XXXX Gold $150,000 Golden Nugget 4yo Championship

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1 XXXX Gold $150,000 Golden Nugget 4yo Championship History The Golden Nugget Championship began in February 1981 when the Victorian visitor Justin Hanover won for trainer/driver Tony Peacock. The WA Trotting Association had identified a gap in the national programme for a 4yo Championship and, similar to their innovation in running the first Australian Derby, set about attracting the best 4yos in the nation to Perth. To add to the uniqueness of the race the trophy always incorporated a Gold Nugget. The initial concept was for an elite field of eight heat winners only with four heats held on a Friday night and a further four heats on the following Tuesday before the Final on the Friday night. Over time that concept has changed due to a fall off in numbers of elite 4yos but that hasn t stopped the Golden Nugget of continuing to showcase the nations best rising stars and the honour roll contains some of the greatest names seen in the past 25 years. Who will ever forget the awesome performance of Tasmanian owned Sinbad Bay in 1989 in setting a National 2500 metre record as he demolished the strongest Golden Nugget field ever assembled. The ten- field that year included six representatives from the Eastern States including the likes of Jodies Babe, Rowleyalla, Another Bart and the locally trained Manageable. The NSW sensation Westburn Grant overcame the infamous airline strike in late 1989 to show just why he was rated the best 4yo in the nation although he failed dismally in the WA Pacing Cup a month later. He was to return to Perth twice more to win a couple of WA Pacing Cup crowns. Only the locally trained Saab has been able to emulate the feat of winning a Golden Nugget and WA Pacing Cup and he went one better than Westburn Grant in that he won both races as a 4yo. Even the almighty Village Kid couldn t win both Group Ones as a 4yo for while he beat the best in the Cup he was unplaced in the Nugget a month after his dramatic Pacing Cup win. No trainer has ever been able to dominate the Nugget as they have some of the other classics on the local calendar and this demonstrates just how hard a race this is to win. Local trainers Greg Harper and Trevor Warwick each won the Nugget twice in successive years and ace Victorian trainer Bob Knight with his son Vin at the reins won the race in successive years in 1988 and The due had been runners-up in 1987 when Alpine Fella finished second to local Vero Prince. Chris Lewis and Trevor Warwick share the drivers records for the Nugget with a trio of wins apiece. Warwick won behind Slick Vance for Victorian trainer Reg Trevean in 1995 in addition to his owner runners success with Yarracoola and Morano Magic in 1984 and Lewis s three wins came behind Vero Prince (1987), Flashing Star (1994) and Saab in The Nugget has proved very lucrative for Eastern States trainers with 12 of the 25 runnings having been won by foreigners including three of the past five. At one stage Eastern States trained s won five successive Nuggets. Remarkable among these were the wins of Admiral Holliday which travelled to Perth by road when his trainer/driver Bryan Rogers couldn t afford the costs of flying the to WA. Page 1 of 8

2 Trainer/driver Ted Demmler had flight problems of a different kind the next year when his flight was delayed in Melbourne and he arrived at Gloucester Park as the s were in the parade ring about to go onto the track. 4YO GOLDEN NUGGET CHAMPIONSHIP Year Winner Trainer Driver Rate 1981* JUSTIN HANOVER A Peacock A Peacock 2: SINN FEIN G D Harper G D Harper 2: CLASSIC GARRY G D Harper F R Kersley 1: YARRACOOLA T B Warwick T B Warwick 2: MORANO MAGIC T B Warwick T B Warwick 2: VANDERPORT D F Murphy Ms A Frawley 2: VERO PRINCE A C Lewis A C Lewis 2: OUR MAESTRO R V Knight V J Knight 1: SINBAD BAY R V Knight V J Knight 1: ** WESTBURN GRANT V W Frost V W Frost 1: ADMIRAL HOLLIDAY NZ B A Rogers B A Rogers 1: IMPRESSIONIST NZ T E Demmler T E Demmler 1: VALLEY CHAMP D T Parr G E Hall 1: FLASHING STAR C L Cummins A C Lewis 1: SLICK VANCE NZ R Trevean T B Warwick 1: BEEFY T NZ J P Green R J Chambers 2: MON POPPY DAY R J Chambers R J Chambers NTT 1997 SALINGER F R Kersley F R Kersley 2: SAAB R A Olivieri A C Lewis 1: COUNTESS KALA NZ N J Keiley L B Harper 2: SEELSTER SAM NZ D W Wilson D W Wilson 1: MANIFOLD BAY G K Crane G Lang 1: TRICKY VIC NZ M G Reed M B Reed 2: TE KANARAMA G Watts G Watts 1: TARTARY GLADIATOR K F Keys K F Keys 1:59.1 * Held January/February from , , ** Held November/December 1989, Getting a start in the 2005 Golden Nugget The WATA has boosted the stakemoney for the December 2005 edition from $100,000 to $150,000. Winners of state derbies which include Richard Henry of WA have automatic invitation to the Nugget as do the winners of Golden Nugget preludes on November 25th and December 2nd and the McInerney Ford 4yo Classic on December 9th. Locally trained Sovereign Beejay and Precious Dylan NZ won the Nugget Preludes and secured their places in the field. The field for the December edition of the 2005 Golden Nugget will not be finalised until Monday 10th December by which time the winner of the McInerney Ford Classic will be known and final details of Eastern States trained entries are known. Page 2 of 8

