The $1.5 million The Gold Rush is a Group 3 WFA event held at Ascot Racecourse in Perth in mid-December each summer.
2024 The Gold Rush Results
- 1st: #1 Western Empire
- 2nd: #8 Magnificent Andy
- 3rd: #14 Super Smink
The Gold Rush News
The Gold Rush is a recent addition to the Perth Summer Racing Carnival taking place for the first time at Ascot Racecourse in mid-December 2022.
2024 The Gold Rush Results
- 1st: #1 Western Empire ($7)
- 2nd: #8 Magnificent Andy
- 3rd: #14 Super Smink
The Gold Rush 2024 Odds & Results
7Plus Sport - Gold Rush (G3)
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
1. Western Empire (12)
J: Billy Egan 59kg
T: G & A Williams |
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2nd
8. Magnificent Andy (3)
J: Brad Parnham 59kg
T: Stephen Miller |
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|
3rd
14. Super Smink (4)
J: Chris Parnham 57kg
T: D Morton |
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|
4th
9. Triple Missile (6)
J: Joseph Azzopardi 59kg
T: Donna Riordan |
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|
5th
12. Rope Them In (16)
J: Shaun McGruddy 59kg
T: Steve Wolfe |
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|
6th
3. Comfort Me (14)
J: Holly Watson 59kg
T: Rhys Radford |
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|
7th
13. Aztec Ruler (13)
J: Jarrad Noske 59kg
T: Stefan Vahala |
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|
8th
11. Mojo Rhythm (8)
J: Patrick Carbery 59kg
T: Mitchell Pateman |
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|
9th
4. Bustler (7)
J: Steven Parnham 59kg
T: Neville Parnham |
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10th
10. Zipaway (2)
J: Laqdar Ramoly 59kg
T: Neville Parnham |
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|
11th
6. Hot Zed (1)
J: Jason Whiting 59kg
T: Lou Luciani |
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|
12th
2. Valour Road (10)
J: Luke Currie 59kg
T: Simon A Miller |
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|
13th
16. Wind And The Lion (5)
J: Lucy Fiore 54kg
T: S & J Casey |
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14th
15. Searchin' Roc's (11)
J: Shaun O'Donnell 57kg
T: Jim P Taylor |
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|
15th
5. Red Can Man (9)
J: Jordan Turner 59kg
T: Steve Wolfe |
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|
16th
7. Ripcord (15)
J: Clint Johnston-Porter 59kg
T: Luke Fernie |
Data retrieved: 22/12/2024 03:52:42 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
Following on from Perth’s three Group 1 feature races – the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m), Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) and the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) – The Gold Rush is also worth $1.5 million but only holds Group 3 status currently.
The inaugural The Gold Rush winner, The Astrologist, came via a lead-up eighth in the Winterbottom Stakes and scored an upset at $19 odds.
It was a fairy tale The Gold Rush result in 2023 for the second edition with retiring super hoop Damien Oliver producing a 10/10 ride to score victory in his final feature race ride aboard Munhamek.
The third edition in 2024 saw 2021 Railway Stakes winner Western Empire return to his best with a win improving on a lead-up ninth in the Winterbottom.
Perth Racing is aiming at getting the weight-for-age showdown to grow to Group 1 status over the years with the race set to attract the best local and interstate talent of the season.
Open to horses aged three and above, The Gold Rush field faces off over 1400m.
The race name, The Gold Rush, was chosen by Racing and Wagering Western Australia from thousands of suggestions by readers of The West Australian to reflect WA’s rich history of gold discovery in the 1800s.
The 2022 The Gold Rush form was franked with the winner, The Astrologist, later sent overseas where he finished runner-up in Dubai’s Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in March of 2023.
