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Golden Slipper

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

MARHOONA winning the TAB GOLDEN SLIPPER at Rosehill in Australia.
MARHOONA winning the TAB GOLDEN SLIPPER at Rosehill in Australia. Picture: Bradley Photos

The Golden Slipper is a Group 1 race for two year olds conducted by the Australian Turf Club at Rosehill Gardens. It is the world's richest race for juveniles.

The Golden Slipper was first run in 1957 and was won by the legendary Todman.

In 2025 the Slipper was worth $5million.

The Golden Slipper is run over 1200m under set weight conditions with the fillies having a 2kg allowance over the colts and geldings. They did have 3kg until the 2005 running. The Golden Slipper has always been run at Rosehill over that distance.

There have been 31 fillies to win the Golden Slipper with the most recent being Marhoona in 2025.

TJ Smith and Gai Waterhouse, father and daughter, held the record with six wins until Gai, along with Adrian Bott, won in 2020 and again in 2024 taking her to 8.

TJ had 54 runners in Golden Slippers but now Gai (also with Adrian Bott) went past him taking her runners to 58.

Clarry Conners, Bart Cummings and Lee Freedman have won four each. John Hawkes joined them with four which includes two with his sons Wayne and Michael.

Shane Dye and Ron Quinton have four wins themselves as riders. In fact Shane Dye and Lee Freeman both had their four wins consecutively.

Notable winners of the Golden Slipper include Todman (1957), Sky High (1960), Vain (1969), Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Manikato (1978), Sir Dapper (1983), Bounding Away (1986), Dance Hero (2004) and Pierro (2012).

In the last 30 years only Sebring (Breeders Plate – changed due to EI affected carnival), Catbird (Black Opal) and Flying Spur (VRC Sires) have not come through the traditional Golden Slipper lead ups.

Breeders Plate winners have an amazing record onto the Slipper despite it being the first 2yo race of the metropolitan season – the likes of Sky High, Eskimo Prince, Baguette, Luskin Star, Sebring, Pierro, Vancouver and Capitalist.

Danehill and Star Kingdom have sired five Slipper winners each with Star Kingdom siring the first five winners of the Slipper.

Two maidens have won the Slipper – Sweet Embrace (1967) and Fairy Walk (1971).

Blue Diamond winners to win the Slipper (5) – John's Hope (1972), Manikato (1978), Bounding Away (1986), Courtza (1989) and Sepoy (2011).

Magic Millions winners to win the Slipper (3) – Dance Hero (2004), Phelan Ready (2009), Capitalist (2016).

Silver Slipper winners to win the Slipper (7) – Eskimo Prince (1964), Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Pierro (2012), Mossfun (2014), She Will Reign (2017), Farnan (2020). Note race was switched to the Autumn in 1998.

Skyline Stakes winners to win the Slipper (5) – Sir Dapper (1983), Star Watch (1988), Guineas (1997), Prowl (1998), Dance Hero (2004).

Sweet Embrace Stakes winners to win the Slipper (4) – Dark Eclipse (1980), Ha Ha (2001), Crystal Lily (2010), Fireburn (2022).

Todman Stakes winners to win the Slipper (6) – Luskin Star (1977), Marauding (1987), Tierce (1991), Pierro (2012), Vancouver (2015), Farnan (2020).

Reisling Stakes winners to win the Slipper (7) – Hartshill (1974), Burst (1992), Merlene (1996), Belle Du Jour (2000), Polar Success (2003), Overreach (2013), Estijaab (2018).

Pago Pago Stakes winners to win the Slipper (4) – Inspired (1984), Rory's Jester (1985), Stratum (2005), Shinzo (2023).

Magic Night Stakes winners to win the Slipper (6) – Toy Show (1975), Century Miss (1979), Dark Eclipse (1980), Bounding Away (1986), Bint Marscay (1993), Kiamichi (2019).

Even in the last few years with some races moved to Randwick like the Todman and Reisling Stakes, the Slipper winner had raced the fortnight before in those events for eight straight years. Kiamichi stopped that trend and Shinzo also backed up.

James Cummings continued the family history winning in 2019 and thus gave Godolphin the trifecta.

The Freedman family has a great record in the race winning four together in the 90s and then Richard and Michael formed a partnership in recent years to win the 2021 edition with Stay Inside. Michael won again in 2025 with Marhoona.

Eight Slipper winners have gone on to sire a winner down the track – Todman (Sweet Embrace/Eskimo Prince), Vain (Inspired/Sir Dapper), Baguette (Dark Eclipse), Marscay (Bint Marscay), Marauding (Burst/Prowl), Danzero (Dance Hero), Flying Spur (Forensics), Stratum (Crystal Lily).

Six horses have gone on to win the Sydney Juvenile Triple Crown starting with the Golden Slipper – Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Tierce (1991), Burst (1992), Dance Hero (2004) and Pierro (2012).

Shinzo won with a great family history as his father Snitzel and his mother Samaready both started favourite in Golden Slippers and then their son won it.

