The 2023 edition of The Gold Rush, a 1400m Group Three event, is scheduled to take place at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday, December 16th, 2023.
Past the Wire provides comprehensive race information, including betting options, odds, horse form, field, race timing facts, and more relevant data.
The Gold Rush 2023 Information Overview
| Date | Saturday, Dec 16, 2023 |
| Location | Ascot Racecourse, Perth, Australia |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track Direction | Left-handed |
| Distance | 1,400 metres |
| Weight Conditions | Weight for age |
| Qualification | Three years old and up |
| Type | Thoroughbred |
| Grade | 3 |
| Promoter | Perth Racing |
| Purse | $1,500,000 |
| 2022 The Gold Rush Winner | The Astrologist |
The Gold Rush Historical Facts
The Gold Rush, renamed and now worth $1.5 million, concludes an expanded Perth Racing Carnival. An earlier name for it was the Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes.
The Gold Rush appellation was selected by followers of The West Australian and Racing and Wagering Western Australia from thousands of suggestions. According to the company’s CEO, Ian Edwards, it aptly linked the glitz and thrill of racing with the state’s inception.
The Carnival will be conducted throughout five Saturdays in November and December under the new name The Pinnacles.
Champion Fillies Day commences with the $500k Placid Ark Stakes. Subsequently, each of Perth’s three Group 1 races—the Northerly Stakes, the Winterbottom Stakes, and the Railway Stakes—will have its own feature day. The headline event on the closing day of The Pinnacles will be The Gold Rush.
The Gold Rush is planned to be conducted under weight-for-age and Group 3 level conditions spanning 1400 metres. It is anticipated that horses will be drawn from the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes, held over 1200 metres two weeks prior. The inaugural event known as The Gold Rush was triumphed over by The Astrologist, who won’t participate in the 2023 race.
The Gold Rush 2023 Odds
- Top 10 Gold Rush 2023 Betting Odds
| Runner | Win Odds | Place Odds |
| Ayrton | 6.00 | 2.25 |
| Super Smink | 7.00 | 2.50 |
| Munhamek | 8.00 | 2.75 |
| Triple Missile | 8.00 | 2.75 |
| Roots | 9.00 | 3.00 |
| Valour Road | 10.00 | 3.25 |
| Alsephina | 12.00 | 3.75 |
| Ripcord | 13.00 | 4.00 |
| Zipaway | 15.00 | 4.50 |
| A Lot Of Good Men | 26.00 | 7.25 |
The aforementioned odds represent the early odds released by NZ online sports betting markets for the top 10 horses, and those lines are subject to change.
The 2023 Gold Rush Field
The definitive 2023 field will be disclosed following the complete list of final acceptances for the Gold Rush on Monday, December 11, 2023.
The 2023 Gold Rush barrier draw ensues subsequent to the final acceptances on Tuesday evening.
Picking a winner for the 2023 Gold Rush
Predicting the victor of The Gold Rush in 2023 entails considering the horse’s prior spring and summer racing form, their past Ascot record, and the competitors affiliated with prominent local stables.
Further considerations for determining the victor of The Gold Rush encompass the following:
Group 1 Lead-Ups: Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m), formerly the Kingston Town Stakes, The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), and the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m), function as crucial precursors to the inaugural The Gold Rush field. The Astrologist (2022) won the inaugural Gold Rush after overcoming an eighth-place finish in the Winterbottom Stakes.
It’s also worth observing whether the horses originating from the eastern or local states, with The Astrologist (2022), the inaugural participant of the event, originating from the Victorian stables owned by Leon and Troy Corstens.
The Gold Rush 2023 Betting Favourite: Ayrton
Ayrton arrived in Perth last week alongside other Pinnacles contenders and will compete in the Damien Oliver Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot the following month. By competing in the Gold Rush, the intrepid six-year-old will have completed races in every state on the Australian mainland.
Due to an arachnid bite in 2021, the prospective career of the gelding was shelved for over six months.
Following a lacklustre autumn campaign earlier this year, during which he finished unplaced at the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap, Group 3 Victoria Handicap, and the Listed City Of Adelaide Handicap, Ayrton’s career appeared to be at a crossroads.
Last month at Caulfield, the six-year-old displayed indications that he had returned to his peak form by winning the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes. Two valiant unplaced performances in the Group 2 Damien Oliver Stakes and the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clark Stakes have followed his two subsequent attempts.
Trainer Mick Price has a history of success in Perth, as he emerged victorious in the Railway Stakes in 1999 with Slavonic. Ayrton will be the inaugural horse trained by Price and Kent Jnr in Perth.
According to stable representatives, Ayrton’s previous participation in the Sir Rupert Clark Stakes has instilled confidence in the stable, indicating their potential to secure victory in the next Group 3 main event.
Ayrton’s odds for the Gold Rush were earlier set at $7, placing him in the third position on the betting line. Amelia’s Jewel, priced at $5, and Super Smink, priced at $6, were the top contenders on the market. However, the aforementioned confidence stemming from the stable has apparently transitioned into the betting markets. Ayrton has overtaken the pricing and is currently at the top of the odds to win it all at $6.
