"Melton has a long and celebrated history of horse breeding and racing. Draught horses were a crucial aspect of life in the early days of European settlement, and were heavily depended upon for both transport and agricultural labour. Peppercorn trees at the corner of Station and Brooklyn roads have been associated with a horse trough installed there to provide a drink to workhorses carting produce to the chaff mills and railway station south of Melton.20 Breeders, trainers and harness drivers in the area later became such an influential force in the equine industry that this came to be a defining aspect of the district’s identity and reputation.Pioneer of the Victorian horse racing industry and early Rockbank squatter William Cross Yuille was one of the earliest importers of stud racehorses in the district in the 1850s. A leading sports editor and writer, Yuille established bloodstock auctioning agency W. C. Yuille & Co. and was involved in the compilation of the first Australian Stud Book, which ensures the integrity of thoroughbred breeding in Australia. According to early Melton chronicler Alexander Cameron, horse races were first organised in the area by Rockbank farmer William Keating. Keating owned racehorses of his own, and many brought horses from Melbourne for the events, which ‘drew large gatherings’.22 Melton Racing Club meetings were held on the Exford Estate with the permission of H. W. Staughton, who built a small wooden grandstand in 1882. Other early races and sports meetings are said to have been held in the vicinity of the current-day Melton golf course.23 An 1884 article reported that Melton’s ‘race programme … equals any put forth by country towns of far greater size’. Ernest Clarke was another important figure in the early horse racing industry in Melton. He established the Melton Stud in 1902, which bred numerous successful racehorses. Perhaps most notably The Welkin, one of the most famous stallions in Australian horse racing in the early twentieth century. The Welkin sired Gloaming, bred by Clarke at the Melton stud in 1915 and one of Australia’s greatest champion racehorses. During a long and prestigious career in both Australia and New Zealand, Gloaming achieved a triumphant 57 wins out of 67 starts and won a record amount of prize money. Ken Cox purchased the Stockwell Stud in Diggers Rest in 1957 and developed it into one of the largest and most renowned thoroughbred breeders in Australia. With its top-class facilities, international design standards and scientific methods, Stockwell became ‘the flagship of the Victorian breeding industry’.26 As well as racing studs, numerous trotting tracks were established on the flat plains around Melton in the 1960s.27 Other studs to play a leading role in the development of Melton as thoroughbred country were Cornwall Park and Merrywood at Toolern Vale, St John’s Lane Stud at Diggers Rest and Birchwood, Teppo Park and Dreelburn in the far north-east of the shire, near Sunbury. By 1985, thoroughbred horse breeding was such big business in Melton that the shire council adopted the slogan ‘The Heart of Thoroughbred Country’, which was used throughout its promotional material.29 But the slogan contained deeper meaning and was not just about Melton’s great equine industry and thoroughbred champions, the council explained: ‘“Thoroughbred Country” should be seen as a new concept of Melton, as a place where people can achieve the “Thoroughbred” ideal, excellence in all aspects of life’. The aim of the council in promoting ‘The Heart of Thoroughbred Country’, was ‘to instil in present and future residents the feeling that this is a place that is better than others. A place to be proud of’. In 1988, Melton’s champion reinsman Gavin Lang won his 176th race of the season, claiming the national harness racing record for the most wins in a single season.The following year, the first Melton Plate was held at Moonee Valley Racecourse, cementing the district’s importance in the harness racing industry. The inaugural winner was Victorys Phil, owned by local Danny Mullan. By the 1990s, Melton had earned the title of the ‘Home of Harness Racing in Victoria’. State-of-the-art, world-class harness racing facility and entertainment complex Tabcorp Park opened in Melton in 2009. In 2011, the Shire of Melton was home to over 140 registered trainers and over 1,200 horses. The municipality’s continuing leadership and influence in the industry today is a testament to the skills, talents and leadership of the local community over its history".Shire of Melton pamphlet of a map and information of the equine industry in Meltoncouncil

