BACK in 1980 a group of trotting enthusiasts got together to form the Victorian Square Trotters Association as a way of raising the profile of the ugly ducklings of the industry, the “square-gaiters”.
Pacing was all the rage, and while not moribund, trots racing was lucky to get a couple of events at any meeting.
Bridgewater’s Hugh Redwood was elected VSTA president after the Maryborough meeting, and the group worked on ways to make trotting better known and more popular.
Inglewood trotting trainer Trevor Ralph joined as treasurer and then secretary in 1982, back when he had an impressive dark head of hair and trotters “were considered distant second cousins” to pacing horses.
The association had yet to decide how best to breathe life into trotting.
“It was stagnant,” Ralph said. “A lot in the industry didn’t like trotters – they galloped, they were headstrong, they were unreliable.”
Eventually, it was decided to create a feature race for trotters as part of a race day only for square-gaiters. The template was an American race called the Hambletonian Stakes, a major event for three-year-old trotting horses named after a 19th-century stallion known as “the father of the American trotter”.
The VSTA decided to establish a classic event for two-year-old trotters. But what to call it?
Hugh Redwood was gravely ill and in Inglewood Hospital, having handed over the presidency to Dick Lee. “I had the privilege of going up to the hospital to tell Hughie we were naming it after him,” Ralph said. “We had a meeting on the Sunday and on Monday the committee said you can go and tell him. Old Hughie was that thrilled, he was in tears.”
The first Redwood, with prizemoney of $3500, was held at Maryborough Harness Racing Club in 1986, shortly after Hugh’s death.
On Sunday, the latest edition will be run, with trotters racing for $75,000 in stakes in the group one event.
The day is a feast for square-gaiter fans, with 10 events to be run, all for trotters, including the Victorian Trotters Derby, also with $75,000 prizemoney.
Ralph said the Redwood, run over 2200 metres from a standing start, now had legendary status among trots trainers. 
Three-year-olds had the Derby, and there were many feature races for four-year-old trotters.
“We thought it would be a point of difference, as there were only a few races for two-year-olds,” Ralph said.
“We hoped they would then grow into Inter-Dominion horses. It was something we could hang our hats on.”
The first Redwood was taken out by Young Trouper. Ralph reckons the best horse to have won the race was Wagon Apollo in 1993, which went on to run second in an Inter-Dominion.
The Redwood is now a carnival over three days, with races on Friday, a dinner dance on Saturday, and the main event on Sunday. From the days of struggling to get a single trotting event on a race card, by 2002 the Maryborough meeting had two full days of square-gaiters on the track – eight races on Friday and 10 on Sunday.
Ralph, now 72, spent 13 years as secretary-treasurer of the VSTA, all the while trying to get hold of a potential Redwood winner himself.  “For people with trotters, I would say, the Redwood is their first choice. It’s got history, prestige – people just want to win it.”
Ralph has never had a runner in the Redwood. He has hopes with a yearling next year.