Queensland Pacing Championship

Last updated

The Queensland Pacing Championship is the most important event in Queensland harness racing. [1] It is usually the opening leg of the Australasian Pacers Grand Circuit. [1] The race was previously known as the Albion Park Ten Thousand between 1969 and 1974 and then as the Sir Clive Uhr Championship from 1975 to 1980. [2] In 2006 the race was postponed from Saturday to Tuesday due to rain [3] and it was not run in 2007 due to the Equine Influenza outbreak that occurred in Queensland and New South Wales. [4] In April 2016 Racing Queensland announced that the Queensland Pacing Championship would be discontinued due to financial considerations. [5]

Queensland North-east state of Australia

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

The Australian Grand Circuit for Pacers began in 1977 and was designed to be the showpiece of the Australian Harness Racing Industry with horses competing from every state within Australia. In 1992 New Zealand was admitted and the Circuit was renamed the Australasian Grand Circuit.

2007 Australian equine influenza outbreak

An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) in Australia was confirmed by the Department of Primary Industries on 24 August 2007 in Sydney. Also known as "horse flu" and "A1 influenza", the rapid outbreak was of the Influenza A virus strain of subtype H3N8. While the virus is highly contagious, it rarely kills adult horses but the performance of thoroughbred racing horses can be affected for several weeks. It can be fatal to young foals and debilitated horses.

Winners list

Year
Horse
Driver
Mile Rate
Distance
2015 Our Hi Jinx Greg Sugars 1:55.0 2680m
2014 For A Reason Luke McCarthy 1:56.4 2680m
2013* Ideal Scott John McCarthy 1:57.8 2680m
2012 Washakie Luke McCarthy 1:57.5 2680m
2011 Mr Feelgood Luke McCarthy 1:57.0 2680m
2010 Mr Feelgood Luke McCarthy 1:55.9 2680m
2009 Blacks A Fake Natalie Rasmussen 1:58.9 2609m
2008 Blacks A Fake Natalie Rasmussen 1.56.0 2138m
2007 Not held due to Equine Influenza (E.I.)
2006 Slipnslide Luke McCarthy 1:59.2 2138m
2005 Slipnslide Luke McCarthy 1:55.7 2138m
2004 Cobbity Classic Luke McCarthy 1:57.3 2680m
2003 Double Identity Harry Martin 1:55.7 2138m
2002 Double Identity Harry Martin 1:58.0 2647m
2001 Courage Under Fire Brian Hancock 2:00.0 2100m
2000 Tailamade Lombo Chris Alford 1:55.3 2100m
1999 Kyema Kid Richard Hancock 1:57.8 2100m
1998 Three Half Whites Justin Warwick 1:58.0 2100m
1997 Peter Santos Neil Coy 1:58.4 2100m
1996 Desperate Comment Peter Jones 1:55.7 2100m
1995 Sunshine Band Chris Gleeson 1:55.8 2100m
1994 Chandon Vic Frost 1:58.1 2100m
1993 Warrior Khan Andrew Peace 1:57.0 2100m
1992 Franco Tiger Brian Gath 1:58.0 2100m
1991 Franco Ice Graham Lang 1:55.0 2100m
1990 Westburn Grant Vic Frost 1:57.4 1609m
1999 Thorate Brian Hancock 1:53.9 1609m
1988 Our Maestro Vin Knight 1:56.4 1609m
1987 Henry Luca Kevin Thomas 1:58.1 1609m
1986 Wondai's Mate Darryl Reinke 1:55.6 1609m
1985 Preux Chevalier Barry Perkins 1:54.3 1609m
1984 Wondai's Mate Darryl Reinke 1:56.2 1609m
1983 Popular Alm Vin Knight 1:55.8 1609m
1982 Double Agent Joe Ilsley 1:16.6 2530m
1981 Gammalite Bruce Clarke 1:17.5 2530m
1980 Koala King Brian Hancock 1:17.1 2530m
1979 Koala King Kevin Robinson 1:18.5 2530m
1978 Rip Van Winkle Michael Vanderkemp 1:17.2 2530m
1977 Paleface Adios Colin Pike 1:18.4 2530m
1976 Don't Retreat Laurie Moulds 1:19.4 2530m
1975 Paleface Adios Colin Pike 1:18.9 2530m
1974 Spike Kevin Robinson 1:19.7 2530m
1973 Apollo Eleven Kevin Newman 2:11.4 12f 132y
1972 Red Vicar Laurie Moulds 2:05.4 12f 132y
1971 Para Chief Rex Hocking 2:06.2 12f 132y
1970 Style Beaux Tom Mahar 2:09.0 12f 132y
1969 Billy Adios Kevin Newman 2:06.8 12f 132y

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References

  1. 1 2 Harness Racing Queensland
  2. Annual On-Line:Race Chronicles, Harness Racing Australia, Retrieved 31 January 2016
  3. Queensland Pacing Championship, Harness Racing Australia, 26 October 2006, Retrieved 31 January 2016
  4. Grand Circuit starts this Saturday, www.harnesslink.com, Retrieved 1 February 2016
  5. Qld no longer part of the Grand Circuit, www.harnessnews.com.au, Retrieved 9 April 2016