Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!
The historic WA Goldfields town east of Perth is set in a vast red wilderness and has been racing since 1896 - just three years after the discovery of gold put the place on the map.
On Saturday 4th October 2025 the past met the future at the KBRC with the inaugural running of its new $1m Golden Saddle slot race alongside its time honoured feature, the Kalgoorlie Gold Cup.
When Premier Roger Cook announced $1.5 million in government funding towards the Golden Saddle over three years, the plan was to bring a "significant new sporting drawcard" to regional WA.
The concept for the Golden Saddle was the brainchild of several prominent business leaders notably WA mining entrepreneur Bill Beament.
The success of Perth's $5m Quokka, inaugurated in 2023, inspired the Golden Saddle idea.
Like The Quokka, Australia's newest slot race is a 1200m WFA sprint.
The KBRC has had a difficult couple of years, amid a public spat over water costs and a need for the proud old club to rely on emergency funding from the state government to survive.
The district was once home to many racecourses but eventually only the ‘big three’ - Coolgardie, Boulder and Kalgoorlie - survived. They each held an annual carnival which collectively became the famous Goldfields “Racing Round.”
In 1953 the latter two merged to form the Kalgoorlie- Boulder Racing Club.
That was a winning move and the KBRC thrived. “The Cup” forms the centrepiece of an entire festival which has long been the centre of Kalgoorlie's social calendar and a drawcard for visitors from all over Australia.
With the introduction of the Golden Saddle to Cup day, Kalgoorlie now hosts WA's richest regional raceday.
The Kalgoorlie Gold Cup has been run since 1897 (when it was held twice and won by the same horse Paul Pry!)
It is one of the few Cups in Australian turf history to have run uninterrupted through two World Wars.
The Cup's most famous winner is Blue Spec, foaled in Walcha NSW in 1899.
The son of True Blue (NZ) raced without much success in Sydney and was auctioned off to one PA (Paddy) O'Connolly, a Perth businessman who had been drawn to Kalgoorlie, like thousands of others, by the lure of gold.
Connolly’s purchase of Blue Spec - his first racehorse - was to change the course of racing history in Western Australia. Connolly went on to become the Bob Peters of his day, winning seven Perth Cups, four WA Derbies and five Railway Stakes - and his racing empire was funded by that fateful first purchase.
Narrowly beaten in the 1903 Kalgoorlie Cup shortly after his arrival in the booming town, Blue Spec got his redemption the following year. Four months later the horse cruised home to win the 1904 Perth Cup, and Connolly started dreaming big.
Blue Spec the “bushie” was headed to Melbourne for an assault on the hallowed turf of Flemington and the Melbourne Cup!
Connolly needed a trainer. Enter Walter Hickenbotham, trainer of the immortal Cup winner of 1890, Carbine.
“The pride of the Goldfields” was unplaced in the Coongy Hcp first up, then ran an underwhelming third at Sandown.
But the six year old Blue Spec took a liking to the Moonee Valley circuit, and he won the Moonee Valley Cup.
Meanwhile, Connolly had been feverishly backing his horse for the 1905 Melbourne Cup for weeks at 33/1 across six states.
Even without the rich winner's purse he stood to win more than $3,5 million in today's money if Blue Spec won the Cup!
By the first Tuesday in November, slightly alarmed bookies had reeled Blue Spec in to 10/1.
Tartan was all the rage at 7/2 as a field of 27 runners took their places for the great race.
Under jockey Frank Bullock Blue Spec was well back in the pack early, but made a mid race move, sliding up the field to be within striking distance.
Across the Nullabor, in the jam-packed pubs of Kalgoorlie, around the city of Perth and the entire vast state of Western Australia, everyone stopped breathing.
At the 1200m horses were beginning to fall away but Blue Spec was still there, and then he was right on the heels of second favourite Scot Free, as that horse went to the lead.
Heads turned for home in the Cup! and the favourite Tartan was on the scene breathing fire.
Blue Spec, Scot Free and Tartan entered the Flemington straight side by side. Every pub roof in Kalgoorlie must have been raised by a mighty roar!
It was a great battle. Bullock drove Blue Spec to get past Scot Free, who would not give in. Tartan put up the white flag as they neared the post, and it was a two-horse war.
