The Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) is on the first Saturday of April at Rosehill Racecourse during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
It is the world’s richest race for two-year-old fillies, colts and geldings and is one of four Grand Slam races on the Australian racing calendar alongside the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.
The race took on Group 1 status in 1980 and was first run in 1957 when won by Todman by Star Kingdom who also sired the next four winners of the Golden Slipper.
The $3.5 million prizemoney attracts the speediest of the two-year-old brigade and is run under set-weights conditions, with females carrying 2kg less than the males.
The 1200m start is located in a chute in the middle of the course where there is a long straight run to the first turn; it is possible to win from an outside gate when the track conditions are suiting horses that are finishing on down the centre of the track.
As this is the third consecutive weekend of racing at this track during the autumn carnival, the rail is often moved out and horses will race wide in search of better going, particularly if the ground is rain affected.
There are a number of lead-up races prior to the Golden Slipper Stakes; these races include the Reisling Stakes, the Magic Night Stakes for fillies, the Todman Stakes and the Pago Pago Stakes for colts and geldings.
These lead-up races are all named after past winners of the race with Reisling (1965), Magic Night (1961), Todman (1957) and Pago Pago (1963) being famous winners of the two-year-old feature.
Other former winners of the Golden Slipper include: Sweet Embrace (1967), Vain (1969), Luskin Star (1977), Manikato (1978), Marscay (1982), Rory’s Jester (1985), Courtza (1989), Tierce (1991), Danzero (1994), Catbird (1999), Miss Finland (2006), Sebring (2008), Sepoy (2011) and Pierro (2012).
The race is also the first leg of the Sydney two-year-old Triple Crown with only six horses going on the complete rare feat of the Golden Slipper, Sire Produce (1400m) and the Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Pierro won the Triple Crown in 2011 and now joins the elite group of Baguette (1970), Luskin Star (1977), Tierce (1991), Burst (1992) and Dance Hero (2004) to complete the rare treble.