Clifford Park Racecourse has celebrated more than 160 years as a Toowoomba institution, with the historic and iconic Weetwood Raceday returning during the Carnival of Flowers.
Like one and the same, Clifford Park and Toowoomba have grown up together.
This year we look back on more than 160 years of Clifford Park’s history, it has never been more obvious that Toowoomba’s premier thoroughbred racing, hospitality, and entertainment venue has been part of the Garden City’s story almost from the beginning.
For Clifford Park Racecourse CEO Grant Sheather, this history extends back to when work began in 1861, and that brings with it a distinct responsibility.
“Generations of Toowoomba families have come through these gates, and this year we have another reminder of that history, with November marking 100 years since the foundation stone of the James Taylor Stand was laid.”
“September is also a wonderful time for our city. The Carnival of Flowers puts Toowoomba on show and brings thousands of visitors to the region. With the Weetwood now raced in September, we see a natural opportunity to showcase another of Toowoomba’s great traditions at a time when the city is celebrating everything that makes it special.”
This year’s Weetwood Raceday will be held on Saturday, 26 September, offering a wonderful opportunity to showcase the community right in the heart of this vibrant month.
Looking back on this enormous history, Mr Sheather noted that as the racetrack has evolved over time, it has been shaped by each passing generation.
“Today, Clifford Park is one of Queensland’s major provincial racing and training centres, as well as an important hospitality, events, and community venue.”
“What I find interesting is that every generation has added something. The early administrators established the racecourse and the racing traditions; later generations built facilities such as the James Taylor Stand; and Clifford Park has continued to evolve alongside the city.
“It has also been a place of innovation. In 1992, the Toowoomba Cup at Clifford Park became the first thoroughbred race conducted under lights in Australia.
“We are really just the current custodians. Our responsibility is to respect what previous generations created, but not be constrained by it. We want to continue developing Clifford Park and make sure the next generation inherits a venue that is just as relevant to Toowoomba as the one we inherited.”
In the coming weeks, iconic events such as Weetwood and the Toowoomba Cup will take centre stage, two events with immense history that Mr Sheather commends.
“The history alone is remarkable. The first Weetwood was run on 6 June 1895, won by Zulu, and businesses in Toowoomba actually closed for half-day holidays for the Turf Club’s two-day carnival.”
“The Toowoomba Cup has even earlier origins, with a race carrying that name conducted at the first meeting here in 1862. Those early Cups were intermittent, with the continuous history of today’s Toowoomba Cup beginning in 1919.”
“What has allowed these events to endure is that they have always been about more than horse racing. The Weetwood in particular is one of Toowoomba’s great social occasions, racing, fashion, hospitality, entertainment, and people coming together.”
Excited to celebrate in September as the city comes alive with activity, Mr Sheather encouraged those visiting for the Carnival to add another uniquely Toowoomba experience to their trip.
This year’s Weetwood will provide visitors with the chance to experience a racing tradition spanning more than 130 years.
Yet while the feats on the track are sure to not be missed these days, some of Mr Sheather’s favourite memories are focused on the community this racecourse provides.
“My wife and children come along to race nights and the kids will be out on the lawn kicking a football, making friends with other kids, and then stopping to watch the horses go past.”
“Because you’re so close to the track here, they can hear the horses coming and then the noise of the hooves as they thunder past. That’s something children remember.”
“In some ways, that probably sums up what Clifford Park has been for generations. Of course racing is at the centre of it, but it’s also somewhere people meet their friends and family, spend time together, and create memories.
“When you think that families have been doing their own version of that here for more than 160 years, it puts our role as the current custodians of Clifford Park into perspective.