The hero of the Goldfields was tough - Blue Spec got the upper hand and drew clear to win by three quarters of a length! WA had won the Melbourne Cup!
Then people looked at the clock. Blue Spec had run record time! 3.27.5.
That record is long broken of course - but it's still faster than the legendary Makybe Diva ran in 2004 to win her second Cup.
And eerily, it is .01 of a second faster than the winning time run by the mighty Doriemus in 1995 - that great stayer was owned by two KBRC life members and past Chairmen of the club, in Keith Biggs and Dr Dick Austin.
Blue Spec's famous Melbourne Cup and the silks worn by WA born jockey Damien Oliver aboard Doriemus - still splattered with Flemington mud- today take pride of place in the on-course museum at Kalgoorlie racecourse.
The diamond-shaped ribbon of green turf shining against the red outback dirt has seen history unfold for more than 125 years, and the huge crowd in attendance was about to witness some more!
THE GOLDEN SADDLE 2025
The Contenders for the inaugural running of the $1m slot race stepped onto the track, each looking to make their own piece of Goldfields history.
Hot favourite was the always brave and consistent Magnificent Andy.
Running in the Beament Racing slot, the 7yo son of Magnus is trained by Steven Miller and owned by Kalgoorlie local David Reed.
“Andy” has been a gem for his connections and was overdue for a change of luck after his last campaign netted three runner up placings in stakes races, following a huge first up fourth in the Quokka.
Miller and Reed considered sending Andy east for the Melbourne spring - but decided to stay home and have a crack at the Golden Saddle first up with their G3 winning sprinter-miler and proven WFA performer.
Magnificent Andy had won Kalgoorlie's Listed Hannans Hcp in 2023 and punters had him on top with Brad Parnham to ride.
During the week a flood of money had come for the grey Snowdome (Rommel) after Neville Parnham’s talented fresh performer had trialled brilliantly.
Quality mares Yonga Lass (Universal Ruler) and Twain's Angel (Toronado) were kept safe resuming.
Hanchi (Squamosa) and Final Siren (I'm All The Talk) with race fitness on his side, had some support but everything else was out the gate - Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man) and Man Crush (Manhattan Rain) had been out of form for a while, ditto Bravo Centurion (National Defense).
Punters couldn't make a case for Stormchaser (Impending), King Adviso (Animal Kingdom) or Playing God mare Rissoles.
The Golden Saddle got underway and Steve Wolfe's nine year old Red Can Man - yet another hardy veteran by WA sire Gingerbread Man! - was up there vying for the lead all the way.
The 40/1 shot hit the front early in the straight and briefly looked like causing a massive upset! Snowdome had raced wide on the pace and ran out of gas. When Parnham asked Magnificent Andy for his effort it was all over. The powerful chestnut swept to the lead and won with absolute authority. The ever- consistent Yonga Lass (Pike/Williams) fought on gamely for second with Man Crush (Holly Watson/Luke Fernie) finally rediscovering his long lost form, coming home well for third, and Twain's Angel (Derrick/Casey) in fourth place.
Few would argue that the inaugural Golden Saddle champion was the best horse in the race, and the victory was all the sweeter for his local owner Reed and Kalgoorlie-born trainer Miller, from a famous Goldfields racing family!
Magnificent Andy is a homebred for David Reed.
Magnificent Andy is bred
Danehill 3m x 4f sex balanced
Mr Prospector 4f x 5m
He is sired by the much missed stallion Magnus from the Trade Fair mare Yaloginda - G3 placed at two, and was her first named foal.
His Golden Saddle triumph takes his career earnings to over $1.8 million from 39 career starts which have resulted in 11 wins and 10 seconds, most of them in stakes races.
His 2020 foaled multi winning half sister Deferred (Epaulette) is also trained by Miller.
Yaloginda foaled a colt to WA’s champion sire Playing God on 22nd August 2025, her first by the stallion.
