The town of Hay is located in the western Riverina region of New South Wales surrounded by the wide, fertile Hay Plains making the area ideal for agriculture. The town enjoys excellent transport links, being at the junction of the Sturt, Cobb and Mid-Western Highways, and is located mid-way between Adelaide and the state capital Sydney. The area was originally inhabited by the Nari-Nari tribe until the region was discovered by Charles Sturt in 1829. Within a few years the region attracted settlers and the town began to grow and develop. The first recorded races held in Hay were staged on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd January 1866 when feature races were the Publican’s Purse, the Ladies Purse and the Hay Town Plate. Selected results from that early meeting are shown below.

Monday 1st January 1866
Hay Maiden Plate (£15) over 1 ½ miles
1. Teasem owned by Mr C Ledwidge
2. Crutchman owned by Mr J Boon
3. The Land owned by Mr Clark
Hay Publican’s Purse (£20) over 2 miles
1. Alexanrina owned by Mr Gormley
2. Sportsman owned by Mr Ledwidge
3. Riverina owned by Mr G Maiden
Ladies Purse (£15) over a mile
1. Cooramin owned by Mr J Boon
2. Teasem owned by Mr Ledwidge
3. Riverina owned by Mr G Maiden
Tuesday 2nd January 1866
Hay Town Plate (£30) over 3 miles
1. Riverina owned by Mr G Maiden
2. Cooramin owned by Mr J Boon
3. Alexandrina owned by Mr Gormley
Hay Hurdle Race over 3 miles and nine 3ft 9in hurdles
1. The Laird owned by Mr Clark
2. Comus owned by Mr Prendergast
3. Kelly The Rake owned by Mr G Maiden
A further 2 day meeting took place in April 1866

By 1868 the Hay races were an annual fixture on the calendar and were well received by the public and the press. The Sydney Mail ran an excellent piece covering the June 1868 meeting, writing, ‘Life in the Australian bush is sadly monotonous, and unless we have considerable resources within our own minds, we are liable to drop into a kind of drowsy ennui. But a race meeting can be presented as a piece of pleasantry if people are determined to enjoy themselves, because such meetings have their own special charm. One such area where this idea is being played out is Hay, where a Jockey Club is being formed to stage races on a course a mile to the north of the town. It is a good course, on soil more or less sandy, ideal for testing the nature, strength and gameness of the horse. At the meeting on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th June 1868 the Stewards were Captain Brown, Mr P Tyson, Mr H B Welch, Mr J Keighran and Mr James Dawson.
Monday 8th June 1868
Hay Maiden Plate (30 sovereigns) over 1 ½ miles
1. Sportsman owned by Mr Chambers
2. Lubra owned by Mr Hutton
Hay Club Handicap (75 sovereigns) over 2 miles
1. Mulatta owned by Moss Bros.
2. Gwendoline owned by Mr Gorton
Hay Publican’s Purse (40 sovereigns) over 1 ¾ miles
1. Sportsman owned by Mr Chambers
2. Snip owned by Mr Geilett
Tuesday 9th June 1868
Prince Alfred Cup (50 sovereigns) over 3 miles
1. Snip owned by Mr Geilett
2. Mulatta owned by Moss Bros.
Hay Town Selling Stakes (30 sovereigns) over 1 ¾ miles
1. Knight of Gwynne owned by Mr Hanley
2. Tory Girl owned by Mr J Rudd
Hay Steeplechase (50 sovereigns) twice round with ten 4 feet high leaps
1. Whack Falarolal
2. Black Chance

In 1926 the Hay Jockey Club received a Cup, a massive and beautiful piece of the silversmith’s art, donated by Mr Hugh Emerson of Randwick, but formerly of Hay. Some of the early winners of the Cup are shown below, although a full list of winners is available on request.
1927 Hay Jockey Club Cup over 1 mile was won by Bultony (5/1) owned by Mr E Halcroft and ridden by E Kenny, beating Sir Righteous and Patmos.
1928 Hay Jockey Club Cup over 1 mile was won by Pinnacle (3/1) owned by Mr John Clark and ridden by McLaughlin, beating Zionist (6/4 fav) and Leucopogon (6//1) 7 ran
1929 Hay Jockey Club Cup over 1 mile was won by Carwoola (4/1) owned by Mr E J Pearce and ridden by Hyland, beating Leucopogon (5/2) and Young Sarchedan )(Evens fav) 5 ran
1930 Hay Jockey Club Cup over 1 mile was won by Ranana (Evens fav) owned by Mr H L Austin and ridden by Hyland, beating Leucopogon (2/1) and Young Sarchedan (2/1) 4 ran

Today the town is a thriving, vibrant community which continues to have its own racecourse where racing is administered by the Hay Jockey Club, although meetings have that warm, Picnic race atmosphere. The principal race, traditionally held on the fourth Saturday in November, is the Hay Gold Cup over 1800 metres, although it has in the past been run over 1600 metres.
Recent Hay Gold Cup winners
(A full list of winners is available on request)
2008 Hay Gold Cup ($4,200) over 1600 metres was won by Steal The Thunder (8/11 fav) trained by Brett Cavanough and ridden by Jamie Anstice, beating Uncle Willy and Fasbury 5 ran
2009 Hay Gold Cup ($4,200) over 1600 metres was won by Aussie Bomber (4/5 fav) trained by Rick Freyer and ridden by Jamie Anstice, beating Roanoke and Chief of Peace 5 ran
2010 Hay Gold Cup ($4,200) over 1600 metres was won by Galaway Glow (10/1) trained by Ron Johnson and ridden by Jake Duffy, beating Roanoke and Ballistic Ruler 10 ran
2011 Hay Gold Cup ($4,200) over 1600 metres was won by Sky Gaze (7/4 fav) trained by Ron Johnson and ridden by Brad Clark, beating Future Voice and Simon Town 10 ran
2012 Hay Gold Cup ($5,820) over 1600 metres was won by Teraset (15/1) trained by Allan Prisk and ridden by Michael Hackett, beating Ruby Diamonds and Manettino 7 ran
2013 Hay Gold Cup ($5,820) over 1800 metres was won by Ruby Diamonds (5/2) trained by Phil Sweeney and ridden by Brooke Sweeney, beating Artistic and First Defence 7 ran
2014 Hay Gold Cup ($5,820) over 1800 metres was won by Strongman (9/2) trained by Nick Ryan and ridden by Marc Munday, beating Ruby Diamonds and Tamoure 7 ran
2015 Hay Gold Cup ($8,645) over 1800 metres was won by St Andrews (11/8 fav) trained by Colette Cooper and ridden by Mark Pegus, beating Sommernachtstraum and Honor The Moment 10 ran
2016 Hay Gold Cup ($9,100) over 1800 metres was won by Alpha Auriga (100/30) trained by Nathan Hobson and ridden by Chris Nicoll, beating Kumo and Damysus 8 ran
2017 Hay Gold Cup ($8,975) over 1800 metres was won by Malleable (11/8 fav) trained by Scott Spackman and ridden Josh Richards, beating Alpha Auriga and Honor The Moment 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