Thebarton Racecourse

Sir James Hurtle Fisher (1 May 1790 – 28 January 1875) was a lawyer and prominent South Australian pioneer. He was the first Resident Commissioner of the colony of South Australia, the first Mayor of Adelaide and the first resident South Australian to be knighted.

William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839), also known as Colonel Light, was a British-Malayan naval and army officer. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia, known for choosing the site of the colony's capital, Adelaide, and for designing the layout of its streets, six city squares, gardens and the figure-eight Adelaide Park Lands, in a plan later sometimes referred to as Light's Vision.

Edward Meade "Ned" Bagot (13 December 1822 – 28 July 1886), was a pastoralist and developer who held large properties in Central Australia. He emigrated to South Australia with his parents and siblings on the Birman, arriving in December 1840. His father took up a pastoral property at Koonunga in 1841, which Ned helped manage, then in 1843 took a position as accountant and store manager at the newly opened Kapunda copper mine at Kapunda. In 1850 he was appointed a director of the South Kapunda mine. He also was a partner in Bagot Shakes & Lewis Ltd, cattle agents.

Gabriel Bennett (23 December 1817 – 13 September 1895) was an auctioneer, stock and cattle salesman and horse breeder in South Australia. He was a founder of the stock and station agents Bennett and Fisher.

On 1 and 2 January 1838, Frederick Henry Handcock's brown mare Taglioni raced at the first horse racing event held in South Australia. Frederick Henry Handcock became a close friend of the Jones brothers, Henry and Frederick, but particularly younger brother Fred Jones. The brothers, sons of a wealthy London oil merchant, were merchants and stockholders at Adelaide. He also befriended John Hill, explorer and stockholder. All shared an avid interest in horse racing, being prominent pioneers of this sport in South Australia. They were part of a small band of urbane young bachelor colonists who in 1838 were among the foundation members of the South Australian Club, precursor to the Adelaide Club.

In August 1838, riding his grey gelding Charley, Handcock won the first steeplechase event ever held in South Australia.

Visiting Adelaide in September 1846, Jones, Fisher, and Handcock all participated in an exciting 'Grand Steeple Chase', viewed by some 1,000 spectators. 

Handcock, in second place, riding Jones' red gelding Highflyer, is depicted in a painting of this event by George Hamilton, titled The first steeplechase in South Australia, 25 September 1846, held by the Art Gallery of South Australia. The painting is incorrectly titled because the 'first' steeplechase had taken place eight years earlier, Handcock having competed in both events.

Bagot held the Beefacres estate on the River Torrens (in the vicinity of today's Windsor Gardens). To stock his properties, he bought thoroughbreds from New South Wales and bred many race winners, including Don Giovanni, sire of Don Juan who won the Melbourne Cup in 1873. 

The first Adelaide Cup was held on the Thebarton course 21st April, 1864 at 2pm. The winner of this two-mile race was a horse called Falcon. The prize was 500 sovereigns and there was a sweepstake of 50 sovereigns.

Grand Steeplechase won by the horseman-poet Adam Lindsay Gordon on Cadger.

Ned Bagot's thoroughbred mare Cowra won the Adelaide Cup in 1866 and 1867. Another horse, Neetlee had only one start, in 1867, when she famously threw her rider.

On February 18, 1869, a meeting was held on the Thebarton course in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh. There were 13 events. Great crowds attended, many hundreds of visitors from other parts of the colony being present. The last race was held on 18^th February 1869.