The Golden Slipper is one of our more famous lotteries – form and times can mean nothing when it comes to the world’s richest juvenile race.
So what are the formlines to follow?
Just Horse Racing writer Andrew Hawkins takes a look at the past winners of the Golden Slipper in a quest to help you find the winner of this year’s edition.
Here are the past 25 winners of the Golden Slipper:
| Year | Horse | Sex | No. of starts | Raced before Xmas | Form | Key Wins | Run in Magic Millions? | Run in Blue Diamond? | Final Lead Up | Eventual Odds |
| 2010 | Crystal Lily | Filly | 6 | Yes (2 starts) | 23×1611 | Listed Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m) – 3L Listed Chairman’s Stakes (1100m) – 4.8L Group 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) – 3L |
No | Yes (6th) | 1st, Sweet Embrace Stakes | $6.00 |
| 2009 | Phelan Ready | Gelding | 4 | Yes (1 start) | 3412 | Magic Millions Classic – 0.3L | Yes (1st) | No | 2nd, Todman Stakes | $26 |
| 2008 | Sebring | Colt | 3 | No (debuted Jan 19) | 111 | Listed Canonbury Stakes (1000m) – 4.5L Listed Breeders Plate (1000m) – 0.8L |
No | No | 1st, Breeders Plate | $6.00 favourite |
| 2007 | Forensics | Filly | 3 | No (debuted Feb 9) | 114 | Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) – 0.8L | No | No | 4th, Reisling Stakes | $13 |
| 2006 | Miss Finland | Filly | 4 | No (debuted Jan 6) | 1124 | Listed Talindert Stakes (1000m) – 2L | No | Yes (2nd) | 4th, Reisling Stakes | $6.50 |
| 2005 | Stratum | Colt | 3 | No (debuted Feb 12) | 521 | Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) – 1.5L | No | No | 1st, Pago Pago Stakes | $10 |
| 2004 | Dance Hero | Gelding | 4 | Yes (1 start) | 3×111 | Magic Millions Classic – 0.8L Group 3 Skyline Stakes – 0.5L |
Yes (1st) | No | 1st, Skyline Stakes | $5.50 |
| 2003 | Polar Success | Filly | 5 | Yes (2 starts) | 12×121 | Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) – 0.5L | No | No | 1st, Reisling Stakes | $11 |
| 2002 | Calaway Gal | Filly | 6 | Yes (4 starts) | 1111×32 | Doomben Horseshoe – 3.3L McDougall Stakes – 5L |
No | No | 2nd, Magic Night Stakes | $13 |
| 2001 | Ha Ha | Filly | 6 | Yes (1 start) | 124221 | Group 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) – 0.2L | Yes (4th) | No | 1st, Sweet Embrace Stakes | $13 |
| 2000 | Belle du Jour | Filly | 5 | Yes (1 start) | 14211 | Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) – 0.2L Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) – 0.2L |
Yes (2nd) | No | 1st, Reisling Stakes | $10 |
| 1999 | Catbird | Colt | 6 | Yes (1 start) | 5×41111 | Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) – 1.3L | No | No | 1st, Black Opal Stakes | $6.50 |
| 1998 | Prowl | Gelding | 6 | Yes (2 starts) | 32×1914 | Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) – 1.5L Group 3 Skyline Stakes (1200m) – 0.8L |
No | Yes (9th) | 4th, Pago Pago Stakes | $9.00 |
| 1997 | Guineas | Gelding | 6 | Yes (3 starts) | 111111 | Listed Meynink Stakes (1000m) – 2.8L Listed B.T.C. Stakes (1200m) – 2.3L Listed Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) – 3.3L Group 3 Skyline Stakes (1200m) – 0.4L |
No | No | 1st, Skyline Stakes | $7.00 |
| 1996 | Merlene | Filly | 4 | Yes (2 starts) | 41×11 | Listed Gwyn Stakes (1000m) – 0.8L Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) – 2.5L Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) – 1.3L |
No | No | 1st, Reisling Stakes | $4.80 |
| 1995 | Flying Spur | Colt | 6 | Yes (1 start) | 127123 | Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) – 0.5L | No | Yes (3rd) | 3rd, VRC Sires Produce Stakes | $26 |
| 1994 | Danzero | Colt | 3 | Yes (1 start) | 1×13 | Listed Maribyrnong Trial C&G Stakes (900m) – 2L Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) – 0.8L |
