TREUER MEMORIAL HONOR ROLL Date Treuer Memorial Inter Dominion Miracle Mile 1986 True Delight     1987 Village Kid NZ Inter Dominion Winner Miracle Mile Winner 1988 Luxury Liner     1989 Westburn Grant Inter Dominion Winner Miracle Mile Winner 1990 Thorate Inter Dominion Winner   1991 Franco Ice NZ     1992 Jack Morris NZ Inter Dominion Winner   1993 Franco Tiger NZ     1994 Golden Reign Inter Dominion Winner   1995 Sunshine Band     1996 Our Sir Vancelot Inter Dominion Winner   1997 Our Sir Vancelot Inter Dominion Winner Miracle Mile Winner 1998 Christen Cullen NZ   Miracle Mile Winner 1999 Holmes D G NZ   Miracle Mile Winner 2000 Atitagain NZ     2001 Kym's Girl NZ     2002 Jofess Inter Dominion Winner   2003 Double Identity     2004 Camlach     2005 Slipnslide     2006 Blacks A Fake Inter Dominion Winner   HARNESS AND HISTORY THE TREUER TRADITION At which point in Australian Harness Racing history do you start when trying to explain the tradition that is behind the Treuer Memorial? It could be before the turn of the last century. Maybe the 1960s can provide an insight and in more recent times perhaps the 1980s are the key to unlocking the magic of a race that celebrates the presence of champion horses and is duly won by such. Of the three abovementioned points in time, there is a common thread and his name is Max Treuer - a man whose vision now accounts for the western Sydney suburb of Bankstown being the hub of the standardbred in Australia's largest city. The Treuer Memorial is named in honour of Max treuer, a successful businessman, a Bankstown Councillor, a keen sportsman, a champion of the battler and a wonderful ambassador to harness racing. Max treuer was born on a farm in 1898 in the now neighbouring suburb of Chullora. He first dabbled with the standardbred shortly after the end of World War 1 but his introduction was put on hold because of the Depression. It wasn't until the end of World War 11 that he rekindled an active interest in harness racing, preparing a team of pacers while setting the foundation for a bus company that still prospers today. As far as the Bankstown Harness racing Club is concerned, Max treuer's input shoots us forward to the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was the first president of the Bankstown HRC when it obtained its licence to race. It was also Max treuer who was the brainchild behind the formation of a licensed club alongside the pacing track. So, from a virtual tin shed, Max treuer helped set the wheels in motion for a licensed club, the Bankstown Trotting recreational Club, a club that now ranks as one of the biggest in Australia in terms of membership and turnover. Max Treuer never coveted the limelight despite the honours bestowed in his later years. He died in 1982, leaving a legacy of goodwill among his many friends, especially in the harness racing industry. And so the next chapter in this remarkable story comes to life. In 1983, Max Treuer was honoured by the Bankstown Harness Racing Club when the M H Treuer Memorial was run for the first time. The inaugural race was worth $30,000.00 and was won by one of Sydney's all-time favourite pacers, Double Agent. Prizemoney leapt to $100,000.00 and Vic frost partnered True Delight to an upset win in 1986. Befitting the man whos name graces the race, champion pacers like Village Kid (1987) and Westburn Grant (1989) are also Treuer legends. And the top horses of their day like Luxury Liner (1988), Thorate (1990), Franco Ice (1991), Jack Morris (1992), Franco Tiger (1993), Golden Reign (1994), Sunshine Band (1995), Our Sir Vancelot (1996 & 1997) and Christian Cullen (1998) have added to the tradition and glamour. This year, the Treuer Memorial will be run for stakes of $100,000.00, making the race Australia's premier provincial pacing event, justfying the foresight of a man who has left an indelible mark on the Australian harness racing industry. But perhaps the final word should be left to one of Max Treuer's son's, Bill. "He would have been tickled pink," Bill explains when asked to relate how his father would feel about having an important race named after him. "When I was on the committee of the NSW Trotting Club he said to me that one day Bankstown will run an Inter-Dominion. "I had a bit of a chuckle to myself at the time but he is on his way. The Australian Harness racing Council allowed Bankstown to run the Australian Derby one year then the club had the Australian Pacing Championships and the treuer memorial has gained Grand Circuit status. "So there is only one race to go and that's the Inter-Dominion. "His forecast might come true".