History

The early success with racehorses predictably combined with a long term interest in pedigrees and genetics prompted the purchase and establishment of Turpentine Park in 1997. The Dickerson family have been having their horses prepared by Robert Price since the inception of Turpentine Park and from a select team of racehorses have combined to win over 150 individual races.

Turpentine Park has a band of commercial broodmares which are used for breeding purposes and frequently grace the pages of the auction sale books at the best sales. Currently standing a concentrated band of black type mares – Turpentine Park also allows its clients to utilise the facilities of this spectacular property at a competitive price to the market.

Established in 1997, Turpentine Park Thoroughbreds is a racing, spelling and breeding complex owned by father and son combination Robert and Sam Dickerson. Bob, his wife Jenny and son Sam Dickerson have successfully raced horses since 1980 and feature amongst their long list of winners:

• Red Ivory

• Belle Voyage

• Art Official

• Trinity Song

• One Way Ticket

• Tahu

• Machado

• Fashion Addict

• Dharmic

• Ivory Pegasus

• Druid

• In Toto

• Desert Red

• Since Then

• Fuel

• Nawakwah

• All Black Miss

• In Top Flight

and many more.....

Training facilities

Turpentine Park is a well established facility with:

• 30 roomy boxes
• 18 day yards
• sand roll
• 10 horse capacity walking machine with separate incline treadmill
• 2 private race tracks
  • one an 800 metre “trot and canter” track with a shock absorbing “viscoride” type surface
  • the other a 2400 metre circumference, full work track with an incline 1000metre straight run on the same – impact absorbing surface

Turpentine Park is also blessed with immediate access to the superb racing and training tracks of Kembla Grange and Nowra and the stunning 7 Mile Beach at Berry offers the perfect natural surface to work racehorses.

Advanced stabling and training facilities enable horses to fulfill their potential. Lock up stables with “quarter acre” day paddocks for each horse, allow much needed variety. This is a vital edge over the city trained horses – and allows for longer preparations and increased success with results.

Swimming facilities
A man made dam with boardwalk for walking the horses as they undergo their daily swim routine is one of the highlights of the property. The swim workout being essential for the everyday routine, that successful racehorses undergo, in preparation to win races.

Deluxe spelling facilities
After the yearling sales and between training preparations the horses are agisted on the property. The relaxed atmosphere is a distant memory from the hustle and bustle of race day – but close enough for the property manager and trainer Robert Price to keep his eye on the spelling process – to ensure the process of "unwinding" doesn’t get out of hand.

This close proximity is an essential point of difference to most other trainers and is unique to Turpentine Park.