History

The Pukekohe-based Counties Racing Club, known for its first 60 years as the Franklin Racing Club, held its first totaliser meeting in September 1924, just two months before the first Waikato Racing Club meeting at Te Rapa.

In 1962 the Franklin Racing Club made an unusual marriage - with the New Zealand International Grand Prix organisation.  Motor Racing, on a circuit winding around the racecourse, has been held regularly at Pukekohe Park ever since.  In more recent years, the course has also been used for Show Jumping and eventing.

Franklin came from the name of the county which embraced much (but not all) of the area from which a club racing at Pukekohe could expect to gain its support.  To much of New Zealand, Franklin would have been a meaningless term geographically; Counties embraced a wider area and was made well known first by its fine, free-running rugby team of the late 1970s and early 80s, later by other sporting bodies following suit.