This Saturday sees the first ever Million Dollar Race run in South Australia with the running of The Goodwood over 1200m. It has had a 100% increase on last year’s $500,000 purse and has been targeted by some of Australia’s best Sprinters. Run as a Handicap for it’s first 121 years, The Goodwood has been a Set Weights and Penalties Race since 2007 which has lifted the profile and quality of the horses taking their place in the event.
First run in 1881, the inaugural winner was the oddly named D.O.D ~ wonder how the race caller called his name…The first 5 Goodwood’s were run at 1 Mile (1600m) but since 1885 it has always been either 6 Furlongs or the Metric distance of 1200m.
Always a hugely competitive race and usually with a big field, The Goodwood has only been won twice by 2 horses ~ Mostyn (1894-95) and Musket Belle (1911-12). So Black Heart Bart is attempting to become the first back to back winner in over a Century, this illustrates what a tough race it is to win.
Leading Trainer Walter Hickenbotham trained 5 winners of the race between 1901 and 1910. Popular Adelaide Jockey Johnny Letts rode 5 winners between 1961 and 1984. Spectrum holds the race record at a blistering 1:08:33.
Interestingly, in the 125 years the race has actually been run, (minus War Years), 64 Winners have had a one word name. Some of those winners have been; Kenmark, Euclase and Keeper (all Leading Stallions), Marjoleo, Sword, Marstic, Flamberge and one of my favourites Crush.
Good Winners:
- Probably the best horse to win The Goodwood prior to modern times was the winner in 1940, Aurie’s Star. Born in 1932, Aurie’s Star was a leading speedster for 4 seasons winning major sprint races from 1937-1940. A huge chestnut gelding with deep girth, Aurie’s Star won the double of Oakleigh Plate & Newmarket in 1937. He won the Oakleigh Plate again in 1939 then the Goodwood in 1940. In all he raced 89 times and won 28 and placed on 12 occasions. He is honoured by the VRC with the Gr3 Aurie’s Star Hcp run at Flemington in the Spring each year.
- Matrice won the Goodwood of 1956. He was a high class sprinter who won 27 of his 45 starts including the Linlithgow Stakes of 1956 & 57, the Goodwood and the SAJC Guineas. At stud, he proved an exceptional stallion who created a Sire line which still lives today. Some of his sons who were great racehorses and Stallions include; Pago Pago, Taj Rossi, Toltrice and Manihi.
- Romantic Dream was an iron horse. He would win feature races in 4 states amongst his 16 wins including; QTC Sires & Castlemaine, NJC Cameron Hcp (twice), SAJC Goodwood, STC Canterbury Stakes and the WATC Winterbottam and Lee Steere Stakes.
- The 1980’s was like a who’s who of South Aussie stars with Goodwood Winners; Bold Jet, Mighty Avenger, Lord Galaxy, Daring Jon and Cameronic. Since the change in 2007 to Set Weights, no South Australian Trained horse has won the event.
- The 2 best winners of the race ever are undoubtedly Takeover Target in 2009 and Black Caviar in 2012. Both of these International Legends of Australian Racing have been mentioned in various articles already and both will get their own feature story in time. Takeover Target’s win in The Goodwood came at his 39th Start and would prove to be both his last win and last run on Australian Soil. Black Caviar used The Goodwood as her last Australian run before heading to Royal Ascot in 2012. It would prove to be her 21st win in an incomprehensible streak of 25 for 25…
- Black Heart Bart won the race in 2106. A winner of 16 of his 39 starts with 14 placings, Black Heart Bart started his career in Western Australia. It took him 9 starts to win his Maiden at Bunbury and his first 18 starts were in his native WA. His first start for new Trainer Darren Weir was in the 2015 Goodwood when he ran 4th behind Flamberge. It’s interesting to see the prominence of The Goodwood in BHB’s career, his first run for Weir was 2015 and his first Gr 1 Win was in The Goodwood of 2016. He has added 3 more Gr 1’s in the last 12 months to become one of Australia’s top horses.
Until next week…good punting.
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