3 Leading Contenders 2005 Golden Nugget The depth of quality of the Australasia s leading 4yos is quite remarkable and many are in line for a start in the Group One Golden Nugget Championship these include Sir Galvinator Perfect Art USA Promise Land Grant USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:56.9 $351,440 Wins 20 At 2, won ht & final Qld Seymour Classic, Qbred Breeders Classic, ht Australian Gold, ht & final Qld Star Wars Classic; 2nd Qld s Stakes. At 3, won Australian Gold, Tas Derby (Gr.1), Vic Caduceus Club Cup, Qld Triad, SA St Leger, ht Vic Derby (2nd in final (Gr.1)); 2nd SA Derby (Gr.1), NSW Simpson Memorial Australian 3yo Pacer of the Year Sovereign Beejay mare Orange Sovereign USA Shielding Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.1 $300,844 Wins 18 At 2, won ht & final Western Crown Classic, ht & final WA Diamond Classic, 2 hts & final WA s Stakes; 2nd WA Silver Bracelet Stakes. At 3, won WA Oaks (Gr.1), ht & final WA s Stakes, WA South West Derby, WA Country Derby. At 4, won WA Golden Girls Mile, prel WA Golden Nugget Alberta Retreat Village Jasper USA So Serene NZ Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.3 $78,326 Wins 7 At 3, won WA Sales Classic, Western Gateway Stakes, WA Battle Of Bunbury; 2nd WA Derby (Gr.1) Battersby NZ Page 3 of 8

4 Holmes Hanover USA Laura Rose NZ Tiger Wave USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $61,950 At 4, 3rd WA Spring Championship Cosmos Art Perfect Art USA Tibby Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 2:01.7 $49,350 Wins 4 At 2, won ht & semi Aust. Breeders Crown (5th in final); 3rd WA Diamond Classic Courtygaz Fake Left USA Tessa Bart Another Bart Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.5 $85,673 At 3, won ht Vic s Stakes (2nd in final), ht Australian Breeders Crown (2nd in final); 3rd Qld Derby (Gr.1) Page 4 of 8

5 Cullens Cover NZ Christian Cullen NZ Jam Cover Girl NZ Smooth Fella USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.2 $28,373 Wins 6 Disco Flyer In The Pocket USA Madam Butterfly Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.5 $59,709 At 2, 3rd WA Champagne Stakes Dudinkas Cullen NZ Christian Cullen NZ Dudinka NZ Save Fuel USA Best Rate/Stakes 2:02.2 $39,056 Wins 5 At 4, won NZ Superstars Championship (beating Mainland Banner) before being disqualified for entering sprint lane too early. Fake Embrace Fake Left USA Hold Tight Embrace Me USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.9 $89,220 Wins 7 At 2, won ht & final WA Sales Classic; 2nd WA Golden Slipper Stakes. At 3, 4th WA Sales Classic Page 5 of 8

6 Five Hundred More mare Fake Left USA Diesel Dana NZ Save Fuel USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $131,949 Wins 10 At 2, won WA Silver Bracelet Stakes, ht WA Diamond Classic (2nd in final), ht WA Sales Classic (3rd in final); 3rd WA Golden Slipper Stakes. At 3, won WA Sales Classic, WA Daintys Daughter Classic Gee Whiz Fizz Fake Left USA Raca Pacer Classic Garry Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $83,605 Wins 13 At 2, won ht WA Pearl Classic (3rd in final). At 4, 3rd Golden Mile Cup Innocent Eyes mare Safely Kept USA Cerebrano NZ Lordship NZ Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.2 $142,075 At 3, won prel & final Vic Oaks (Gr.1), Australian Oaks (Gr.1), prel WA Oaks (4th in final (Gr.1)) 2005 Australian 3yo Filly of the Year Jay Pees Ruler Million To One USA Perene Bay Captain Hook USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.6 $88,179 At 3, 3rd WA s Stakes. At 4, won ht & final WA Country Cup Page 6 of 8

7 Mango Jam NZ Il Vicolo NZ Exotic Soky NZ Sokys Atom USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.7 $35,063 Wins 10 Precious Dylan NZ Precious Bunny USA Julie Vance NZ Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.4 $32,280 Wins 6 At 4, won prel WA Golden Nugget Richard Henry NZ Tinted Cloud USA Glenda Byrd NZ Roydon Glen NZ Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.7 $105,674 Wins 7 At 3, won WA Derby (Gr.1), WA John Higgins Memorial; 4th WA Caduceus Club Classic. Sir Mick Sloy Our Sir Vancelot NZ Lead Player NZ OK Bye USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.2 $44,519 Wins 5 At 3, won WA Caduceus Club Classic, prel WA Derby (3rd in final (Gr.1)) Page 7 of 8

8 Southern Ruler NZ Dream Away USA Civic Leader NZ Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:56.6 $99,245 Wins 11 At 3, won prel WA Derby. At 4, won WA New Seasons Pace; 2nd WA Howard Porter Memorial; 4th WA Mt Eden Sprint View To A Kill Safely Kept USA Crazy Cam Lucky Cam USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.7 $103,745 Wins 13 At 2, won cons WA Pearl Classic. At 3, won prel WA Derby (4th in final (Gr.1)). At 4, won ht & final WA Spring Championship, ht WA Country Cup (2nd in final); 2nd FHRC Life Members Pace; 3rd WA Cranley Memorial Page 8 of 8