Her dam was the winning Telesto (NZ)mare Obtrusive, a half sister to Kamballie by Playing God's sire Blackfriars and dam of the Listed Fairetha Stakes winner Kallaroo (All American)
Their dam was the Woodlands bred Quicksands by the great broodmare sire Marauding from NZ bred Sand Hills (Danzatore), a half sister to Lochrene (Sir Tristram) dam of a pair of tough stakes winning stayers in Danyon and Rezone. Their grand dam was Blue Hen Summer Queen by Summertime.
Her son Haymaker won a rare G1 VRC / WATC Derby double. Daughter Minuetto won the G1 Rawson Stakes amongst five stakes victories and bred on successfully, while her full brother Summer Hay won the WATC Ascot Gold Cup.
This tough Kiwi family goes back to the imported mare Locket (GB)
The sex balanced linebreeding to both Mr Prospector and Danehill, and the brilliant speed genetics of the Magnus damline, were the perfect balance and produced a top class sprinter miler in Magnificent Andy!
THE KALGOORLIE CUP
The historic 2300m Cup is of course the one all the trainers really want to win.
The topweight was the favourite - Sentimental Hero would have to be a hero indeed to carry 60,5kg over the 2300m.
Peter Fernie's gritty, classy son of Al Maher was chasing the difficult Boulder Cup /Kalgoorlie Cup double having been denied the Coolgardie Cup (and thus his chance to take the fabled Goldfields Triple Crown!) by another warhorse Ginger Baker.
Punters put their fath in Hero and sent him to post a hot favourite with Lucy Fiore in the saddle, from track specialist and last year's winner Starry Heights (Star Turn) for team Pike /Williams,
In the field of 10 runners A Maley's Royal Law (Pierro) had been the subject of a massive betting plunge from 40/1 into 6/1during the week, while Luke Fernie's tough Sebring mare I Love Your Smile also had her supporters.
The Kalgoorlie Cup winner of 2023 and Perth Cup runner up Be Optimistic (Blackfriars) was back for another crack - but punters were lukewarm on the genuine 7yo mare with her 58kg.
The huge crowd was at fever pitch as the Cup field jumped away.
Stablemate of the favourite Ryewood (NZ) (Redwood) was on speed with bolter It's A Lance and the two of them set a solid gallop.
Royal Law, Starry Heights and Sentimental Hero were all well positioned throughout to get their chance
The crowd roared approval as Lucy asked Hero to rally under his big weight and he responded brilliantly, charging away to win the Cup by more than two lengths!
It was indeed a “sentimental” win in every way. It was local legend Peter Fernie's third Kalgoorlie Cup and his mighty old horse had set a weight carrying record to give it to him.
Sentimental Hero is a homebred for the Fernies and owned in partnership with A M Inglis.
The eight year old is by Al Maher from the winning More Than Ready mare Sentimental Star.
Like many by his redoubtable sire he was an excellent miler in his younger days but with a changed training regime has thrived over the middle distances!
He now has two stakes wins (9 wins and 12 placings in all) from 31 starts for earnings of $6233,730
He is the sole stakes winner from four winners from his dam - but they include his stakes placed full brother Sentimental Friend and talented full sisters Sentimental Queen and Sentimental Gift, both now owned by Bob Peters.
Theiir grand dam Lady Ashford (Royal Academy) produced the WA Derby/ Oaks placed Star Encounter (Jeune), dam of G2 Perth Cup winner and G1 Doomben Cup runner up Star Exhibit, G2 WA Guineas winner Perfect Jewel and Natasha Stakes winning, WA Oaks /Perth Cup placed Royal Jewel.
It's also the immediate family of G1 Railway Stakes winner Galaxy Star and G1 Winterbottom runner up Enticing Star.
Sentimental Hero is bred
Northern Dancer 4m,5m x 5f,5m sex balanced
Nijinsky 4f x 4m sex balanced
Blue Hen Natalma 5m,5f x sex balanced
Halo 4m x 4m
He is linebred to Blue Hens Natalma, Cosmah and La Troienne.
Sentimental Hero and his fantastic family get their ability, heart and courage passed down from their QLD Oaks winning ancestress Bravery.
Bravery was from the peerless female line of La Troienne is also the ancestress of last season's brilliant QLD juvenile and dual G2 / G1 JJ Atkins winner Cool Archie. At the time a fascinating article appeared on Breednet about this fabulous mare - read about her story here
