Grand Annual
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Grand Annual
The Grand Annual is an Australian Thoroughbred steeplechase for horses that run at Warrnambool, Victoria during its annual May Racing Carnival. The distance is officially listed as ''about'' 5500 metres because many sections of the race are run in open paddocks with little or no fences. The race is the longest horse race run in Australia on a public course. There are 33 obstacles, more than any other steeplechase in the world. Horse run clockwise and counter-clockwise at various points of the race and features a section in open paddocks, these paddocks were bought by the Warrnambool Racing Club in the 1800s. When re-entering the racetrack itself horses turn left on the first lap and right on the second. This has created problems on many occasions when horses have tried to veer left rather than right second time around. Knowledge of the course and stamina are vital to the chances of horse and rider. With the Great Eastern Steeplechase and VRC Grand National it is considered to be ...
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Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered " hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit. The Thoroughbred, as it is known today, was developed in 17th- and 18th-century England, when native mares were crossbred with imported Oriental stallions of Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman breeding. All modern Thoroughbreds can trace their pedigrees to three stallions originally imported into England in the 17th and 18th centuries, and to a larger number of foundation mares of mostly English breeding. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Thoroughbred breed spread throughout the world; they were imported into North America starting in 1730 and into Australia, Europe, Japan and South America during the 19th century. Millions of Thoroughbreds exist today, a ...
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Steeplechase (horse Racing)
A steeplechase is a distance horse race in which competitors are required to jump diverse fence and ditch obstacles. Steeplechasing is primarily conducted in Ireland (where it originated), the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, and France. The name is derived from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside. Modern usage of the term "steeplechase" differs between countries. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, it refers only to races run over large, fixed obstacles, in contrast to "hurdle" races where the obstacles are much smaller. The collective term "jump racing" or "National Hunt racing" is used when referring to steeplechases and hurdle races collectively (although, properly speaking, National Hunt racing also includes some flat races). Elsewhere in the world, "steeplechase" is used to refer to any race that involves j ...
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Warrnambool, Victoria
Warrnambool (Maar: ''Peetoop'' or ''Wheringkernitch'' or ''Warrnambool'') is a city on the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Warrnambool had a population of 35,743. Situated on the Princes Highway, Warrnambool (Allansford) marks the western end of the Great Ocean Road and the southern end of the Hopkins Highway. History Origin of name The name "Warrnambool" originated from Mount Warrnambool, a scoria cone volcano 25 kilometres northeast of the town. Warrnambool (or Warrnoobul) was the title of both the volcano and the clan of Aboriginal Australian people who lived there. In the local language, the prefix Warnn- designated home or hut, while the meaning of the suffix -ambool is now unknown. William Fowler Pickering, the colonial government surveyor who in 1845 was tasked with the initial planning of the township, chose to name the town Warrnambool. The traditional Indigenous owners of the land today are the Dhauwurd Wurrung people, also known as th ...
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Great Eastern Steeplechase
The Great Eastern Steeplechase was an Australian Thoroughbred steeplechase horse race held annually at Oakbank, South Australia on Easter Saturday and Monday at the Oakbank Racecourse as part of the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival. The first fixture of that name was held in 1877, following a race in 1876 which has been called the "Onkaparinga Handicap Steeplechase"; both just prior to formation of the Onkaparinga Racing Club (now Oakbank Racing Club). The distance of the race is 4950 metres making it the second longest horse race held on a public course in Australia. The most famous jump is the fallen log which is literally a log about a metre high. All other jumps are brush fences. The height of jumps has been reduced in recent years to reduce the risk of falls and make for safer racing. The race uses a different course to other races held at Oakbank with horse using an inner track passing on the inside of a hill. Unlike other races that require two race callers the Great Eastern ...
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Tozer Road Double
The Tozer Road Double is a pair of steeplechase obstacles at the Warrnambool Racecourse in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. It makes up part of the steeplechase course at the Warrnambool track at the bottom of Granter's Paddock and is mostly famously used in the Grand Annual which is the longest horse race in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma .... The double is famous not for the difficulty of jumping but because it requires a 90 degree right hand turn to go back onto the cross proper before the final four obstacles, with the exception of the first lap of the Annual where runners turn left. It is famous for producing memorable moments and being a place where races can be won or lost. History The first organised race at Warrnambool was held in 1948, just eig ...
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Totalisator Agency Board
The Totalisator Agency Board, universally shortened to TAB or T.A.B., is the name given to monopoly totalisator organisations in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They operate betting shops and online betting. They were originally government owned, but in Australia most have been privatised. In Victoria, for instance, the Victorian Totalisator Agency Board began operating in March 1961 as a state enterprise, and was privatised in 1994. Australia History and development Originally having been run as state government agencies, most Australian TABs have been progressively privatised, beginning with Victoria in 1994 (becoming Tabcorp), and following with New South Wales in 1998 (becoming ''Tab Limited'') and Queensland in 1999 (becoming ''TAB Queensland Limited'', later ''UniTAB Limited'' when it merged with the South Australian TAB). Tabcorp and Tab Limited later merged in 2004, followed by UniTAB merging with lotteries operator Tattersall's (to become Tatts Group) in 2006 ...
