- The 2009 Golden Slipper was run on Saturday, April 4, at Rosehill Gardens, and won by Queensland-trained two-year-old Phelan Ready trained by Bruce and Jason McLachlan and ridden by jockey Brad Rawiller. Finishing second and third were Headway and Manharran Rain.
The Golden Slipper is the world's richest horse race for two-year-olds held during the Autumn Racing Carnival in Sydney.
It was first run in 1957 and won by celebrated racehorse Todman who went on to sire many champions and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.
The Golden Slipper is run over 1200m at Rosehill Gardens, close to Parramatta, in western Sydney.
Sixteen horses who qualify for the race line up for the Golden Slipper.
In 2006, in the 50th year of the Golden Slipper with prizemoney of A$3 million, the 1200m race was run on Saturday, April 8, and won by Miss Finland, followed by Pure Energy and Churchill Downs. In 2007, the Golden Slipper, with prizemoney increased to A$3.5 million, was run on March 31 and won by Forensics, followed by Zizou and Meurice.
Golden Slipper prizemoney was increased to $3.5 million in 2007.
How it all began
The Golden Slipper, now part of the triad of Australia's greatest horse races with the Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate, came about when George Edward Ryder, picked by then NSW Premier Sir William McKell to head the newly created Sydney Turf Club, thought of having a race event that could compete with the Australian Jockey Club's Doncaster Handicap, Champagne Stakes and Sires Produce Stakes.
- The Australian Jockey Club's main racecourse is at Royal Randwick while the Sydney Turf Club is at Rosehill Gardens.
Deciding on a race for two-year-olds, Ryder was stumped for a name and the following conversation is now part of racing folklore:
- George Ryder: What would be a special gift for a newly-born baby?
Ryder's wife Dot: A slipper.
George: What sort of slipper?
Dot: A golden slipper.
So was born the world's richest race for two-year-olds: the Golden Slipper.
