I was just in a sports bar and being a slow time for live sports there was horse racing on. Normally I detest the sport and could not care less but it was in front of me and I couldn't help notice the horses were running the track turning right which is completely opposite of tracks here. I Googled the name I saw and found out it was an Australian track. Is this common down there?
It depends on which State - New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT they run clockwise, and in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania they rum anti-clockwise.
That would go back to pre-federation colonial choices when the states decided that for themselves, and there has never been a national decision to override them.