Wednesday 7 December 2005
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-horse 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 1989. 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 1985.
Lewis’s three wins came behind Vero Prince (1987), Flashing Star (1994) and Saab in 1998.
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 horses 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 horse to WA.
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
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 horses 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 2:01.1 1982 SINN FEIN G D Harper G D Harper 2:02.4 1983 CLASSIC GARRY G D Harper F R Kersley 1:59.9 1984 YARRACOOLA T B Warwick T B Warwick 2:00.2 1985 MORANO MAGIC T B Warwick T B Warwick 2:00.7 1986 VANDERPORT D F Murphy Ms A Frawley 2:02.5 1987 VERO PRINCE A C Lewis A C Lewis 2:01.9 1988 OUR MAESTRO R V Knight V J Knight 1:58.9 1989 SINBAD BAY R V Knight V J Knight 1:57.5 1989** WESTBURN GRANT V W Frost V W Frost 1:58.8 1991 ADMIRAL HOLLIDAY NZ B A Rogers B A Rogers 1:59.3 1992 IMPRESSIONIST NZ T E Demmler T E Demmler 1:59.5 1993 VALLEY CHAMP D T Parr G E Hall 1:59.9 1994 FLASHING STAR C L Cummins A C Lewis 1:57.4 1995 SLICK VANCE NZ R Trevean T B Warwick 1:58.7 1995 BEEFY T NZ J P Green R J Chambers 2:01.0 1996 MON POPPY DAY R J Chambers R J Chambers NTT 1997 SALINGER F R Kersley F R Kersley 2:01.3 1998 SAAB R A Olivieri A C Lewis 1:58.8 1999 COUNTESS KALA NZ N J Keiley L B Harper 2:00.0 2000 SEELSTER SAM NZ D W Wilson D W Wilson 1:58.7 2001 MANIFOLD BAY G K Crane G Lang 1:58.8 2002 TRICKY VIC NZ M G Reed M B Reed 2:00.4 2004 TE KANARAMA G Watts G Watts 1:59.8 2005 TARTARY GLADIATOR K F Keys K F Keys 1:59.1
* Held January/February from 1981 – 1989, 1991 – 1995, 2004 - ** Held November/December 1989, 1995 - 2002
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.
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
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
Horse Name Sir Galvinator Sex horse Sire Perfect Art USA Dam Promise Sire Of Dam Land Grant USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:56.9 $351,440 Wins 20 Features At 2, won ht & final Qld Seymour Classic, Qbred Breeders Classic, ht Australian Gold, ht & final Qld Star Wars Classic; 2nd Qld Sires 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. 2005 Australian 3yo Pacer of the Year
Horse Name Sovereign Beejay Sex mare Sire Orange Sovereign USA Dam Shielding Sire Of Dam Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.1 $300,844 Wins 18 Features At 2, won ht & final Western Crown Classic, ht & final WA Diamond Classic, 2 hts & final WA Sires Stakes; 2nd WA Silver Bracelet Stakes. At 3, won WA Oaks (Gr.1), ht & final WA Sires Stakes, WA South West Derby, WA Country Derby. At 4, won WA Golden Girls Mile, prel WA Golden Nugget
Horse Name Alberta Retreat Sex gelding Sire Village Jasper USA Dam So Serene NZ Sire Of Dam Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.3 $78,326 Wins 7 Features At 3, won WA Sales Classic, Western Gateway Stakes, WA Battle Of Bunbury; 2nd WA Derby (Gr.1)
Horse Name Battersby NZ
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
Sex gelding Sire Holmes Hanover USA Dam Laura Rose NZ Sire Of Dam Tiger Wave USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $61,950 Wins 9 Features At 4, 3rd WA Spring Championship
Horse Name Cosmos Art Sex horse Sire Perfect Art USA Dam Tibby Sire Of Dam Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 2:01.7 $49,350 Wins 4 Features At 2, won ht & semi Aust. Breeders Crown (5th in final); 3rd WA Diamond Classic
Horse Name Courtygaz Sex horse Sire Fake Left USA Dam Tessa Bart Sire Of Dam Another Bart Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.5 $85,673 Wins 9 Features At 3, won ht Vic Sires Stakes (2nd in final), ht Australian Breeders Crown (2nd in final); 3rd Qld Derby (Gr.1)
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
Horse Name Cullens Cover NZ Sex gelding Sire Christian Cullen NZ Dam Jam Cover Girl NZ Sire Of Dam Smooth Fella USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:57.2 $28,373 Wins 6
Horse Name Disco Flyer Sex horse Sire In The Pocket USA Dam Madam Butterfly Sire Of Dam Windshield Wiper USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.5 $59,709 Wins 9 Features At 2, 3rd WA Champagne Stakes
Horse Name Dudinkas Cullen NZ Sex horse Sire Christian Cullen NZ Dam Dudinka NZ Sire Of Dam Save Fuel USA Best Rate/Stakes 2:02.2 $39,056 Wins 5 Features At 4, won NZ Superstars Championship (beating Mainland Banner) before being disqualified for entering sprint lane too early.
