The town of Lockhart lies in the Riverina region of New South Wales and first came to prominence as a stop on the Urana to Wagga Wagga stagecoach route. Indeed, it is so named after Mr Green who was one of the earliest settlers who ran a grog shop to satisfy the needs of travellers on the route. Today the town has a population in excess of 800 inhabitants and runs its own successful racecourse at Lockhart Showground, which first staged racing under the jurisdiction of the Lockhart Jockey Club on Boxing Day 1898. However, racing was staged in the vicinity of the town well before that date. The earliest occasion when results were widely published was from the meeting held on Monday 26th December 1887 on a prettily situated course on the outskirts of Lockhart about 2 miles from Servicetown and 12 miles from Border Town. However, racing was taking place prior to this date, although results were not well published.

Monday 26th December 1887
Lockhart Maiden Plate (£4) over 1 mile
1. Colonel owned by Mr F Hillier
2. Tommy Hudson owned by Mr F Kinnear
3. Donave owned by Mr T Pearson
Lockhart Hurdle Race (£6) over 1 ½ miles and 6 leaps
1. Colonel owned by Mr F Hillier
2. Seaspray owned by Mr C Watson
3. Tommy Hudson owned by Mr F Kinnear
Lockhart Stakes (£7) over 1 ½ miles
1. Rob Roy owned by Mr R Tully
2. Seaspray owned by Mr C Watson
3. Happy Folk owned by Mr F Hillier

There is no doubt that this was an annual event staged each Boxing Day, providing an opportunity for horsemen on both sides of the border to pit their nags against each other. The meetings continued to be held to 1897, and beyond, although once the Jockey Club was formed these races enjoyed less importance. On Monday 27th December 1897 (it is not clear whether the meeting was held on Boxing Day which was a Sunday), the meeting was staged on the usual course, with the feature event billed as the Lockhart Handicap over 1 ¼ miles.
Monday 27th December 1897
Maiden Plate over 6 furlongs
1. Rob Roy owned by Mr J McCracken and ridden by George Dawson
2. Cornasse owned by Mr M Lahiff and ridden by T Skinner
3. Chieftain owned by Mr J Gordon and ridden by Major
Lockhart Hurdle Race over 1 ½ miles and 6 leaps
1. Ennis owned by Mr M Whelan and ridden by Leo Whelan
2. Repetition owned by Mr C Watson and ridden by Jas McLellan
3. Mistook owned by Mr J McCracken and ridden by J Harrison
Lockhart Handicap over 1 ¼ miles
1. Mistook owned by Mr J McCracken and ridden by Jack Whelan
2. Miss Cassidy owned by Mr J Wood and ridden by G Dunning
3. Boachdearb owned by Mr J McLellan and ridden by Hall

A committee meeting of the newly formed Lockhart Jockey Club took place at Green’s Gunyah Hotel on Tuesday 6th December 1898 to discuss the forthcoming races. Mr S Drummond was the Chairman and Mr E H C Wood the Honorary Secretary and Treasurer. The inaugural race meeting of the Jockey Club was staged a mile from the township on a course which was in splendid order, rewarding the time and labour expended by officials. That meeting was held on Monday 26th December 1898, opening with the Trial Stakes, but featuring the Lockhart Handicap. After racing had ended settling took place in the evening at Green’s Gunyar Hotel.
Monday 26th December 1898
Lockhart Trial Stakes (£6) over 6 furlongs
1. Clansman owned by Mr M Carroll
2. Rosemon owned by Mr J L Cox
3. Sunlight owned by Mr B Shute
Lockhart Handicap (£12) over 1 ½ miles
1. Countermarch owned by Dr Davies
2. Sunlight owned by Mr B Shute
3. Cranberry owned by Mr J B Nutting

That early period of racing, which lapsed during both World Wars, continued until 1946, but the present day Lockhart Picnic Race Club was formed in 1993 and has organised race meetings ever since. Lockhart enjoyed national fame in 2009 when a simple two horse race over 1400 metres between Cameno Raod, trained by Dick Dale, and Panton, trained by Paul Banks, resulted in a dead-heat. Rather than face a run-off the owners agreed to toss a coin for the trophy, which Cameno Road’s owner won. The highlight of the racing year is the Verandah Town Cup, launched in 1993 when won by Prego Prince trained by G T McDermott.

Verandah Lockhart Town Cup winners
(Full details of all winners is available on request)
1993 Verandah Town Cup was won by Prego Prince trained by G T McDermott
1994 Verandah Town Cup was won by Tiffie’s Spirit trained by Ms M Labahn
1995 Verandah Town Cup was won by All in Fun trained by D P Blundell
1996 Verandah Town Cup was won by Currahs Class trained by W Steiner
1997 Verandah Town Cup was won by Chat trained by J Langfield
1998 Verandah Town Cup was won by Leopard Hunter trained by Ms P E Hartney
1999 Verandah Town Cup was won by Strictly Family trained by W Spackman
2000 Verandah Town Cup was won by Prince Ottawa trained by W Carroll
2001 Verandah Town Cup was won by Miratec trained by R Freyer
2002 Verandah Town Cup was won by Paris-Dakkar trained by Ms U Clark
2003 Verandah Town Cup was won by Prospero trained by Ms L Aalbers
2004 Verandah Town Cup was won by Uncle Willy trained by A Osborne
2005 Verandah Town Cup was won by Ogdoad trained by D Rolfe
2006 Verandah Town Cup was won by Spirited Choice trained by Rick Freyer
2007 Verandah Town Cup meeting was cancelled due to equine influenza
2008 Verandah Town Cup was won by Grey Dragon trained by Bill Hayes
2009 Verandah Town Cup ($3,500) over 1400 metres was won by Grey Dragon (7/4 fav) trained by Bill Hayes and ridden by Stuart Brown, beating Jumpinmycar and Armani Black 4 ran
2010 Verandah Town Cup meeting was abandoned due to a waterlogged course
2011 Verandah Town Cup ($4,200) over 1400 metres was won by Street Twoforty (7/2) trained by Trevor Sutherland and ridden by Mr R Blewitt, beating Chasing Time and Tintaldra 7 ran
2012 Verandah Town Cup ($4,200) over 1400 metres was won by Three Buddies (6/4 fav) trained by Richard Freyer and ridden by Mr Tim Phillips, beating Mrs Menzies and Noire Belle 6 ran
2013 Verandah Town Cup ($4,200) over 1400 metres was won by From London (5/2) trained by Richard Freyer and ridden by Blake Ryan, beating Mortarman and Maniago 6 ran
2014 Verandah Town Cup ($4,200) over 1400 metres was won by Rite of Honour (5/2) trained by Trevor Sutherland and ridden by Samara Johnson, beating Aribaa and Benny’s Jet 5 ran
2015 Verandah Town Cup ($4,550) over 1400 metres was won by Angel of Rock (7/2) trained by Russell Green and ridden by Mr R Blewitt, beating Bringenbrong and Mr Speaker 7 ran
2016 Verandah Town Cup was abandoned due to wet weather
2017 Verandah Town Cup ($4,420) over 1400 metres was won by Black Fusion (4/5 fav) trained by Scott Spackman and ridden by Toby Lake, beating Victorian Crown and Benno’s Boy 6 ran

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses