The Gold Rush
Looking for this year’s The Gold Rush betting odds, field and tips? The experts at Neds have put together everything you need to know on the race.
The Gold Rush is a recent feature race added to the bumper Perth Summer Racing Carnival program for the first time in 2022.
Offering a huge $1.5 million in stakes the 1400m showdown takes place in mid-December at Ascot Racecourse.
The Gold Rush is a weight-for-age showdown for horses aged three and above attracts plenty of local and interstate talent at the tail-end of the calendar year.
The inaugural The Gold Rush winner was Victorian visitor The Astrologist.
The second The Gold Rush winner in 2023 was another raider from Melbourne, the Nick Ryan-trained Munhamek, ridden to victory by the retiring G.O.A.T. Damien Oliver in the jockey’s final feature race ride.
A local won The Gold Rush for the first time in 2024 with Western Empire saluting for trainers Grant & Alana Williams.
Despite its massive prize pool, The Gold Rush only holds Group 3 status with Perth Racing aiming to get the event to grow to a Group 1 event in the years ahead.
The race name was selected from thousands of suggestions by readers of The West Australian by Racing and Wagering Western Australia to reflect WA’s rich history of gold discovery in the 1800s.
The Gold Rush winner is expected to chase a slot in the following autumn’s $4 million The Quokka field each season.
The second edition of The Gold Rush was run in 2023 as the Damien Oliver Gold Rush in honour of the retiring champion hoop who took out the race in a fairy tale result.
the gold rush 2024 – Quick Information
- Race Day: Saturday December 14, 2024
- Track Location: Ascot Racecourse
- Track Surface: Turf
- Track Direction: Left-handed
- Race Distance: 1,400 metres
- Weight Conditions: Weight for age
- Qualification: Three-year-olds and over
- Type: Thoroughbred
- Grade: Group 3
- Operator: Perth Racing
- Prize Purse: $1,500,000
- Inaugural Race: 2022
- 2024 The Gold Rush Winner: Western Empire
the gold rush 2024 RESULTS
The official 2024 The Gold Rush results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday December 14, 2024.
- #1 Western Empire
- #8 Magnificent Andy
- #14 Super Smink
the gold rush Betting 2024
There are many different ways to bet on The Gold Rush, and we have included some of the most popular options below:
| Bet Type | How To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s The Gold Rush |
|---|---|
| Win Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s The Gold Rush. |
| Place Bet | Place your bet on the horse you think will place in the top three finishers in this year’s The Gold Rush. Pays less than a win bet, but offers safer odds. |
| Each-Way Bet | If your runner finishes 1st in The Gold Rush, you will collect both the Win and the Place dividend. If your horse finishes 2nd or 3rd you will collect the Place dividend. |
| Quinella Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within The Gold Rush results, in order to win the Quinella. |
| Exacta Bet | You must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within The Gold Rush results to win the Exacta. |
| Trifecta Bet | You must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within The Gold Rush results to win the Trifecta. |
| First Four | You must select runners that finish 1st, 2nd ,3rd and 4th in the correct order, within The Gold Rush results to win the First 4. |
| Quadrella Bet (Quaddie) | You must select the winners of four nominated races to win the Quaddie. This means you would have to select three other races apart from The Gold Rush, in order to be eligible to place a Quaddie. |
How To Bet On The Gold Rush in 2024
- Log in at neds.com.au
- Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
- Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
- Decide what kind of bet you’re going to place (Win, Place, Each-Way, Trifecta + more betting options, please read our section on The Gold Rush Betting above).
- Select the horse(s) for the race.
the gold rush 2025 Odds
Early market betting odds on the 2025 the gold rush will be displayed below once available. Odds are subject to fluctuation. For current odds on all of our live markets, please visit neds.com.au.
Which Horse Will Win The Gold Rush in 2024
The best way to pick which horse will win The Gold Rush in 2024 is to take into account their lead-up spring / summer racing form, their previous record at the Ascot track and runners from the key local stables.
Additional factors to consider when picking The Gold Rush winner include:
- Group 1 Lead-Ups: The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) – formerly the Kingston Town Stakes – serve as the key lead-ups into The Gold Rush field with The Astrologist (2022) improving on a Winterbottom Stakes eighth to win the inaugural The Gold Rush. In 2024 Western Empire won The Gold Rush off a lead-up ninth in the Winterbottom.
