Wingen Patriotic Races 26th December 1940
Acknowledge: The Scone Advocate; Friday 3rd January 1941
Featured Image: Recent Wingen Round Up including a North American
‘ring in’
Learn to expect the unexpected in Wingen! On Boxing Day 1940 the Wingen Branch of the Scone and District Patriotic Fund conducted a race meeting on a track at ‘Petwyn Vale’ which was placed at the disposal of the committee by Mr F W Croaker. Petwyn Vale is an historic estate once the property of Sir Samuel Hordern.
The meeting comprised a bill of fare of 14 races with the first race commencing at 11 o’clock. All classes were catered for and with plenty of shade trees on the ground patrons had the opportunity to make the day a picnic outing.
The race card provided contests for Approved Scrubbers, Pony Sprints, Win-the-War Stakes, Rough Scrubbers (2 Divisions), Stock Horse Race, Children’s Pony Race, Wingen Patriotic Cup, Open Scrubbers, Harness Horse Trot, Draught Horse Derby, Approved Scrubbers, Station Horse Race and a Consolation Stakes. Winning owners included G Sutherland, A Bowd, G Lucketts, J Pollard, G Osmond, W Cone, R Breese, P Nelson, W Watts and L Callinan. The latter won the Station Horse Race on ‘Quaker’. G O’Brien appeared to be the most successful ‘hoop’; although it was not always easy to ascertain? The fields varied between 2 and 8 starters and while some horses ‘won easily’ other races were fiercely contested with official judge’s verdicts of a short half-head.
In the Approved Scrubbers Race C M Osmond’s ‘Jeanette’ with R Windred up finished first in a close run thing with R Cone’s ‘Dandy’’ ridden by J Caslick. The connections successfully protested citing interference to reverse the placings making ‘Dandy’ the victor.