GOLDEN EAGLE
* The $7.5 million Golden Eagle is a set-weights race over 1500m for four-year-olds at Rosehill
* It will run as race seven at 4.15pm AEDT on Saturday, November 2
* males carry 57.5kg and females 55.5kg, but three northern hemisphere runners have 56.5kg as they are technically three-year-olds
CONCEPT
* Launched in 2019 as part of the expansion of the Everest carnival
* Billed as the world’s richest race exclusively for four-year-olds
* Third leg of Rosehill’s Golden Slam (Golden Slipper, Golden Rose, The Golden Eagle)
PRIZE MONEY
* $7.5 million prize pool makes it the third richest race in Australia behind The Everest ($14 million) and Melbourne Cup ($8 million)
* Winner claims $4.1 million, with $1.5 million for second and $750,000 for third
* 10 per cent ($750,000) of prize money donated to an accredited charity of choice for each runner
* $5 million bonus for any horse that wins the Golden Slipper at two, the Golden Rose at three and Golden Eagle at four
ENTERTAINMENT
* ‘Desi’ the eagle to take flight down the Rosehill Gardens straight and finish on the winning post perch before the first race
* Hot Dub Time Machine to perform a live DJ set for racegoers after the last race
* General admission punters can watch Rosehill’s nine-race card from the TAB Nest, perched six metres above ground level
RUNNERS
* Brutal, Classique Legend, Kolding, The Inevitable, Gem Song, Behemoth, Military Zone, Jonker, Fun Fact, Beat Le Bon, Never No More, I Am Superman, Sunlight, Arcadia Queen, Mizzy, Fasika
TALKING POINTS
* Diverse 17-starter field includes international raiders (Beat Le Bron, Never No More and I Am Superman) and interstate runners from Tasmania (The Inevitable), South Australia (Behemoth) and Victoria (Sunlight)
* Arcadia Queen also hailed from Western Australia before being transferred to Chris Waller’s Sydney stable
* Doncaster Mile winner Brutal, Epsom Handicap winner Kolding and Classique Legend are other top-line locals
* Three runners (Arcadia Queen, Classique Legend and Sunlight) backing up from the $14 million Everest
* Four Group One winners in the race (Brutal, Kolding, Sunlight and Arcadia Queen)
* Scott Brunton-trained The Inevitable won the Silver Eagle prelude to secure automatic entry along with Fasika and Mizzy
* Mizzy is a daughter of dual Cox Plate champion So You Think
* Arcadia Queen firmed into favouritism ($3.20) as Brutal ($5.50) drifted after the barrier draw. Kolding ($5) sits on the second line of betting
WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING
“She’s getting out to a more suitable distance on Saturday. The 1500 metres will be perfect” – Arcadia Queen’s trainer Chris Waller
“He’s a very serious horse that’s continued to improve and I think he deserves the respect to be pretty close to her (Arcadia Queen) in the market” – Waller on Kolding
“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him. This is his grand final. Tommy (Berry) knows the horse. He knows what he’s got underneath him. Hopefully he can get him in a nice spot” – Brutal’s co-trainer Michael Hawkes
“I’m going there seeing her as a winning chance. She’s got a nice barrier so she should get a decent run and she will be in the finish” – Mizzy’s trainer Anthony Cummings
“She’s had a perfect prep for mine to run this trip out. But it’s scary because her opposition is so good” – Fasika’s trainer Joe Pride
“I’d imagine with the fact that he’s in gate seven he’ll go forward because there’s no point in losing (ground). We think we have him spot on” – Never No More’s travelling foreman Andrew Murphy
“Hopefully he’ll run a good race. We just want him to run respectable and put up a good show. If he can cover his costs, we’d be happy” – Beat Le Bon’s travelling foreman Wayne Kavanagh
“He obviously hasn’t raced against horses this side of the world, but going on his home form he should be thereabouts” – I Am Superman’s travelling foreman John Bailey
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au