- Interstate Raiders: Horses visiting from the eastern states are worth looking at with the event’s opening two editions going to Victoria visitors The Astrologist (2022) and Munhamek (2023) before local hope Western Empire won in 2024.
The Gold Rush Favourites 2024
Favourites in 2024 The Gold Rush betting include the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Group 1 winner Western Empire, veteran eight-year-old Comfort Me coming off a Group 1 Railway Stakes second, and Dan Morton’s class mare Super Smink.
The Gold Rush field 2024
The official 2024 The Gold Rush field of final acceptances is announced by Perth Racing on the Monday of race week and will be published in full below.
The 2024 The Gold Rush barrier draw follows on the Tuesday evening after final acceptances.
The Gold Rush 2024 Tips
Favourite: #14 Super Smink ($4.80 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Best Bet: #14 Super Smink to salute for the punters (see above) – BET NOW
Best Roughie: #6 Hot Zed ($23 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Our insider 2024 The Gold Rush tips will be published above the week of the race and a full betting preview available on the Neds Blog.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2024 THE GOLD RUSH PREVIEW & TIPS
The Gold Rush Race Day 2024
2024 The Gold Rush Day takes place on Saturday the 14th of December 2024 at Ascot Racecourse in WA. The Listed Starstruck Classic (1600m) is the key support act on the card.
The Gold Rush Barrier Draw 2024
The 2024 The Gold Rush barrier draw will be released to the public on the Tuesday of race week and will be published in our above The Gold Rush Classic Field section.
The Gold Rush Nominations 2024
The early 2024 The Gold Rush nominations close at the start of October around two months out from the event and officially announced by Perth Racing.
The Gold Rush 2024 nominations attracted 121 horses, up from 104 early entries last year, led in all-in betting by the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Group 1 winner Western Empire.
the gold rush Weights 2024
Weight for age conditions apply to this race. Final 2024 The Gold Rush weights will be published on the Tuesday of race week in our above The Gold Rush Field section.
The gold rush Acceptances 2024
2024 The Gold Rush final declarations close on the Monday of race week at 12:00 PM and will be published in our above The Gold Rush Field section.
the gold rush jockeys 2024
Final riders close at 3:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week and the official 2024 The Gold Rush jockeys will be published in our above The Gold Rush Field section.
William Pike was the first The Gold Rush winning jockey in 2022.
The great Damien Oliver was the second The Gold Rush winning jockey in 2023 in his final feature race performance before retirement.
Billy Egan won The Gold Rush in 2024 aboard Western Empire.
the gold rush Scratchings 2024
The Gold Rush 2024 scratchings close on the morning of Saturday the 14th of December 2024.
the gold rush Prize Money 2024
The 2024 The Gold Rush prize purse is worth $1,500,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth.
| Place | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $822,000 |
| 2nd | $279,000 |
| 3rd | $132,000 |
| 4th | $58,500 |
| 5th | $43,500 |
| 6th | $27,000 |
| 7th | $27,000 |
| 8th | $27,000 |
| 9th | $27,000 |
| 10th | $27,000 |
the gold rush Race Number 2024
The 2024 The Gold Rush race number is scheduled as Ascot Race 8 at 4:47pm (AWST) on Saturday the 14th of December 2024. There are nine races in total that day at Ascot Racecourse.
the gold Rush Form Guide 2024
The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2024 The Gold Rush form guide following final acceptances.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2024 THE GOLD RUSH FORM GUIDE
the gold rush Live 2024
You can watch or listen to the 2024 The Gold Rush live, across the following mediums.
Pay television: Sky Racing 1 (channel 526 on Foxtel)
the gold rush Winners
Winners of The Gold Rush going back to the race’s inauguration in 2022 are displayed in the table below.
| YEAR | WINNER | SECOND | THIRD | TIME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Western Empire | Magnificent Andy | Super Smink | 1:21.94 (R) |
| 2023 | Munhamek | Ripcord | Comfort Me | 1:22.75 |
| 2022 | The Astrologist | Kissonallforcheeks | Comfort Me | 1:22.44 |