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Australian horse racing is as old as in many parts of the world the first race meet dating back to 1838 pre-dating football and cricket. It was the locals who organized the first races and celebrated the spirit of the races. The early races were organized by squatters and bets were settled with rum or flour. The gold rushes in 1850s brought a new era of racing in Australia. There was more wealth, population boomed and so did people’s interest in horse racing. Race days were like a carnival where there was food, drinks, brass bands, punch and Judy booths. Race meetings were usually held in rural areas and the bush as well, was a means for people to meet and socialize. Australian horse racing has had many heroes, throughout history the heroes of horse racing have reflected the Australian spirit of a being a trier, even if the odds are against – ‘the Aussie Battler’. There have been many great riders in Australian racing some well known and some not so known. The most revered of all races in Australian racing is the Melbourne Cup that is said to stop the nation and over the years has given the chance to people from all walks of life to succeed. The first of the riders to have won the 1876 Melbourne Cup is Peter ‘St Albans’ Bowden who bagged the title at a small age of 13. It is a mystery where this jockey came from, it is said he took the name Bowden from the strapper who raised him and St Albans from the farm where he grew up. Another horse race game rider who had an ordinary background and is lost in history is Wilhelmina Bill. Australian racing has seen many ordinary people who against all odds became heroes for their remarkable stories. Another revered jockey of fame is Tom Corrigan, he is said to have never flinched from a fence or a wall he was never afraid as wrote by Banjo Patterson. Corrigan died in 1894 when he fell from his horse his funeral was the largest seen in Melbourne. In the more recent years Damien Oliver became a household name when he rode Media Puzzle to victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup. The horse racetracks in Australia across the country has witnessed some dramatic turns in horse race games. The Australian racing Hall of Fame was created in 2000 by the Australian Racing Museum. How would it be of there was a chance to be a jockey of fame of Australian racing? Well at Horse Racing Simulation, the virtual racing game gives the opportunity to select from about 100 horse racetracks worldwide to choose from.
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Australian Racing, horse race tracks, horse racing,
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