This 1077 ton ship was built in Jersey in 1853. It was employed as a convict transport for Western Australia and left Portland, England on May 26, 1865 bound for the Swan River Colony. She carried the thirty second of 37 shipments of male convicts destined for Western Australia. The voyage took 76 days and the Racehorse arrived in Fremantle on August 10, 1865 with 172 passengers and 278 convicts [Erickson]. M.H. Seward and A. Watson were the captain and surgeon respectively.

The three deaths recorded on the convict shipping and description lists were for James Wilson (8174) who died in the Convict Establishment Hospital soon after arrival, Thomas Jones (8324) who died on the voyage out, and George Liversage (8341) who died prior to embarkation. The lists also said William Thompson (8147) disembarked in Portland, England. There were 280 convict numbers assigned for the voyage ranging from (8191 to 8470). [Bateson] agreed with the other sources on this occasion claiming that 280 convicts embarked and 278 arrived.

Of the 172 passengers mentioned above, 159 were pensioner guards and their families, the number being made up of 50 pensioner guards, 31 wives, 38 sons and 40 daughters. The other 13 passengers have not been accounted for but were possibly cabin passengers or regular soldiers.

A. Watson's surgeon's journal for the voyage is preserved in the Public Record Office (PRO) in London. Researchers can view a copy on the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) microfilm reel 3181 which is held in most major libraries and archives offices throughout Australia.

Links:

Convicts to Australia
http://members.iinet.net.au/~perthdps/convicts/con-wa37.html

Convict Records
http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/racehorse

List of convict ship voyages to Western Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_convict_ship_voyages_to_Western_Australia