It’s one-way traffic in Scone as Victorian-themed street names axed

A courtroom isn’t the only place where the bitterness between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria can be played out in public.

What about the streets of Scone as an unlikely setting to flex some administrative muscle?

However insignificant it might seem, the NSW township that promotes itself as the Horse Capital Of Australia has emerged as another example of the strained relationship between the two feuding jurisdictions.

In what cynics could easily interpret as a none-too-subtle attack by Racing NSW on Victoria’s place in the national racing landscape, three Scone thoroughfares have figured in name changes during the past 12 months.

Others might say Racing NSW has every right to take a parochial stance.

Since Racing NSW’s acquisition of the Scone racetrack and its surrounds, road names in the precinct that referenced three of Melbourne’s best-known racetracks no longer exist.

A proposal to rename the streets was put before the Upper Hunter Shire Council in 2022 and approval was given in 2023.

It means Flemington Drive, Moonee Valley Close and Caulfield Place have been wiped from the council’s list of street names.

They have been replaced with Everest Drive, Golden Eagle Close and Golden Slipper Place.

Scone property has been a major target for Racing NSW as the regulator dramatically lifted the stakes in creating a real estate portfolio across the state.

Since 2019, Racing NSW has snapped up 1o titles on more than 100 hectares, mostly on land known as the Scone Racing Complex.

Among a $12.5 million outlay, Racing NSW acquired the racecourse, which it has leased back to the Scone Racing Club.