and organises an annual race meeting at Mudgee Racecourse. The Bligh Race Club was founded in 1877 by Messrs Clive, or Collaroy, Taylor, of Denby, and Bettington of Brindley Park, designed to be a Gentlemen’s Club with the express intention of racing for the honour of the sport rather than as a means of augmenting their individual finances. James Brindley Bettington had acquired Brindley Park, Merriwa in 1835 and eventually extended his land ownership to 90,000 acres spread across the Bligh region. The Bligh Amateur Race Club held an unregistered meeting in 1877, organising a more popular second meeting on Saturday 26th July 1878 on Brindley Park, Merriwa. This proved to be a huge success, overseen by Mr Bettington who ensured the comfort and convenience of all visitors to the course. Results of the principal races from that early meeting are shown below.
Saturday 26th July 1878
Bligh Maiden Stakes over 1 mile and the distance
1. The Fish owned by Mr A Blaxland and ridden by G Donaldson
2. Pride owned by Mt J Bettington and ridden by Bettington
3. Thorntopper owned by Messrs Andrews and Busby and ridden by H Andrews
4. Skylark owned by Mr A M Rouse and ridden by Rouse
Bligh Hurdle Race over 1 ½ miles
1. Pilot owned by Mr V Dowling and ridden by Dowling
2. Pearl Diver owned by Mr C W Busby and ridden by A Busby
Bligh Amateur Race Club Cup
1. Skyrocket owned by Mr R Rouse and ridden by Rouse
2. Sequin owned by Mr A Blaxland and ridden by H Andrews
3. Orlando owned by Mr A Busby and ridden by Busby
4. Euroka owned by Mr J B Bettington
5. Bedawn owned by Mr J D Cox
6. Lucy owned by Mr G A Langley
7. Magus owned by Mr R Rouse
8. Sunbeam owned by Mr A Busby
Between 1877 and 1888 Bligh Amateur Races were held alternately in Merriwa and Mudgee, but in 1889 the Club decided on stage all future meetings on the Mudgee racecourse. On Friday 21st May 1880 over 500 people attended the meeting organised by the Bligh Amateur Race Club on the Mudgee course, with results shown below.
Maiden Stakes; Ninety beat Satan and Cinderella
Bligh Amateur Club Cup; Euroka beat Corrie and Skyrocket
Cassillis Plate; Mavourneen beat The Admiral and Sunbeam
Ladies’ Bracelet; Retrospect beat Skylark and Orlando
Bachelors’ Bag; The Admiral beat Fusilier and Satan
The principal race has always been the Bligh Amateur Race Cup over 1 ½ miles, with selected results shown below:-
1878 Skyrocket owned by Mr R Rouse and ridden by Rouse beat Sequin and Orlando 8 ran
1879 Sequin owned by Mr A Blaxland and ridden by H Andrews beat Orlando and Euroka 8 ran
1880 Euroka owned by Mr J B Bettington beat Corrie and Skyrocket
1881 Euroka owned by Mr J B Bettington beat Sunbeam and Corrie
The winner’s prize for the 1881 Bligh Amateur Club Cup was an elegant silver tankard and matching goblets, all enclosed in a morocco case and valued at £40, while the second received a ‘ladies afternoon tea service’ consisting of cups made of the best China, with a design of blue raised flowers, a hot water urn and teapot, a sugar basin and milk jug with silver handles, all presented on a silver tray.
