Alabama Races
Featured Image: Poster for the Scone Jockey Club’s meeting at the “Alabama” Racecourse, near Scone on Saturday 28th April 1945.
It sounds like a film set from ‘Gone With The Wind’ but for a short period of time the Scone Jockey Club raced at the “Alabama” Racecourse, ‘near Scone’. This was situated on the “Alabama’ Property adjacent to the wooden Allan Bridge crossing of Pages River on the Segenhoe/Aberdeen Road leading to Kia Ora Stud. It’s hard to imagine today where the racecourse was situated but it must have been on the flatter country across the bridge?
I believe ‘Alabama’ was owned in 1945 by Alan Cooper who was a known strong supporter of racing. Ray Bowcock later acquired the property and it was where five times champion stallion ‘Delville Wood’ was laid to rest following his relocation after the dispersal sale(s) of Kia Ora Stud in 1959/1961. I believe the ‘Alabama’ portion was sliced from the original Segenhoe block?
Scone Race Club replaced the Scone Jockey Club by 1947 when the first Cup Meeting was held at White Park in May of that year. President Doug Robertson and Honorary Secretary Cec Parry were the drivers of the new initiative. Thankfully the late Harley Walden has documented the whole story which was recently augmented by the author.
WWII was grinding to a halt in Europe and the Pacific. There remained much zealous fervour and ardent patriotism for the war effort plus auxiliary services and supporting hospitals for returning injured veterans. The poster refers to the upcoming Muswellbrook Patriot Race Meeting? There were many such fund raisers throughout the Upper Hunter including Wingen, Stewarts Brook, Kars Springs, Gundy et al.