The 2025 Golden Slipper was won by Marhoona from Wodeton and Tempted.


Racing and Sports

Previous Golden Slipper Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
MARHOONA (AUS) 2F
SNITZEL (AUS) - SALMA (AUS) ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS)
DAMIAN LANE 54.5 MICHAEL FREEDMAN 6
LADY OF CAMELOT (AUS) 2F
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - MISS DEBUTANTE (AUS) FASTNET ROCK (AUS)
B SHINN 54.5 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 5
SHINZO (AUS) 2C
SNITZEL (AUS) - SAMAREADY (AUS) MORE THAN READY (USA)
RYAN MOORE 56.5 CHRIS WALLER 1
FIREBURN (AUS) 2F
REBEL DANE (AUS) - MULL OVER (AUS) SO YOU THINK (NZ)
B AVDULLA 54.5 GARY PORTELLI 1
STAY INSIDE (AUS) 2C
EXTREME CHOICE (AUS) - NOTHIN LEICA STORM (AUS) ANABAA (USA)
TOMMY BERRY 56.5 R & M FREEDMAN 3
FARNAN (AUS) 2C
NOT A SINGLE DOUBT (AUS) - TALLOW (AUS) STREET CRY (IRE)
HUGH BOWMAN 56.5 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 12
KIAMICHI (AUS) 2F
SIDESTEP (AUS) - OUACHITA (AUS) CANNY LAD (AUS)
DAMIAN LANE 54.5 JAMES CUMMINGS 14
ESTIJAAB (AUS) 2F
SNITZEL (AUS) - RESPONSE (AUS) CHARGE FORWARD (AUS)
B AVDULLA 54.5 MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES 14
SHE WILL REIGN (AUS) 2F
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS) - COURGETTE (AUS) CHARGE FORWARD (AUS)
B MELHAM 54.5 GARY PORTELLI 11
CAPITALIST (AUS) 2C
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - KITALPHA (NZ) FUSAICHI PEGASUS (USA)
B SHINN 56.5 P & P SNOWDEN 2
VANCOUVER (AUS) 2C
MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA) - SKATES (AUS) DANEHILL (USA)
TOMMY BERRY 56.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 16
MOSSFUN (AUS) 2F
MOSSMAN (AUS) - EYE FOR FUN (AUS) SNITZEL (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD 54.5 MICHAEL & WAYNE & JOHN HAWKES 11
OVERREACH (AUS) 2F
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - BAHIA (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY 54.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 1
PIERRO (AUS) 2C
LONHRO (AUS) - MISS RIGHT NOTE (IRE) DAYLAMI (IRE)
N RAWILLER 56.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 1
SEPOY (AUS) 2C
ELUSIVE QUALITY (USA) - WATCHFUL (AUS) DANEHILL (USA)
K MCEVOY 56.5 PETER SNOWDEN 8
CRYSTAL LILY (AUS) 2F
STRATUM (AUS) - CRYSTAL SNIP (AUS) SNIPPETS (AUS)
B PREBBLE 54.5 MATHEW ELLERTON & SIMON ZAHRA 1
PHELAN READY (AUS) 2G
MORE THAN READY (USA) - NANCY ELEANOR (AUS) BLEVIC (AUS)
B RAWILLER 56.5 BRUCE MCLACHLAN 16
SEBRING (AUS) 2C
MORE THAN READY (USA) - PURESPEED (AUS) FLYING SPUR (AUS)
G BOSS 56.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 5
FORENSICS (AUS) 2F
FLYING SPUR (AUS) - PROVE IT (AUS) DEHERE (USA)
DAMIEN OLIVER 54.5 JOHN HAWKES 1
MISS FINLAND (AUS) 2F
REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) - FOREST PEARL (USA) WOODMAN (USA)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 54.5 D A HAYES 7
STRATUM (AUS) 2C
REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) - BOURGEOIS (AUS) LUSKIN STAR (AUS)
L BEASLEY 56.5 PAUL PERRY 6
DANCE HERO (AUS) 2G
DANZERO (AUS) - GYPSY DANCER (NZ) DANCE OF LIFE (USA)
C MUNCE 56.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 2
POLAR SUCCESS (AUS) 2F
SUCCESS EXPRESS (USA) - PATOU (AUS) COVETOUS (AUS)
D BEASLEY 53.5 GRAEME ROGERSON 14
CALAWAY GAL (AUS) 2F
CLANG (AUS) - CALAIS ROYALE (AUS) CARBERER (AUS)
S SEAMER 52.5 BRUCE BROWN 6
HA HA (AUS) 2F
DANEHILL (USA) - VERY DROLL (AUS) CROWN JESTER (AUS)
J CASSIDY 52.5 MS G WATERHOUSE 11
BELLE DU JOUR (AUS) 2F
DEHERE (USA) - DELIGHTFUL BELLE (NZ) BALMERINO (NZ)
L BEASLEY 52.5 CLARRY CONNERS 13