1882 Negro owned by Mr R Rouse and ridden by Rouse, beating Euroka and Sir Galahad 5 ran
1883 Victor owned by Mr A Busby beat Councillor and Euroka 4 ran
1884 Western Monarch owned by Mr G McMaster and ridden by C P Bayley beat Councillor and Corrie
1885 Western Monarch owned by Mr G McMaster beat Councillor and Corrie
1886 Western Monarch owned by Mr J McMaster beat Saltarelle and Valeria 9 ran
1887 Western Monarch owned by Mr J McMaster beat Gladys and Optima
1888 Optima (1/3 fav) owned by Mr R Rouse and ridden by Rouse beat Pantomime 2 ran
1889 Sardinia owned by Mr H C White beat Herbena and Pantomime
1890 Goldfinch owned by Mr F Shephard beat Volney and Sardinia
1891 Helene owned by Mr V J Dowling beat Sydney and Queen Mary
1892 Pantomime owned by Mr D Watts beat Caprice 2 ran
1893 Lady Burleigh owned by Mr J McMaster and ridden by S Rouse beat Coolah and Hilma
1894 Jack Rattling owned by Mr J McMaster and ridden by James McMaster beat Caprice and Lady Burleigh 7 ran
1895 Marmion (2/5 fav) owned by Mr John McMaster beat Radoo and Diamedia 3 ran
1896 Caprice owned by Mr A Hooke beat Radoo and Virago
1897 Cranbourne owned by Mr Hunter White beat Loch Leven and Kathleen 5 ran
1898 Loch Leven owned by Mr D J Wall beat Lady Burleigh and Bullomin who dead-heated
1899 Bullomin (4/6 fav) owned by Mr J McMaster and ridden by H Blackman beat Saltoun (6/1) and Loch Leven (5/1)
1900 Loch Leven owned by Mr D J Wall beat Saltarelle and Claymore 6 ran
1901 Loch Leven (2/1) owned by Mr D J Wall and ridden by A Blackman beat Saturn (4/7) and Blingle (3/1) 3 ran
1902 Saturn (5/1) owned by Mr H McMaster and ridden by C Egan beat Tatterdemalion (10/1) and Walgrove (10/1) 7 ran
1903 Zenda owned by Mr J A Buckland beat Loch Leven and Bon-Ma-Chree 5 ran
1904 Dalkeith owned by Mr J A Nivison beat Zenda and Chieftswood 4 ran
1905 Aurated (4/6 fav) owned by Mr J A Buckland beat Dulcinea (Evens) 2 ran
1906 Superbus owned by Mr A W Whitney and ridden by C H Brown beat Capertee and Aurated
The photo below is in the public domain having been taken by an unknown photographer circa 1906
In the early part of the 20th century, as well as the Cup being a much anticipated annual event, the Morven Handicap was introduced.
1906 The Morven Handicap over 1 mile was won by Aurated owned by Mr J A Buckland, beating Dulcinea and Ruenella
1907 The Morven Handicap over 1 mile was won by Rolled Oats owned by Mr J A Buckland, beating Chieftswood and Master
1908 The Morven Handicap (15 sovereigns) over a mile was won by Rolled Oats owned by Mr J A Buckland and ridden by A R Buckland, beating Rappel and Master
1909 The Morven Handicap over 1 mile was won by Jinee owned by Mr S B Rouse and ridden by Rouse, beating Junior Plambra and Risk
1907 Alteration owned by Mr J A Nivison beat Drefus and Brazier
1908 Footpad owned by Mr D J Watts and ridden by F Blomfield beat Hautnib and Mascano
1909 Flint owned by Mr J M Allison and ridden by W Beaumont beat Highland Reel and Architect
Other Bligh Amateur Club Cup winners are available on request.
No meetings were held during the First World War, but racing returned on the first Tuesday and Wednesday in May 1919, being immediately followed by a 2 day meeting organised by the Mudgee District Racing Club on Friday and Saturday of the same week.
Recent Winners of the Bligh Picnic Cup
2009 The Bligh Cup ($2,100) over 1850 metres was won by The Last Won (4/5 fav) trained by Jeff Englebrecht and ridden by Mr J Mills, beating My Baby Samira and Seekadane 3 ran
2010 The Bligh Cup ($2,450) over 1850 metres was won by Corso Vannucci (7/2) trained by Garry Lunn and ridden by Mr B Duggan, beating Star of Universe and Ourwizz 5 ran
2011 The Bligh Cup ($2,800) over 1850 metres was won by Regal Instinct (6/1) trained by Scott Wade and ridden by Ms J Lindgren, beating War On Everything and Carry The Dance 6 ran
2012 The Bligh Cup ($2,800) over 1850 metres was won by Poker Poo (10/1) trained by K R White and ridden by Mr B Ryan, beating Raiders Gold and Chesapeak Brave 5 ran
2013 The Bligh Cup ($3,360) over 1850 metres was won by Millenium Hawk (4/1) trained by Kylie Kennedy and ridden by Mr R Blweitt, beating Poker Poo and Timetable 6 ran
2014 The Bligh Cup ($3,360) over 1850 metres was won by Easy Escape (6/1( trained by Kylie Kennedy and ridden by Billy Owen, beating Bresway and Poker Poo 6 ran
2015 The Bligh Cup ($3,360) over 1850 metres was won by Carinda Girl (13/8 fav) trained by Paul Theobold and ridden by Tim Phillips, beating Benzema and Tiger Bassie 4 ran
2016 The Bligh Cup ($3,360) over 1850 metres was won by Consented (7/2) trained by Garry Lunn and ridden by Annelise King, beating Barthustian and I’m Away 5 ran
2017 The Bligh Cup ($3,450) over 1850 metres was won by Tiger’s Story (4/1) trained by Paul Theobold and ridden by A Barton, beating Shadow Affair and Samikosho 5 ran
