The club held a Spring Meeting in 1843, when Jorrocks won the Champion Cup, ridden by Higgerson. He carried 9st. 9lb., and ran the three miles in 5 min. 50 sec. In those days the Champagne Stakes was for all horses w.f.a., twice round and a distance, and Jorrocks won it, carrying a penalty of 5lb. Some other winners at the meeting were Attila, Lottery and Marchioness. In 1844 the horse stock in the colony had increased to such an extent that shipments to India and other places were frequent. The ship “Neptune,” bound for Madras, had been fitted up with one hundred horse stalls. The “Medusa” had taken sixty to Madras, and the “William Metcalf,” whose destination was Calcutta, had been provided with thirty stalls. Even so early in her history Australian horses had made a name abroad. The Australian Jockey Club. Classic Winners. To give a detailed account of the racing under the rules and regulations of the Australian Jockey Club, from its formation in 1842 up to date, would be more than our space can afford. The one race that was always present in their autumn programme was the St. Leger. It is thus the oldest classic race in Australia. As will be seen in previous chapters, when the Subscription racing started at Homebush in 1841 they instituted the St. Leger, run at 1½ mile, and the A.J.C. wisely adopted and carried it on during their whole tenure of Homebush. From 1842 to the autumn of 1859 the winners of the St. Leger were:— 1841—Eleanor. 1842—Beeswing. 1843—Marchioness. 1844—Blue Bonnett. 1845—Peter from Athlone. 1846—Lady Theresa. 1847—Whalebone. 1848—Snake. 1849—Pastile. 1850—Cossack. 1851—Plover. 1852—Surplice. 1853—Cooramun. 1854—Venison. 1855—Camden. 1856—Stumpy. 1857—Laurestina. 1858—Chevalier. 1859—The Don. 1860 may be put down as the foundation year of the Australian Jockey Club. The A.J.C. was not strong financially when it decided to take up racing at Randwick. Several gentlemen, however, came to the club’s assistance. The names of those friends are inscribed on a tablet in the present grandstand. The land at Randwick, now used as a racecourse, was set apart for the purpose in 1833 by the authority of Sir Richard Bourke. It comprises two hundred and two acres and, according to a letter which appeared in the “Sydney Morning Herald,” signed by Mr. Mortimer William Lewis, the locality of the original track in 1860 was selected by the Hon. E. Deas-Thomson, and set out and surveyed by Mr. Lewis under the former’s personal direction. The whole of the timber for the fencing and erection of buildings was supplied by Messrs. W. Jolly & Company. Mr. Kelly was the architect.