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Bill Collins (racecaller)
William Henry Collins OAM (23 September 1928 – 14 June 1997) was an Australian racecaller and radio and television personality who earned the reputation for being able to accurately call the winner of even the closest of races. Known as "The Accurate One", he was well known for his call of the Melbourne Cup each year. One of his most notable commentaries was the 1986 Cox Plate, dubbed the " Race of the Century". Collins also called important races internationally including the UK, US, South Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. Collins died on 14 June 1997 from cancer. Radio and television broadcasting Collins' radio career began in the early 1950s in Sale, Victoria, and in 1953 he moved to Melbourne where he worked as a racecaller for the radio station 3DB, and appeared on television hosting the musical comedy program ''Sunnyside Up'' at HSV-7, leading to a Logie Award in 1959 for ''Outstanding Performance''. He would later host the Saturday Night "Seven's Pen ...
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Oakbank Racecourse
Oakbank Racecourse, also but less frequently known as the "Onkaparinga Racecourse", is home of the Oakbank Racing Club, a club which, until 2009, raced just twice annually, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday at the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival, and has done continually since 1876, except during World War II when it was held at Victoria Park and Morphettville Racecourse due to the army taking over the facility. Located in South Australia's Adelaide Hills, it is the home of steeplechasing and jumping in SA, which combines with flat racing over the festival, including the famous Great Eastern Steeplechase and classic Harry D. Young Hurdle. Brooklyn Park Jockey Jack McGowan was a regular and prominent identity in the late 1800s and early 1900s on horses such as Strike and All Fours. Jack won the Harry D Young Hurdle on Jack Spratt and also run close seconds in the Great Eastern Steeplechase and Oakbank Hurdle on Edirol and Culleraine. In 2019 Oakbank Easter Saturday was still Sou ...
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Bruce McAvaney
Bruce William McAvaney OAM (born 22 June 1953) is an Australian sports broadcaster with the Seven Network. McAvaney has presented high-profile events including the AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, Test cricket and both Winter and Summer Olympics, as well as annual special events such as the Brownlow Medal. McAvaney is well known for his commentary of AFL matches as well as covering every Summer Olympic Games from Moscow 1980 to the Tokyo 2020. Early years The son of an Adelaide accountant, McAvaney developed an early interest in sport and race calling. After attending Woodville High School (and failing Year 12) he spent five years as a Telecom clerk. Then in 1976 during a day off work, McAvaney travelled to Kilmore, Victoria to bet on some races. There, he met Kevin Hillier, an Adelaide race caller, who suggested McAvaney help him out back in Adelaide. This launched his career in the sports media, joining Adelaide radio station 5DN, calling horse races ...
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Flemington Racecourse
Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River. The area was first used for horse racing in March 1840. Overview The Flemington Racecourse site comprises 1.27 square kilometres of Crown land. The course was originally leased to the Victoria Turf Club in 1848, which merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 to form the Victoria Racing Club. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861. In 1871 the Victoria Racing Club Act was passed, giving the VRC legal control over Flemington Racecourse. The racecourse is pear-shaped, and boasts a six-furlong (1,200 m) straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of and a final straight of for race distances over . Races are run in an anti-clockwise ...
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Ciaron Maher
Ciaron Maher (born 27 May 1981) is an Australian, Melbourne Cup winning, horse trainer. He grew up on his parent's dairy farm situated at Winslow, a town near Warrnambool, where he spent time around horses from a young age. For a few years, Maher rode as a jockey until the age of 23 when he was forced to quit riding due to his growing weight. Suspension from racing From the 9 October 2017, Maher was suspended from racing for 6 months and fined $75,000 after pleading guilty to "conduct prejudicial to the image, interests or welfare of racing". Racing stewards alleged that Maher failed to report suspicions he had regarding conman Peter Foster's ownership of horses Azkadellia, Hart, Loveable Rogue and Mr Simples. Group 1 winners Maher has achieved 30 group one wins which include: * A J Moir Stakes - Coolangatta (2022) * Australian Derby - Explosive Jack (2021); Hitotsu (2022) * Australian Guineas - Hitotsu (2022) * Caulfield Cup - Jameka (2016) * Coolmore Classic - Lighthou ...
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Tozer Road Double
The Tozer Road Double is a pair of steeplechase obstacles at the Warrnambool Racecourse in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. It makes up part of the steeplechase course at the Warrnambool track at the bottom of Granter's Paddock and is mostly famously used in the Grand Annual which is the longest horse race in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma .... The double is famous not for the difficulty of jumping but because it requires a 90 degree right hand turn to go back onto the cross proper before the final four obstacles, with the exception of the first lap of the Annual where runners turn left. It is famous for producing memorable moments and being a place where races can be won or lost. History The first organised race at Warrnambool was held in 1948, just eig ...
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