The Golden Eagle 2021

Announced as part of the 2019 Sydney Spring Carnival, The Golden Eagle now is the third-richest race in Australia after The Everest and Melbourne Cup and the first feature race held exclusively for four-year-olds.

Offering $7.5 million in prize money – 10% of which is donated to charity – The Golden Eagle was designed to rival Victoria’s Flemington Derby Day while also offering more prize money than the world’s richest two-mile handicap – the Melbourne Cup run on the first Tuesday of November annually.

There are no big four-year-old races held over the Melbourne Cup Carnival allowing Racing NSW to create The Golden Eagle and draw some of the attention away from their rivals down south.

The Golden Eagle race is contested over 1500m at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, three days before Melbourne Cup Day, and the four-year-olds will face off at set weights. The Golden Eagle winner is awarded a total of $4.2 million in prize money, $3.69 of which goes to the owners / trainer / jockey / strapper.

The Golden Eagle follows in the tradition of Sydney’s lucrative Golden Slipper (1200m) for two-year-old horses and the Golden Rose (1400m) open to three-year-olds. There is an incredible $5 million bonus prize to any horse that completes the “Golden Slam” winning the Slipper – Rose – Eagle treble during their early years on the race track.

Golden Eagle Day is now a massive event with Racing NSW also adding the $1 million Winners Stakes (1300m) – known in 2019 as the Redzel Stakes, in 2020 as the Yes Yes Yes Stakes and 2021 as the Classique Legend Stakes – the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) and the brand-new $700,000 The Four Pillars (1500m) taking place for the first time in 2021.

The 2021 edition of The Golden Eagle ran on Saturday October 30, 2021 and saw the favourite I’m Thunderstruck ($3.50) salute for the punters. 

2021 Golden Eagle Results

The 2021 Golden Eagle Results and full race Finishing Order will be available below once the race is run and won on Saturday October 30, 2021.

• 1st: #2 I’m Thunderstruck
• 2nd: #11 Count De Rupee
• 3rd: #16 Vangelic

I’m Thunderstruck ($3.50) was too good late running down Count De Rupee to score victory in the 2021 The Golden Eagle results, the first favourite to win the $7.5 million Sydney feature.

The Golden Eagle Info

• Date: Saturday October 30, 2021
• Track: Rosehill Racecourse
• Distance: 1500m
• Conditions: 4yos – Set Weights
• Status: Special Condition
• Prize Money: $7.5 million
• First Run: 2019

Golden Eagle Betting

Golden Eagle betting is led by the best performed four-year-old horses of the season.

Before the Horse’s Birthday on August 1 when all racehorses in Australia officially turn one-year-older, Golden Eagle betting markets are dominated by gun three-year-olds who performed well in the previous year’s feature races. Any rising four-year-olds that have beaten the older horses in Group 1 company feature highly in Golden Eagle racing odds.

I’m Thunderstruck ($3.50 in 2021) became the first favourite in Golden Eagle betting to win.

2021 Golden Eagle Odds

The latest Golden Eagle 2021 betting odds including pre-nomination futures markets on the richest race at Rosehill Gardens will be provided below as soon as available.

Golden Eagle Field

The Golden Eagle field features the season’s top four-year-old horses, many of which may have previously been heading to stud instead of racing on for another season.

The Golden Eagle race field attracts many of the same gallopers that contested Sydney’s Golden Slipper Stakes as juveniles and or the Golden Rose Stakes as a three-year-old.

One of the first early lead-up races for mares heading towards The Golden Eagle field is Randwick’s Group 3 Toy Show Quality run in August, the 2019 winner of which Mizzy went on to finish third in that year’s Golden Eagle trifecta.

2021 Golden Eagle Field

The official Golden Eagle 2021 field and barriers will be announced the week of the race and published in full below.

Following nominations on The Golden Eagle in early September, the final declarations revealing the starting line-up close at 9am (AEDT) on Tuesday October 26, 2021.

Last start Group 1 winners Private Eye (Epsom Handicap) and I’m Thunderstruck (Toorak Handicap) headline a capacity 2021 Golden Eagle final field in Sydney this weekend.

2021 Golden Eagle Nominations

Early The Golden Eagle 2021 nominations are taken on Monday the 6th of September, 2021.

The 2021 Golden Eagle nominations attracted 121 four-year-old hopefuls including the progressive Ayrton and Annabel Neasham’s first-up Group 1 Winx Stakes winner Mo’unga.

Golden Eagle Form Guide

The Golden Eagle race form guide lists the full line-up of four-year-old runners, their connections (owner / jockey / trainer) that stand to win one of Australian racing’s biggest prizes and gives a rundown on their lead-up form / career statistics.

Using the Golden Eagle form guide to look for the horses proven at the track, those with a good record over the distance and the Group 1 winners in the mix that are racing well that Sydney Spring Racing Carnival can help punters place a winning bet on the $7.5 million feature.

2021 Golden Eagle Form

A link to our detailed Golden Eagle 2021 form guide will be available below the week leading-up to the country’s second richest race.

Golden Eagle Tips

Top Golden Eagle racing tips include looking for the winners of the Golden Slipper and Golden Rose from the two season’s prior, backing proven Group 1 horses and those with a good record over at least 1400m.

Another Golden Eagle tip is to watch the autumn carnival results and lock in the early Golden Eagle odds available on the winners of races including the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick and another of the country’s newest races – the All-Star Mile run over 1600m in Victoria each March.

The Epsom Handicap proved the form line to follow into the 2019 Golden Eagle with the Chris Waller-trained Kolding doing the double, and did so again in 2020 with the Godolphin-raced mare Colette improving on her sixth in the same Group 1 lead-up.

2021 Golden Eagle Tips

Our expert team of tipsters will provide the 2021 Golden Eagle betting tips below closer to the day so stay tuned for the sprinters to back and sack this spring.

Once the final field has been accepted and finalised we will be placing our top tips and selections for the Golden Eagle here.

• Best Roughie: #10 Love Tap ($34 at time of publish)

Open race with last start Group 1 winners I’m Thunderstruck and Private Eye up in weight but back against their own age the obvious picks. But the value? Huge price on offer for Love Tap who looks a big chance to finish in the money at a price. The four-year-old grey is fourth-up and fit and was good last time out in the Group 2 Shannon Stakes when a length away fourth. This is their pet distance and previous winning form at Rosehill. Ticks a few boxes to surprise a few.

Golden Eagle Bet Types

Win – The most basic type of bet. Put your money straight up on the runner that you think will win the Golden Eagle.

Place – Pick the horse that you think will finish in the top three positions but at lower odds.

Each-Way – Put equal amounts on a horse for the win and a place, the equivalent of two bets and you get paid out for both if it wins.

Quinella – Bet on the horses you think will finish first and second in either order. You can also pick for example one horse to finish 1st and then a combination The fewer horses you pick the greater the dividend.

Exacta – An exacta also involves choosing horses that you think will finish first and second but it differs from a quinella in that it has to be the exact order you specify in the bet.

Trifecta – Very similar to an Exacta, but for the first, second and third placings in the correct finishing order. You can also Box Trifecta to finish in any of the first 3 combinations.

First Four – A First Four bet works the same as an Exacta and Trifecta but for the first four runners in finishing order.

Golden Eagle Results

The Golden Eagle results from Sydney will be available on the Saturday before Melbourne Cup Day each year. As well as listing the complete Golden Eagle finishing order the results show the trainer and jockey of each horse as well as the margin between each place, the weight they carried and their starting price in the betting markets.

Golden Eagle Winners