The Golden Eagle is the most recent brainchild of Racing NSW, designed amongst other things to keep the star colts from being sent off to stud, and remain in racing for at least one more season. The inaugural running will take place at Rosehill Gardens on November 2nd 2019.
The concept behind the Golden Eagle-- as well as its lead-up race The Silver Eagle-- is a smart one. Plenty of racing fans don't like seeing the best young horses retired in their infancy to head off to the breeders barn, and instead woud prefer to watch them race. The massive prize money on offer is an attempt to persuade the owners of these star horses to keep them on the track for a little while longer.
As noble as this intention is, sceptics, and particularly those from Victoria, will see this race as an attempt to steal some of the spotlight from their Spring Carnival. This is especially the case as The Golden Eagle will be held on Derby Day, which is like Christmas Day for traditional horse racing fans.
While the Golden Eagle will be criticized in some quarters, it should also be celebrated for its charity initiative. The connections of each horse in the race will nominate a charity, and 10% of the prize money that their horse wins will be donated to that chosen charity.
With such a huge prize purse up for grabs, the field is sure to be jam-packed with quality. This is despite the fact that The Golden Eagle doesn't yet have Group 1 listing.
One final incentive aimed at keeping the stars in racing is the prestige of claiming the "Golden Slam". This is if any horse takes out the Golden Slipper as a two-year-old, the Golden Rose as a three-year-old, and the Golden Eagle as a four-year-old. But it's not just prestige on the line. Any horse that completes this monumental task will be handed a five-million dollar bonus.
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