The 2024 The Gold Rush ran for the third time on Saturday December 14, 2024 at Ascot Racecourse in Perth offering $1.5 million in stakes and was won by the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Group 1 winner Western Empire ($7).
| 2024 The Gold Rush | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday December 14, 2024 |
| Track: | Ascot Racecourse |
| Distance: | 1400m |
| Race Type: | 3YO & Upwards – Weight-for-age |
| Status: | Group 3 |
| Prizemoney: | $1.5 million |
2024 The Gold Rush Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | WESTERN EMPIRE (NZ) | Grant & Alana Williams | Billy Egan | 12 | 59kg | $7 | |||
| 2 | 8 | MAGNIFICENT ANDY | Stephen Miller | Brad Parnham | 1.41L | 3 | 59kg | $7.50 | ||
| 3 | 14 | SUPER SMINK | Daniel Morton | Chris Parnham | 1.6L | 4 | 57kg | $4F | ||
| 4 | 9 | TRIPLE MISSILE | Donna Riordan | Joseph Azzopardi | 1.85L | 6 | 59kg | $41 | ||
| 5 | 12 | ROPE THEM IN | Steve Wolfe | Shaun McGruddy | 2.05L | 16 | 59kg | $11 | ||
| 6 | 3 | COMFORT ME | Rhys Radford | Holly Watson | 2.22L | 14 | 59kg | $11 | ||
| 7 | 13 | AZTEC RULER | Stefan Vahala | Jarrad Noske | 2.32L | 13 | 59kg | $61 | ||
| 8 | 11 | MOJO RHYTHM | Mitchell Pateman | Patrick Carbery | 3.84L | 8 | 59kg | $41 | ||
| 9 | 4 | BUSTLER | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 4.01L | 7 | 59kg | $9 | ||
| 10 | 10 | ZIPAWAY | Neville Parnham | Laqdar Ramoly | 4.61L | 2 | 59kg | $15 | ||
| 11 | 6 | HOT ZED | Lou Luciani | Jason Whiting | 5.3L | 1 | 59kg | $41 | ||
| 12 | 2 | VALOUR ROAD | Simon A Miller | Luke Currie | 6.01L | 10 | 59kg | $17 | ||
| 13 | 16 | WIND AND THE LION | Sean & Jake Casey | Lucy Fiore | 6.62L | 5 | 54kg | $20 | ||
| 14 | 15 | SEARCHIN’ ROC’S | Jim Taylor | Shaun O’Donnell | 6.89L | 11 | 57kg | $17 | ||
| 15 | 5 | RED CAN MAN | Steve Wolfe | Jordan Turner | 11L | 9 | 59kg | $201 | ||
| 16 | 7 | RIPCORD | Luke Fernie | Clint Johnston-Porter | 14.9L | 15 | 59kg | $21 | ||
| 19e | DEVOTED | Luke Fernie | 0 | |||||||
| 20e | ROCKIN’ RUPERT | Sean & Jake Casey | 0 | |||||||
| 17e | SALOON BAR | Daniel Morton | Rhys McLeod | 0 | ||||||
| 18e | LACED UP HEELS | Luke Fernie | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 The Gold Rush Betting
The top The Gold Rush betting markets will be open at Ladbrokes.com.au for you to back your insider The Gold Rush betting tips at the right price this summer and also published here at Races.com.au.
There was a notable upset for the first edition with The Astrologist winning at The Gold Rush odds of $19.
2024 The Gold Rush Form Guide
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 THE GOLD RUSH FORM GUIDE
2024 The Gold Rush Tips
Stay tuned for our insider The Gold Rush 2024 Tips on the $1.5 million Festival of Perth Racing showdown this December.
- To Win: #14 Super Smink ($4.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Back to the 1400m looks ideal for Super Smink who is a deserving favourite at time of publish. Dan Morton’s four-year-old Super One mare has plenty of upside and presents fit off a good campaign. She won November’s Group 3 Asian Beau at this track and trip before an eye-catching Group 1 third in the Railway Stakes over a mile. She was luckless last time out when ninth in the Northerly over 1800m but still under four lengths beaten despite a horror run. Drops in trip, loves the course, and is drawn a dream gate five with the other best in betting all wider out. Can win.
2024 The Gold Rush Field
The Gold Rush field is filled with some of the better Perth thoroughbreds as well as visiting stayers from the eastern states.
Horses in The Gold Rush field may come via earlier runs in events including the Railway Stakes and Northerly Stakes (formerly the Kingston Town Stakes).
Three-year-old runners in the field may have their final lead-up in the Group 2 W.A. Guineas (1600m) on Railway Stakes Day.
The 2024 Gold Rush field is announced on the Monday of race week and will be published in full below once released by Perth Racing.
The Gold Rush 2024 final field features a capacity line-up of summer hopes led in betting by Railway Stakes third placed mare Super Smink and the Grant & Alan Williams-trained seven-year-old Western Empire.
Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2024 The Gold Rush field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0x31142x29 | WESTERN EMPIRE (NZ) | Grant & Alana Williams | Billy Egan | 15 | 59kg | 110 | |
| 2 | 16x80x2402 | VALOUR ROAD | Simon A Miller | Luke Currie | 12 | 59kg | 108 | |
| 3 | x84640x192 | COMFORT ME | Rhys Radford | Holly Watson | 18 | 59kg | 109 | |
| 4 | 14490×0204 | BUSTLER | Neville Parnham | Steven Parnham | 9 | 59kg | 109 | |
| 5 | x085360x60 | RED CAN MAN | Steve Wolfe | Jordan Turner | 11 | 59kg | 99 | |
| 6 | 6076760×03 | HOT ZED | Lou Luciani | Jason Whiting | 1 | 59kg | 106 | |
| 7 | 132x30x509 | RIPCORD | Luke Fernie | Clint Johnston-Porter | 19 | 59kg | 101 | |
| 8 | 1431×80334 | MAGNIFICENT ANDY | Stephen Miller | Brad Parnham | 4 | 59kg | 108 | |
| 9 | 0x58575x48 | TRIPLE MISSILE | Donna Riordan | Joseph Azzopardi | 7 | 59kg | 99 | |
| 10 | 13x303x496 | ZIPAWAY | Neville Parnham | Laqdar Ramoly | 2 | 59kg | 103 | |
| 11 | 0897×09165 | MOJO RHYTHM | Mitchell Pateman | Patrick Carbery | 10 | 59kg | 100 | |
| 12 | 1211×12514 | ROPE THEM IN | Steve Wolfe | Shaun McGruddy | 20 | 59kg | 103 | |
| 13 | 1603×69341 | AZTEC RULER | Stefan Vahala | Jarrad Noske | 16 | 59kg | 100 | |
| 14 | 0877×32139 | SUPER SMINK | Daniel Morton | Chris Parnham | 5 | 57kg | 105 | |
| 15 | 0923×15557 | SEARCHIN’ ROC’S | Jim Taylor | Shaun O’Donnell | 14 | 57kg | 105 | |
| 16 | 1×413 | WIND AND THE LION | Sean & Jake Casey | Lucy Fiore | 6 | 54kg | 84 | |
| 17e | 4×32812230 | SALOON BAR | Daniel Morton | Rhys McLeod | 8 | 59kg | 98 | |
| 18e | 1220×06867 | LACED UP HEELS | Luke Fernie | 13 | 57kg | 90 | ||
| 19e | 869x2480x3 | DEVOTED | Luke Fernie | 3 | 59kg | 92 | ||
| 20e | 9x21511x55 | ROCKIN’ RUPERT | Sean & Jake Casey | 17 | 59kg | 91 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2024 The Gold Rush Nominations
The early The Gold Rush 2024 nominations are taken a couple of months prior to The Gold Rush Day in mid-December and will be provided in full below.
The Gold Rush 2024 nominations attracted 121 horses, up from 104 early entries last year, led in all-in betting by the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Group 1 winner Western Empire.
The Gold Rush History
The Gold Rush history will be updated as the race grows in stature over the coming years following on from the inaugural running in 2022.
The first The Gold Rush was won by interstate raider The Astrologist ridden to victory as a $19 outsider in betting by star local jockey William Pike.
The second The Gold Rush winner was also trained outside of Perth with Nick Ryan’s Victorian visitor Munhamek ($7) saluting off a brilliant ride by retiring champion jockey Damien Oliver in 2023.
The third The Gold Rush winner Western Empire became the first locally trained champ for Grant & Alana Williams setting the race record of 1 minute 21.94 seconds in 2024.
The Gold Rush Winners
The table below shows the winners, placegetters and winning times of The Gold Rush since the inaugural running in 2022.
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 The Gold Rush | 1st | Western Empire | 1 minute 21.94 seconds |
| 2nd | Magnificent Andy | ||
| 3rd | Super Smink | ||
| 2023 The Gold Rush | 1st | Munhamek | 1 minute 22.75 seconds |
| 2nd | Ripcord | ||
| 3rd | Comfort Me | ||
| 2022 The Gold Rush | 1st | The Astrologist | 1 minute 22.44 seconds |
| 2nd | Kissonallforcheeks | ||
| 3rd | Comfort Me | ||