Horse Name Fake Embrace Sex gelding Sire Fake Left USA Dam Hold Tight Sire Of Dam Embrace Me USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.9 $89,220 Wins 7 Features At 2, won ht & final WA Sales Classic; 2nd WA Golden Slipper Stakes. At 3, 4th WA Sales Classic
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
Horse Name Five Hundred More Sex mare Sire Fake Left USA Dam Diesel Dana NZ Sire Of Dam Save Fuel USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $131,949 Wins 10 Features 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
Horse Name Gee Whiz Fizz Sex gelding Sire Fake Left USA Dam Raca Pacer Sire Of Dam Classic Garry Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.0 $83,605 Wins 13 Features At 2, won ht WA Pearl Classic (3rd in final). At 4, 3rd Golden Mile Cup
Horse Name Innocent Eyes Sex mare Sire Safely Kept USA Dam Cerebrano NZ Sire Of Dam Lordship NZ Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.2 $142,075 Wins 9 Features 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
Horse Name Jay Pees Ruler Sex horse Sire Million To One USA Dam Perene Bay Sire Of Dam Captain Hook USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.6 $88,179 Wins 9 Features At 3, 3rd WA Sires Stakes. At 4, won ht & final WA Country Cup
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
Horse Name Mango Jam NZ Sex gelding Sire Il Vicolo NZ Dam Exotic Soky NZ Sire Of Dam Sokys Atom USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:59.7 $35,063 Wins 10
Horse Name Precious Dylan NZ Sex gelding Sire Precious Bunny USA Dam Julie Vance NZ Sire Of Dam Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.4 $32,280 Wins 6 Features At 4, won prel WA Golden Nugget
Horse Name Richard Henry NZ Sex gelding Sire Tinted Cloud USA Dam Glenda Byrd NZ Sire Of Dam Roydon Glen NZ Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.7 $105,674 Wins 7 Features At 3, won WA Derby (Gr.1), WA John Higgins Memorial; 4th WA Caduceus Club Classic.
Horse Name Sir Mick Sloy Sex gelding Sire Our Sir Vancelot NZ Dam Lead Player NZ Sire Of Dam OK Bye USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.2 $44,519 Wins 5 Features At 3, won WA Caduceus Club Classic, prel WA Derby (3rd in final (Gr.1))
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Wednesday 7 December 2005
Horse Name Southern Ruler NZ Sex horse Sire Dream Away USA Dam Civic Leader NZ Sire Of Dam Vance Hanover USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:56.6 $99,245 Wins 11 Features At 3, won prel WA Derby. At 4, won WA New Seasons Pace; 2nd WA Howard Porter Memorial; 4th WA Mt Eden Sprint
Horse Name View To A Kill Sex gelding Sire Safely Kept USA Dam Crazy Cam Sire Of Dam Lucky Cam USA Best Rate/Stakes 1:58.7 $103,745 Wins 13 Features 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
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