First run in 1957 and won by the great horse Todman – by an astounding eight lengths – the Golden Slipper is the world’s richest two-year-old race, and undoubtedly the best.
It’s hard to pick out the best of so many highlights over the past 40 or so years.
Maybe it’s my first real memory of the race, the 1977 win by Luskin Star, who absolutely demolished his opposition, careering away to win by a widening seven-length margin. There hasn’t been a more dominant win since.
Or the great Manikato, who completed the Blue Diamond/Golden Slipper double a year later, and went on to be one of the greatest Australian sprinters of all time.
Then there was the great TJ Smith grey filly Bounding Away, who repeated the dose in 1986 to remain undefeated in her five starts to that point.
Perhaps it was during the 1990s, which saw the emergence of the great sire Danehill, fathering three consecutive winners from 1994-96, all under the tutelage of the great Victorian trainer Lee Freedman. Catbird made it four for Danehill’s offspring in 1999, and remains the only horse in history to win the Canberra Black Opal/Golden Slipper double.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained Ha Ha gave Danehill his fifth winner in 2001, and his legacy lives on to this day, with four of his sons (Danzero, Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur and Exceed And Excel) siring five winners between them, and grandson Stratum (winner in 2005) siring Crystal Lily in 2010.
What about the ‘brash’ New Zealand jockey Shane Dye, who completed an amazing quartet of victories from 1989-92, the latter two for Warwick Farm-trainer Clarrie Connors.
Clarrie has a trifecta of wins, including the Chris Munce-ridden Prowl in 1998 (Burst and Tierce the others.) Perhaps his crowning glory though was making it four victories in 2000, with the breathtaking win of the John Singleton-owned Belle Du Jour. She stumbled out of the barriers and looked a forlorn hope, but jockey Lenny Beasley refused to panic, plotting a path to victory from last to first down the Rosehill straight, amidst amazing scenes of disbelief and jubilation.
For Banana Benders it might be Calaway Gal, who became the first Queensland success, and first late-entry winner in 1992. Or Dance Hero, who made it two winners for Gai Waterhouse (and gave Chris Munce his second winner) in 2004, to complete the Gold Coast Magic Millions/Golden Slipper double.
He may well have been the fastest two-year-old we have ever seen, having won both of those races in under 69 seconds. And the opposition he beat into the placings (Charge Forward, Alinghi and Fastnet Rock), lays credence to his Slipper field being the strongest of all time. Even tenth placed Econsul went on to win the Caulfield Guineas during the Melbourne Spring of that year.
Maybe it was 2006, which saw a remarkable win by the beautifully bred Arrowfield stud mare Miss Finland? She responded positively to having blinkers added by trainer David Hayes, who had done the same with a couple of his previous Blue Diamond Stakes winners in Melbourne. In the home straight that day the rail was thought to be far inferior to the outside lanes on a slow track, but jockey Craig Williams, a judicious track walker, had other ideas, piloting her toward the rail on straightening, while every other horse tracked wide.
The rest is history, with the robust mare demoralising her opposition to record a resounding 2.5 length victory. She may have won the race whatever path Craig Williams had chosen, but it was surely one of the boldest rides ever seen on an Australian racetrack.
Breeding buffs might beg to differ too, because in 2008 and 2009 a somewhat obscure Vinery stud sire named More Than Ready produced consecutive winners in Sebring and Phelan Ready, both on very wet tracks. Both came from well back in the field to win, not a common factor for Golden Slipper winners.
It was a remarkable era for him as a sire, given his Daughter Augusta Proud had won the Adelaide and Gold Coast Magic Millions races in 2008 (she ran fifth to Sebring in Golden Slipper), and Phelan Ready also won the Gold Coast MM in 2009.
2014 was also amazing, not so much for the winner Mossfun, but the fact that the fillies managed to fill the first seven placings from only eight representatives on a heavy track. While we will see many more great winners, riding feats, trainer triumphs, and breeding anomalies, it’s doubtful we will ever see as dominant a statistic as that.
Could this year provide another amazing page in the history book of the great race? That fate probably lies with the favoured pairing of colts Vancouver and Exosphere. Both have won by big margins in preparation for the race this year, and very few past winners have been as impressive in a lead-up race.
The Devil can often be in the detail though, so let’s sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is the Golden Slipper.
kv joef
Roar Guru
What memories you are returning me to Aransan :) . Baguette - a champion in a year of champions. The first 2TCrown winner (short version) and undefeated 2yr old in a year that produced Dual Choice, Royal Show, Gunsynd, Gay Icraus, Red God, Abdul, Sanderae, Tumberlua ... the list seemed endless ... and the kiddies want to talk about classic foaling years (just joking) :) . as a 3yrold, Baguette proved himself as good as it gets, winning the Newmarket and Doomben 10,000. Yes Aransan he needs a serious race named after him too :) . For me Vain stamped himself as a 3 yr-old. His performances as a Spring 3 yr-old and that magic Melb Cup week are the stuff legends are made of and his speed was never in question. Vain's 2 yr-old opposition was a little less than stellar. Special Girl came in the his GS undefeated similar to BD's Fontinon this year. Gaelic Spirit (2nd) had a capable career. Beau Babylon who defeated him in the Sires was also capable but that victory was his main claim to fame. I said about Luskin Star he had no peer as a baby BUT not the unquestioned best... I said i was biased. yes i would have backed LStar in a Golden Slipper collection of great 2yr-olds. Backing him against Vain as a 3yr-old ... well not so confident :) . For LStar to run a 1400m Australian record as a juvenile is something v.special and testing the memory now but i think he broke 1.34.5 winning the JJAtkins (1600m) as a baby. This article and comments are a great read for anyone who lived through it. To see the names of Marscay, Tontonan, (Imagele), Sir Dapper, John's Hope ... and following Luskin Star's year came the first BD/GS winner, the all-aged champion Manikato ... oh did i mention Canny Lad - he went alright too. Let's hope today we see one good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as that lot.
Aransan
Guest
kv, any horse to win the triple crown must have been exceptional. In Vain's time the Champagne was run over 1,200m. Would you rate Luskin Star superior to Vain over 1,200m as a 2y.o.? Vain's win in the Caulfield Guineas over a mile as a 3y.o. was exceptional. Does anyone rate Bagette?
kv joef
Roar Guru
Interesting ... so many forget how good Luskin Star was ... and what he did. yes Luskin Star did run a race record to win the GSlipper but 2 weeks later in the Sires he ran an AUSTRALIAN record for 1400m before winning the Champagne (1600m) a week later. In his wake were many G1 winners and he just belted them. He had won the 2yr-old triple crown by a total of 16 lengths setting 2 records including a national open-age record. But he wasn't finished there as a baby... he went to Brisbane and won the Sires before surviving a protest by future 3 yrold top-liner Gypsy Kingdom in winning what is now the JJAtkins Stks. LuskinStar was also the Spring Champ 3 yrold winning the Caulfield Guineas leaving Guns Away (WA's champ) in his dust. His only unplaced run came in WSCox Plate as a spring 3yrold. After being sold and transferred from Max Lees to Cummings, LStar was unsuccessfully tried as a middle distance horse again and was beaten a neck by Lefroy in the 1900m lead-up to the Rosehill Guineas and Champion Stks (Autumn). Lefroy was to win those 2 races and the QLD Derby before the Turnbull as a older horse. After that defeat LStar was switched back to the 1100m G1 Galaxy a few weeks later and trotted in ... his last start. 'The Mayor of Newcastle' could certainly gallop and I wouldn't back ANY 2 yrold from any era to beat him. Luskin Star retired after the Galaxy with a record of 17 starts - 13 wins. 3 seconds. Many who witnessed both he and Vain found it hard if not impossible to chose. True ... but i think Luskin Star had no peer as a two-year-old. Its funny isn't it, we have all these lead-up races to the slipper and not one of them is named after the two most glorious winners of the race.
peeko
Guest
you backed littorio? you are a better man than me, i still cant work out how that pony won
Aransan
Guest
Casper, I assume you rank Vain second to Black Caviar. My belief is that if they had raced against each other in all the races they competed in then Vain would have won all his races but Black Caviar would have won most of hers. The point is that Vain was the best ever sprinting 2y.o. and early 3y.o but I believe Black Caviar would have been the better of the two from 4y.o. on. Vain was retired due to a training injury as a spring 3y.o. and he was good up to a mile or 1600m. Black Caviar was probably best at 1,000m but was likely still the best ever mature sprinter over 1,200m.
