The Gold Rush

The 2025 The Gold Rush ran at Ascot Racecourse in Perth on Saturday the 13th of December 2025, and was won by Robbie Griffiths' Victorian visitor Rey Magnerio ($5.50)!

Ascot R9
Final Race time: 
1st
9. Rey Magnerio (5)
J: William Pike59kg
4x133T: Robbie Griffiths
6.00WIN
2.05PLACE
2nd
10. Cosmic Crusader (9)
J: Clint Johnston-Porter59kg
13311T: Michael Grantham
2.60WIN
1.35PLACE
3rd
1. Overpass (8)
J: Josh Parr59kg
59x42T: Bjorn Baker
4.50WIN
1.75PLACE
4th
8. Oscar's Fortune (1)
J: Alan Kennedy59kg
9x226T: Dion Luciani
41.00WIN
7.00PLACE
5th
13. Super Smink (2)
J: Lucy Fiore57kg
9x310T: Daniel Morton
10.00WIN
2.80PLACE
6th
12. Aztec Ruler (4)
J: Chris Parnham59kg
x0742T: Stefan Vahala
51.00WIN
8.00PLACE
7th
4. Magnificent Andy (11)
J: Brad Parnham59kg
x1545T: Stephen Miller
41.00WIN
7.00PLACE
8th
2. Western Empire (12)
J: Billy Egan59kg
4x523T: Grant & Alana Williams
10.00WIN
2.80PLACE
9th
11. Rope Them In (7)
J: Shaun McGruddy59kg
0x124T: Steve Wolfe
8.00WIN
2.40PLACE
10th
6. Bustler (10)
J: Steven Parnham59kg
9x070T: Neville Parnham
151.00WIN
17.00PLACE
11th
7. Iowna Merc (3)
J: Joey Azzopardi59kg
x6200T: Bjorn Baker
35.00WIN
6.50PLACE
12th
5. Comfort Me (6)
J: Holly Watson59kg
0x236T: Rhys Radford
101.00WIN
13.00PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.neds.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 13/06/2026 08:37:57 PM (Australia/Brisbane)

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 2025 Tips

2025 The Gold Rush Favourite
No. 10 Cosmic Crusader
Ascot R9
Final Race time: 
2nd
10. Cosmic Crusader (9)
J: Clint Johnston-Porter59kg
13311T: Michael Grantham
2.60WIN
1.35PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.neds.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 13/06/2026 08:37:57 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
2025 The Gold Rush Best Bet
No. 1 Overpass
Tip of The Day
Ascot R9
Final Race time: 
3rd
1. Overpass (8)
J: Josh Parr59kg
59×42T: Bjorn Baker
4.50WIN
1.75PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.neds.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 13/06/2026 08:37:57 PM (Australia/Brisbane)
2025 The Gold Rush Best Roughie
No. 13 Super Smink
Each Way
Ascot R9
Final Race time: 
5th
13. Super Smink (2)
J: Lucy Fiore57kg
9×310T: Daniel Morton
10.00WIN
2.80PLACE
For current odds on all of our live racing markets, please visit www.neds.com.au/racing. Data retrieved: 13/06/2026 08:37:57 PM (Australia/Brisbane)

Our insider 2025 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 2025 THE GOLD RUSH PREVIEW & TIPS

The Gold Rush is a recent feature race added to the bumper Perth Summer Racing Carnival program for the first time in 2022.

Ascot Racecourse, Perth Racing

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.

The visitors were back on top for the fourth edition in 2025 with Victorian Rey Magnerio saluting with local hoop William Pike aboard for his second win in four years.

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 2025 – Quick Information

  • Race Day: Saturday December 13, 2025
  • 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
  • 2025 The Gold Rush Winner: Rey Magnerio

The Gold Rush 2025 Results

The official 2025 The Gold Rush results will be available below once the race takes place on Saturday December 13, 2025. 

  1. No. 9 Rey Magnerio
  2. No. 10 Cosmic Crusader
  3. No. 1 Overpass

The Victorian visitor Rey Magnerio ($5.50) delivered a commanding performance to claim victory in the 2025 The Gold Rush results at Ascot on Saturday, stepping up to the trip for the first time and proving far too strong late.

The Robbie Griffiths trained sprinter had stayed on in Perth after his excellent third in the Winterbottom Stakes, and the decision to pay a late entry fee for the $1.5 million feature paid off in style.

Given a perfect ride by the ‘Wizard of the West’ William Pike, Rey Magnerio loomed up in the straight, swept past long time leader Overpass at the 50-metre mark, and held off a fast-finishing Northerly Stakes winner Cosmic Crusader to score impressively.

