Townsville’s Cluden racecourse is a major racing venue located in far north Queensland, 1330km north of Brisbane.Townsville racecourse is the home of the Townsville Turf Club, one of the most historic racing bodies in Queensland. The first race meeting in Townsville was recorded in 1866 with the Townsville Turf Club founded in 1874. The first Townsville Cup was run in 1884 and North Queensland’s premier sprint race, the Cleveland Bay Handicap, was run for the first time in 1919. The Governor of Queensland Sir George Ferguson Bowen was the first patron of the Townsville Turf Club and Townsville's founder Robert Towns was the inaugural president. Townsville Turf Club began racing at Cluden Park in 1882 and now conducts 37 race meeting annually with the highlight being the Townsville Cup carnival in July.
Townsville racecourse has a track circumference of 1680 metres and a home straight of 310 metres. The course is triangular with a downhill run from a long 1000m starting chute. Races are run over distances from 1000m to 2100m with starting chutes for races over 1200m, 1400m, 1630m and 2100m. Horses get good straight runs from the 1000m and 1400m starting chutes but inside gates are important from other starting points. Townsville racecourse has been damaged many times by tropical cyclones but its historic grandstand built over 100 years ago still stands and is protected as a National Heritage building. During the 1982-83 season, a number two grass training track and a new sand track were formed and an automatic watering system was installed to water both the course proper and the training track.
Cluden Park racecourse gained national recognition in 1985, firstly when the much-travelled galloper Picnic In The Park won his 20th consecutive race to break a long-standing Australian record and later for just the second time in Australian racing history to that time a triple dead-heat was recorded.
Townsville racecourse has a track circumference of 1680 metres and a home straight of 310 metres. The course is triangular with a downhill run from a long 1000m starting chute. Races are run over distances from 1000m to 2100m with starting chutes for races over 1200m, 1400m, 1630m and 2100m. Horses get good straight runs from the 1000m and 1400m starting chutes but inside gates are important from other starting points. Townsville racecourse has been damaged many times by tropical cyclones but its historic grandstand built over 100 years ago still stands and is protected as a National Heritage building. During the 1982-83 season, a number two grass training track and a new sand track were formed and an automatic watering system was installed to water both the course proper and the training track.
Cluden Park racecourse gained national recognition in 1985, firstly when the much-travelled galloper Picnic In The Park won his 20th consecutive race to break a long-standing Australian record and later for just the second time in Australian racing history to that time a triple dead-heat was recorded.