Race sulky used on Hall of Fame trotter Grand Voyage by trainer-driver Paddy Glasheen. Passed on to his son Jack and then to grandson Fr Brian Glasheen. From Historian John Peck: This article was on page 2, 19th May 1954. Reading the article it seems to me that the sulky is celebrating its centenary birthday in 2021. GRAND VOYAGE'S SULKY When Major Miracle won a race at the Melbourne meeting on Friday night he was attached to a very historic sulky, the being none other than the one which Grand Voyage pulled to success on many occasions. Made in New Zealand to the order of the late Paddy Glasheen during a trip to the Dominion late in 1921 with the famous trotter, the vehicle is thus over 32 years old. Constructed of hickory, it is now owned by Jack Glasheen, the son of the late Paddy figuring as the trainer and driver of Major Miracle.This sulky was purchased by trainer Paddy Glasheen during Grand Voyage’s New Zealand campaign in 1922. It was also used by Paddy’s son Jack Glasheen who trained at Preston. The Jack Glasheen trained Major Miracle won 8 races at the Showgrounds using this sulky. Owned and trained at Belmont Stud, Pitt St Huntly (Bendigo), Grand Voyage was an outstanding Australian trotter. Some claim he was greater than Fritz and the equal of Maoris Idol. Foaled in New South Wales in 1913, and trained and driven throughout his career by Paddy Glasheen, Grand Voyage commenced his preparation at the tender age of nine months at Glasheen and Busst’s Belmont Stud Farm Pitt St. Huntly. By a prolific sire of trotters in First Voyage, Grand Voyage was from Blonde Grattan (imported by the Tye brothers), a daughter of the great Canadian sire Grattan. Grand Voyage’s reputation preceded him to the racetrack, and when he was produced for the main Victorian classic for young trotters, the Futurity Stakes, all of his opposition had pulled out of the race except one rival, whom he beat at 20 to 1 on in the first heat and again disposed of easily in the second heat, in which there was no betting. The potential of Grand Voyage was recognized by all, including the handicapper who saw to it that the black champion won no race easily. After his Futurity win, Grand Voyage was spelled and did a light season of stud duty. At his second start, in January 1917, the three-year-old won from 60 yards behind against older horses at the Richmond (Melbourne) track in a time barely slower than in which the Richmond Cup, run the same day, was decided. In subsequent starts he raced from 85 and 115 yards behind, the latter occasion producing another fantastic winning performance. As a rising five-year-old Grand Voyage defeated the hoppled pacers for the first time, subsequently a common sight. In June 1919 he won twice on the day at Epping (Harold Park) in Sydney, each time setting a record, then at the Melbourne Showgrounds where he set a mile record of 2:16 3/5 after a tremendous battle from even marks with the very good pacer Sarilla the winner of 23 races at Ricmond. In 1921, back in Sydney, Grand Voyage reduced the winning record at Epping to 2:13. Grand Voyage won the first Boort Pacing Cup in 1921, starting from 280 yards behind ! 1921 BOORT CUP – 50 pounds – One & half miles GRAND VOYAGE**, 280yds (P Glasheen) 1 Red Rock, scr (I Kelly) 2 Mayfield, 75yds (M Quinn) 3 Others: Artist (scr), maxim Direct (scr), Road King (scr), Emmie Direct (75yds), Tearaway (165yds), Straightaway (195yds) **Raced as Bonnie Voyage Margins: 6 lgths X 10 lgths Time: 3m 54s He was then taken to New Zealand. His 1922 Otahuhu Cup worth 1000 Sovereigns ($2000) against the best New Zealand pacers from 48 yards in a race record 4:31 3/5 was considered by Glasheen his most outstanding effort. On return from New Zealand, he won further races including the original Bendigo Cup at the Bendigo Jockey Club track at Epsom. In all, Grand Voyage won 37 races, driven in all of them by Glasheen.Race Sulky from 1910-20 era, purchasedd in New Zealand, used on Hall of Fame Trotter Grand Voyage by Paddy GlasheenPainted deep red.trotting, grand voyage, paddy glasheen, sulky, belmont stud, jack glasheen, brian glasheen, harnes racing

Found in the roof space at Three Springs, Clematis with various bridles, harness, reins and collars. They came from under the original post office at "Holly Tree Inn", Olinda.Ornate Leather Bridle made by J.Kelly, St. Kilda and Melbourne. It has blinkers, snaffle bit and a throat strap. Brass studs decorate the leather straps and the leather blinkers each have J. Kelly's brass plates attached.J. Kelly, St. Kilda, Melbourne.