The Gold Rush Betting 2025

There are many different ways to bet on The Gold Rush, and we have included some of the most popular options below:

Bet TypeHow To Place This Type Of Bet In This Year’s The Gold Rush
Win BetPlace your bet on the horse you think will take first place in this year’s The Gold Rush.
Place BetPlace 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 BetIf 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 BetYou must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in any order, within The Gold Rush results, in order to win the Quinella.
Exacta BetYou must select the runners that finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order, within The Gold Rush results to win the Exacta.
Trifecta BetYou must select runners to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order, within The Gold Rush results to win the Trifecta.
First FourYou 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 2025

  1. Log in at neds.com.au
  2. Make a deposit, using your credit card, PayPal or other safe electronic method
  3. Make sure to check out form guide, once it’s released
  4. 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).
  5. Select the horse(s) for the race.

Which Horse Will Win The Gold Rush in 2025

The best way to pick which horse will win The Gold Rush in 2025 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, while in 2025 Rey Magnerio ran third in the Winterbottom before his The Gold Rush victory.
  • 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. A third interstate raider, Rey Magnerio from Victoria, won in 2025.

The Gold Rush Favourites 2025

Favourites in 2025 The Gold Rush betting include last start Northerly Stakes champion Cosmic Crusader, dual Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Overpass coming off a second in that event this summer, and Playing Gold five-year-old Rope Them In

The Gold Rush Field 2025

The official 2025 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 Gold Rush 2025 final field features a top-class line-up of 13 summer hopefuls led in betting by past The Quokka champion Overpass coming off a run for second in the Winterbottom Stakes and the Northerly Stakes champ Cosmic Crusader.

The official The Gold Rush 2025 barrier draw will be conducted on Tuesday evening and updated below.

  • Update: No. 3 Jokers Grin (10) was scratched from the field on Friday morning due to a virus.
Ascot R9
Final Race time: 
EntrantLast 6SexBarrierWeight
1. Overpass J: Josh Parr
T: Bjorn Baker
259x42 G 8 59kg
2. Western Empire J: Billy Egan
T: Grant & Alana Williams
14x523 G 12 59kg
3. Jokers Grin (10)  Scratched:
4. Magnificent Andy J: Brad Parnham
T: Stephen Miller
2x1545 G 11 59kg
5. Comfort Me J: Holly Watson
T: Rhys Radford
00x236 G 6 59kg
6. Bustler J: Steven Parnham
T: Neville Parnham
89x070 G 10 59kg
7. Iowna Merc J: Joey Azzopardi
T: Bjorn Baker
0x6200 G 3 59kg
8. Oscar's Fortune J: Alan Kennedy
T: Dion Luciani
69x226 G 1 59kg
9. Rey Magnerio J: William Pike
T: Robbie Griffiths
74x133 G 5 59kg
10. Cosmic Crusader J: Clint Johnston-Porter
T: Michael Grantham
113311 G 9 59kg
11. Rope Them In J: Shaun McGruddy
T: Steve Wolfe
70x124 G 7 59kg
12. Aztec Ruler J: Chris Parnham
T: Stefan Vahala
0x0742 G 4 59kg
13. Super Smink J: Lucy Fiore
T: Daniel Morton
79x310 M 2 57kg

The Gold Rush Race Day 2025

2025 The Gold Rush Day takes place on Saturday the 13th of December 2025 at Ascot Racecourse in WA. The Listed Starstruck Classic (1600m) and the Listed Black Heart Bart Stakes (1200m) are the key support acts on the card. 

The Gold Rush Barrier Draw 2025

The 2025 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 2025

The early 2025 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 2025 nominations attracted 106 horses led in all-in betting by the ultra-consistent reigning The Quokka champion Jokers Grin.

The Gold Rush Weights 2025

Weight for age conditions apply to this race. Final 2025 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 2025

2025 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 2025

Final riders close at 3:00 PM on the Wednesday of race week and the official 2025 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 before claiming his second in 2025.

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 2025

The Gold Rush 2025 scratchings close on the morning of Saturday the 13th of December 2025. 

  • No. 3 Jokers Grin (10)

The Gold Rush Prize Money 2025

The 2025 The Gold Rush prize purse is worth $1,500,000 in total, distributed from places first through to tenth.

PlacePrize 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 2025

The 2025 The Gold Rush race number scheduled as Ascot Race 9 at 4:58pm (AWST) / 7:58pm (AEDT) on Saturday the 13th of December 2025. There are ten races in total that day at Ascot Racecourse.

The Gold Rush Form Guide 2025

The final form guide will be available the week of the race. You can check below for a link to our full 2025 The Gold Rush form guide following final acceptances. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 THE GOLD RUSH FORM GUIDE

The Gold Rush Live 2025

You can watch or listen to the 2025 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.

YEARWINNERSECONDTHIRDTIME
2025Rey MagnerioCosmic CrusaderOverpass1:21.43 (R)
2024Western EmpireMagnificent AndySuper Smink1:21.94
2023MunhamekRipcordComfort Me1:22.75
2022The AstrologistKissonallforcheeksComfort Me1:22.44