W. B. Rounsevell, William Pile, Sir Richard Chaffey Baker, John Crozier, and Barnard elected to pay off the overdraft.
In February 1874 Thomas Elder offered about 160 acres (65 ha) of land on the Glenelg line of railway, near the Morphett Arms Hotel, as a racetrack.
[1] The directors elected at the first general meeting of the Company were Sir Henry Ayers, Sir John Morphett, Thomas Elder, John Crozier, R. C. Baker, Philip Levi, Joseph Gilbert, E. W. Pitts, and H. B. Hughes, all highly influential gentlemen and racing enthusiasts.
The Company promptly spent the money subscribed on establishing essential racing facilities on the Morphettville property.
Barnard and R. C. Baker introduced a totalizator, which was conducted on a large sheet of cardboard in the secretary's office, the amounts invested being posted opposite the names of the horses.
(previously Alarm), belonging to and named for Dan O'Dea, won the Goodwood Handicap, and paid the sensational dividend of £836/16s, as only one person, one William Smith of Willaston, had backed the horse.
By the nature of a totalizator, he would have made the same profit whether he had placed £1 or £100, but this was not accepted by the crowd, who thought the Club was acting unfairly and put the blame on Barnard.
In 1884 the totalizator, which had been given exemption from aspects of the Gaming Act, became illegal again, and operation of the Club was no longer viable, and in desperation the Adelaide Cup meeting was in 1885 run at Flemington.
In December 1884 the South Australian Jockey Club Company (Limited) was voluntarily wound up, with Barnard appointed liquidator,[4] and carried out the secretarial duties of the S.A.J.C.
[10] Barnard successfully raced several horses, notably Totalizator, which won the Adelaide Cup in 1881, ridden by D. Bowes and trained by John Hill (who had also prepared the second and third place winners).
Barnard enjoyed excellent health throughout his life, only succumbing to illness six weeks before he died at his home "Garthowen" on Fisher-street, Malvern.