Is the Golden Slipper overdue for a prizemoney boost?
The glamour two-year-old event once challenged for the honour of the nation’s richest race but in recent years it has slid down the big-race stakes ladder and is now ranked eighth.
Gai Waterhouse, the most successful trainer in Golden Slipper history with seven wins, is never afraid to speak her mind and says the race’s current prizemoney of $3.5 million does not reflect its importance to the Australian racing and breeding industry.
But the Golden Slipper remains the world’s richest juvenile race and there is a valid argument to suggest the race already has sufficient stakes.