Casper
Guest
Only taking into account the ones I've seen (replay - not live): 1 Vain (second best sprinter ever) 2 Luskin Star (took 1.7 seconds off the race record) 3 Pierro (beat a quality field of future stakes winners) 4 Marscay (became a quality sire) 5 Sir Dapper (a brilliant winner by Vain) Had a soft spot for the Bart Cummings trained Tontonan who went on to win good quality races up to a mile, so the bias towards geldings is well founded. The worst and only live experience on Slipper day was when John Singleton shouted the bar after Belle de Jour won. I was on Crowned Glory who had it shot to bits & I had to leave the course to get a beer in peace.
Mike from Tari
Guest
One of my favourite horses fell in the Golden Slipper, imagele, done my money, but another favourite of mine won in 1972, Johns Hope.
Bondy
Guest
My favourite one was with an expectational crop of 2 yr old's that was Flying Spur's Slipper win his opponents consisted of Strategic, Our Maizcay, Millrich and Octagonal . I didn't back the winner Flying Spur but it was a classic bunch of 2 yr old's . (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnyZeWmbCNY) Nice read Bp
MAX
Guest
Todman, Sweet Embrace ,Luskin Star and hopefully Exosphere or Lake Geneva. We were visiting my grand parents and Grandpop asked "what have you backed in the Slipper" Nothing as yet I replied. Grandma appeared and with that my youngest son gave her a big kiss and cuddle greeting. I turned to Grandpop and said " Sweet Embrace" and headed for the phone. We ate Chinese take away for a year on that one. I am glad to have seen Todman and Luskin Star live.
Aransan
Guest
ten four, your initial comment reminded me of the very unusual circumstance of there being 6 unbeaten horses in the 1969 Golden slipper. They were Vain (4), Delriado (2), Special Girl (3), Gaelic Spirit (4), Brooklyn Maid (5), and Lady Natal (4) where the number of prior wins are given in brackets, refer: http://ausrace.com/archives/2004-February/031642.html You are quite right about the media coverage being all about the Sydney filly Special Girl who started odds on and her Melbourne challenger Vain but Gaelic Spirit was also an outstanding filly.
ten four
Guest
she wasnt related to Merlene ,you are right. She was a daughter of Wenona Girl ,and there was alot of press eading into the slipper and it was all about Special Girl v Vain
Aransan
Guest
There were a number of unbeaten horses in Vain's Golden Slipper. Merlin wasn't related to Special Girl.
Cameron Rose
Expert
I'll never get sick of watching that Belle du Jour replay. It's a punting game, so my personal favourite memory would be Crystal Lily. A group of us up from Melbourne for the day, and a Vic double in the big two races - Littorio in the BMW into her. The memories are pretty fuzzy after that, I must say, but they involved a number of trips to the bar and sampling the Sydney nightlife afterwards...
ten four
Guest
My first memory is Special Girl ,who was a daughter of Todman,and a brilliant 2yr old from Sydney ,taking on Vain who was from Melbourne in 1969 .Both were unbeaten leading into the Slipper.Vain won and proved to be an out and out champion at 3 and a very successful stallionI think Special Girl may have beent he grand dam of Merlene .
JOHNY BULLDOG
Roar Rookie
I remember sitting at home with my mum on the drink betting on my phone account & I made some kind of stupid joke & my says "HA HA" just at the precise moment I was looking for the slipper winner-that was enough for me & I whacked $30.00 for the win...oh how we laughed & cheered when it got home!
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
Miss Finland for me!
kv joef
Roar Guru
Sydney's version of Melb's Derby Day ... my choice and i don't mind being a little bias ... Luskin Star :) ... one of the best racehorses i ever laid eyes on.