No | No | 3rd, Todman Stakes | $5.00 |
| 1993 | Bint Marscay | Filly | 3 | No (debuted Feb 27) | 121 | Listed Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) – 2.3L Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) – 3.8L |
No | No | 1st, Magic Night Stakes | $4.60 |
| 1992 | Burst | Filly | 4 | Yes (1 start) | 2×211 | Listed Gosford Slipper (1100m) – 1.3L Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) – 0.5L |
No | No | 1st, Reisling Stakes | $4.60 |
| 1991 | Tierce | Colt | 7 | Yes (3 starts) | 8111211 | Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) – 7.5L | No | No | 1st, Todman Stakes | $5.00 |
| 1990 | Canny Lad | Colt | 6 | Yes (3 starts) | 111×121 | Listed Maribyrnong Trial C&G Stakes (900m) – 1L Group 3 Florentino Stakes (900m) – 0.8L Group 2 Maribyrnong Stakes (1000m) – 1L Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) – 0.5L Group 1 VRC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) – 0.1L |
No | Yes (2nd) | 1st, VRC Sires Produce Stakes | $6.50 |
| 1989 | Courtza | Filly | 4 | No (debuted Jan 28) | 2211 | Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m) – 1L Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) – 4L |
No | Yes (1st) | 1st, Blue Diamond Stakes | $4.50 favourite |
| 1988 | Star Watch | Colt | 5 | No (debuted Jan 1) | 11112 | Group 3 Skyline Stakes (1200m) – 3.5L | No | No | 2nd, Pago Pago Stakes | $7.50 |
| 1987 | Marauding | Colt | 3 | Yes (1 start) | 2×11 | Group 3 Penfolds Classic (1200m) – 2L Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) – 1.5L |
No | No | 1st, Todman Stakes | $6.00 |
| 1986 | Bounding Away | Filly | 4 | No (debuted Jan 25) | 1111 | Listed Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m) – 0.5L Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) – 4L Group 3 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) – 3L |
No | Yes (1st) | 1st, Magic Night Stakes | $2.25 favourite |
| 1985 | Rory’s Jester | Colt | 7 | Yes (4 starts) | 1112221 | Listed Connell Quality (1000m) – 1L Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) – 0.1L |
No | No | 1st, Pago Pago Stakes | $11 |
Some notable patterns have emerged from the past few years.
Most notably, any horse must have finished in the top four at their final lead up run.
In the past 15 years, every winner bar Catbird has had their final lead up run in Sydney, and only four winners in the last 25 years (Catbird, Flying Spur, Canny Lad, Courtza) had their final lead up outside Sydney.
Eighteen of the last 25 winners won their final lead up to the Golden Slipper.
The greatest winning odds are $26 (Phelan Ready, Flying Spur), while only three favourites have won (Sebring, Courtza, Bounding Away).
No maiden has won the Golden Slipper in the past 25 years.
It doesn’t seem to make much of a difference when the horse has debuted, except that every winner has debuted by the end of February.
All winners except for Phelan Ready and Calaway Gal had won black type races before the Golden Slipper.
Surprisingly, gender doesn’t matter.
Twelve fillies have won in the last 25 years, compared to 9 colts and 4 geldings.
Only seven winners had run in the Blue Diamond Stakes, while only four horses won the Slipper after running in the Magic Millions.
Phelan Ready and Dance Hero are the only two winners of the Magic Millions-Golden Slipper double, while Courtza and Bounding Away are the only two winners of the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper double.
With all these statistics, you can build a case for any of the main chances in this year’s Golden Slipper.
In what looks to be a strong Golden Slipper, it will be interesting to see the credentials of the eventual winner.
Written by Andrew Hawkins
