New South Wales Harness Racing Club
Club in Sydney

The racing precinct has everything to accommodate every enthusiasts needs and offers a wide range of options for the public correct through to the corporate identities. The spacious lawns are family friendly and the public facilities are inviting. The Club has a newly opened children’s play area equipped with slides etc whilst for the adults two monster infield screens have been installed to disclose all the SKY racing action from around the world. The experience is exhilarating and your outrageous adventure at Tabcorp Park won’t be forgotten too easily. Thomas Haber and his son George were the premature farmer owners of the distinct area where the raceway stands today. It was George Haber who built Menangle House the commanding used mansion that stands on the corner of Racecourse Avenue where patrons drive from the main road into the Club Menangle. MacArthur, the cabers and all the others of those early times at Man angle, would assuredly be in awe of the recent development of Menangle’s magnificent, brand new 1400 meres track, artificially filled so high down the back that it is clearly lofty and parched from the nearby, brimming, tree lined Nepean River. Indeed, it is an engineering masterpiece as far as racetracks goes for the height at the back draws the horses closer to onlookers in the grandstands. It took almost one million tons of virgin soil land load to elevate the track by up to eight meres at the back. It should be recorded for history that the Club Menangle executives and many behind the scenes members have put their hearts and souls into this major project. Given this unusual fresh found spirit of the Club, the Menangle venture should flourish thus taking harness racing to a higher level. It will thrive, with renewed energy, on the firm base established by those enterprising people of the previous who had the foresight to purchase Harold Park in 1911 and Menangle Park in 1952. Meetings were held for the full duration of the First World War, though curtailed to only three dates in 191718 due to soldiers (Light Horsemen brigades) being trained there. I healthy remember that day working as reporter for the Trotting Recorder’ which described the 832 yards track as the superior in Australia. There were rumblings that the NSWTC would come a cropper at Menangle in 1953 because the Club banned bookmakers from operating on the trotting events. There was to be a totalizator monopoly and the Club’s executives were elated with the 53,268 turnover which they said exceeded all expectations. The radical all tote experiment was, of course, ridiculed by the very potent bookies’ lobby group and criticized by some owner punters accustomed to knowing, earlier the begin of races, exactly what price they were getting about their horses. The all tote experiment lasted exactly 12 months, the Trotting Club noting at the time that, indeed, it was an experiment and they had given it a fair trial. The Bert Alley trained and driven trotting mare sandal almost certainly has the distinction of winning from the longest ever handicap at Menangle. Members complained they were too far from the authentic action at the conclude of races run the left handed way of going. In any event, the Club quickly reverted to normal left handed racing behind consistent complaints from trainers, drivers and punters mindful that some horses were unbalanced on the right handed turns. The ribbon of fluorescent lights installed was considered stateoftheart at the time and received an Australian Award for the Club. Many track records were established at these meetings. The tranquil Club Menangle has remained the training ground for as many as 200 horses until now.