Race Horses - Frequent visitors a few years back

This sign will most likely be removed in the near future as it stands in the middle of a path to the beach. It is a reminder of the racehorse period in the reserve earlier this decade. I have lost my records and pics of the events but the reserve became a popular venue for horse swimming by racehorse owner Lloyd Williams.

It was a daily occurrence for several of William's trucks to arrive from Flemington Racecourse with up to 20 horses. They would assemble on the grass section at the western end then proceed down to the water and do laps up and back to the 1st rock groyne. I was concerned about the wear and tear these heavy beasts' hooves would inflict on the reserve as well as the shell habitat we know exists in the intertidal zone. The council supported my efforts to remove the horses from the reserve. It took about 18 months, the installation of 3 of these signs and finally the local law enforcement officers fining of the horse people before they seized their visits.

About a year later Lloyd Williams had purchased a massive property at Mt Macedon, installed a training track and swimming pool, had run ins with the local council and went on to win the Melbourne Cup with Efficient.