The next year the two day meeting on Tuesday 15th and Wednesday 16th December 1868 required £120 from the public purse for prize money, which included the Maiden Plate for £25, the Stockman’s Purse for £15, the Ladies Purse for £30 and the Town Plate for £35. |
By 1869 the meetings, organised by the Warren Jockey Club, had become annual events, with a two day meeting held on Tuesday 31st August and Wednesday 1st September. Attendance by the ‘sterner sex’ was good, but there were few of the ‘fair or fairy’ ones in evidence.
Tuesday 31st August 1869
Maiden Plate for 25 sovereigns over 1 ½ miles
1. Adeline owned by Mr T Wild and ridden by Matthews
2. Palestine owned by Mr W Perry
3. Exile owned by Mr H Readford
Ladies Purse for 25 sovereigns over 1 ½ miles
1. Morgan owned by Mr G H Taylor
2. Slane owned by Mr P McMahon
3. Alhambra owned by Mr E Readford
Stockman’s Purse for £15 over 1 ½ miles
1. Viro owned by Mr H Readford
2. Charcoal owned by Mr D Cameron |
Exactly a century later the New Warren Racecourse was opened on Saturday 20th September 1969 by the Minister for Public Works, Mr Davis Hughes. The track was fully turfed and well sloped, with a circumference of 1 mile 3 furlongs, electronic starting stalls, amplified a system and modern photo finish. |
Today the town has a population in excess of 2,800 inhabitants and has its own racecourse where racing is administered by the Warren & District Jockey Club. At least 4 meetings are staged annually, the highlights of the racing calendar being the Warren Cup held in November and the famous twilight races staged each December. The earliest record of a meeting hosted by the Warren Jockey Club took place in 1969 at Narromine Racecourse.
Recent winners of the Australian Cotton Cup
(A full list of winners is available on request)
2009 Cotton Cup ($7,800) over 1600 metres was won by Slick Sniper (Evens fav) trained by Tracey Bartley and ridden by Michael Travers, beating Steal The Thunder and A Magic Pick 6 ran
2010 Cotton Cup ($6,500) over 1600 metres was won by Dane’s Jewel (9/4) trained by Peter Stanley and ridden by Ken Dunbar, beating Nampara Bullet and Local Bred 6 ran
2011 Cotton Cup ($6,500) over 1600 metres was won by Dane’s Jewel (12/1) trained by Peter Stanley and ridden by Michael Travers, beating Relentless Lad and Tora Tora Tora 8 ran
2012 Cotton Cup ($8,200) over 1600 metres was won by Chiasma (6/1) trained by Frank Hayes and ridden by Mathew Cahill, beating Dane’s Jewel and Poker Pro 12 ran
2013 Cotton Cup ($8,200) over 1600 metres was won by Fox Solid (6/4 fav) trained by Garry McCarney and ridden by Kody Mestor, beating Sergeant Bilko and Noble Crown 7 ran
2014 Cotton Cup ($14,410) over 1600 metres was won by Mossamine (7/4 fav) trained by Clint Lundholm and ridden by Greg Ryan, beating Private Taber and Lord Burghersh 6 ran
2015 Cotton Cup ($16,800), run in February 2016 over 1600 metres, was won by Laugharne (9/1) trained by Brian Young and ridden by Rasit Yetimova, beating Any Blinkin’ Day and Sandy Waters 9 ran
2016 Cotton Cup ($16,800) over 1600 metres was won by Something Borrowed (4/1) trained by Justin Stanley and ridden by Mathew Cahill, beating Our Sarastro and Laugharne 11 ran
2017 Cotton Cup ($16,630) over 1600 metres was won by Red Knot (13/8 fav) trained by Rodney Northam and ridden by Serg Lisnyy, beating Uncle Sugar and Shadow Affair 9 ran |
