A massive crowd packed into the KBRC on Saturday to enjoy the culmination of WA’s regional festival of racing, the historic Round highlighted by the $1million Golden Saddle slot race.
Early in the afternoon trackside revellers were hushed with excitement, as all eyes turned to the screens on-course to witness West Aussie dream team Cosmic Crusader and Willy Pike taking on the cream in the G1 Turnbull Stakes.
As the big Maurice gelding surged to the line clear of his rivals the parochial crowd sent up a mighty cheer. You beauty!
It's been a long time since West Australian turf legend Northerly crossed the Nullabor to wreak havoc on the eastern states. Could Cosmic Crusader win a Cox Plate or a Caulfield Cup this spring?
The superb win brought up a banner day for WA’s leviathan owner / breeder Bob Peters, and he had two highly fancied horses going around in the Kalgoorlie Cup on the other side of the country. Rest assured Bob would be tuning in from a rain-sodden Flemington to watch the goldfield's greatest race unfold.
Before the running of the Cup, all attention was focused on the second edition of the $1m Develop Golden Saddle - Western Australia’s richest regional race.
The inaugural running of the 1200m WFA slot race was taken out by the classy Magnus gelding Magnificent Andy who went around as hot favourite, and this year that mantle was bestowed upon Dan Morton's brilliant Immortal Bliss ( I Am Immortal).
Immortal Bliss had coasted to an easy three length victory in the Ron Sayers Sprint at the track last season, and stifled the betting on his return in search of far greater riches.
Connections of the Golden Saddle winner would pocket $400,000 of the $1m prizemoney, and Immortal Bliss looked primed for the win having collected two of Perth's Listed winter sprints, including a comprehensive last start victory in the Belmont Newmarket.
Others well in the market were the bonny mares Cessation (Sessions), resuming after her win in The Joey on Quokka Day and with form around the likes of Smooth Chino (runner up in Saturday's G2 Gilgai Stakes at Flemington); and the Listed winner Rissoles (Playing God).
The resuming West Star (Playing God) has more than a touch of class and had his supporters while Charino, by Smooth Chino's sire Maschino sat on the next line of betting at 15/1.
The only G1 winner in the Golden Saddle field was Nev Parnham's 2023 Railway Stakes hero Bustler ( Playing God), but the now 7yo hasn't found his best form in a long time - and punters were far from convinced that his first outing at the track would do anything to change that.
Nobody paid much attention to Sean and Jake Casey's Want A Winner (Yes Yes Yes), the lowest rated horse in the field and the least suited at WFA - except to note that he is an exceptionally handsome horse.
However, the lightly raced five year old stallion had been unplaced at his two prior racetrack appearances and was first up into this huge assignment. Punters sent the Yarradale Stud slot holder with veteran hoop Shaun O'Donnell in the saddle, onto the track at odds of 20/1.
When the barriers flew open and the Golden Saddle field thundered to the first turn, Want A Winner who had jumped brilliantly, travelled easily every step of the way behind the tearaway leader Cessation.
The Sessions mare ran them along at a blistering pace and swung into the straight under Jarrad Noske with a clear lead, but the big stallion always had her in his sights. He swept past her to rocket to an amazing two and a half length win over Cessation, who kept going strongly to hold second over Immortal Bliss - who was almost sex lengths off the winner in third and was literally run off his legs on the day.
Want A Winner was purchased by Hancock Quality Bloodstock (FBAA) for $85,000 from the Newhaven Park draft at the MM National Weanling Sale, and races for renowned WA industry stalwart Wally Daley.
The entire had only raced nine times before stepping out at Kalgoorlie and has clearly had his issues - but when your dad won an Everest and your mum is the daughter of a 10 x G1 winning champion out of a G1 winning mare, you have got some pretty good genes - and they received full expression yesterday!
Want A Winner's Golden Saddle triumph advances his record to 10 -5-1-2 for earnings of $592,420.
Shaun Odonnell is now the first jockey to take out all five feature races run in Kalgoorlie- Boulders famous Race Round - the Hannans Handicap, Coolgardie Cup, Boulder Cup, Kalgoorlie Gold Cup and now the newest addition - The Golden Saddle!
The effervescent hoop was understandably thrilled.
“It's unbelievable. Trust me to be the first to do it. I love it! What a day” he said.
“I rode here for years and years, lived here for a while, and to come back and win all those features, and now this new million dollar race - its fantastic.”
“When the Caseys rang me to ride this horse I jumped at the chance. Obviously Pikey was away in Melbourne, and Chris ( Parnham) rode West Star. I've been riding a little bit of work for the stable, but not that much and credit to them for giving me a chance.”
“This horse is a lovely creature. Coming to the corner, I thought they're going to have to be good to run over him - and thankfully, he won.
"Putting the Norton bit on him was a blessing, it just made him settle a bit behind the leader. Credit to the team to get him here first up ready to go, and I'm just the lucky recipient to get on him for the first time today.”
“I can't believe it, my daughter is here strapping, my wife's here clerking, got all my mates here - I just love this game!”
Co-Trainer Sean Casey was quite emotional when he spoke to media after the race.
“All I want to do is cry. It's been a real team effort,” he said.
“Thanks to Wally ( owner) forcletting us bring the horse down here.
Thanks to Lyn Sayers ( Yarradale owner) and the whole Yarradale team, they took us on and give us a slot”
“It’s just freakish. Shaun rode him a treat. All the kids at the stables, my wife - everyone works with this horse, and he's just a stunning animal. I was hoping to try and win a real race, because he's still a stallion and this might make him worthy of the breeding barn.He's just unreal.”
“When we decided we were going for this race, Mr Daley rubber stamped the idea. We thought, we're not going to take him to a trial, we'll do everything on the track. We know he can gallop, and racing in lesser company he's always been over racing and making a bit of a mug of himself.
“I said to Shaun today, in some fast company and better company he'll be able to get off the bridle and show the horse that he is. He's run a blistering time, and he's just an absolutely gorgeous animal.”
Bred by Shen Yu Holdings, Want A Winner was the first foal from his winning dam Ridicule ( So You Think) who is now owned by Balius Farm Thoroughbreds for whom she has produced two foals by Farnan.
Her colt by him sold for $350,000 to Hancock Quality Bloodstock ( FBAA) at the 2025 MM National Yearling from the Meredith Park draft and is named Whispering John.
He was followed by a Farnan filly, passed in at Inglis Premier now named Derision, and a Russian Revolution colt last season.
Ridicule is expecting a foal by none other than Anamoe this spring!
Ridicule is a half sister to multiple stakes producer On The Move ( More Than Ready) and the good producer Elouera ( Street Cry), while her full brother Excelladus won six races and more than $500,000.
They were among only five foals produced by the tough racemare Russeting (Commands) who collected the G1 Tatts Winter Stakes among her nine race wins.
Russetting was by far the best of four winners from her dam, the Bluebird daughter Granny Apple, half sister to stakes producer Blondine - grand dam of G2 Riesling Stakes winner French Fern and the current exciting Perth filly Playin'It Sweet, already a 3 x Listed winner.
Their dam Biancaneve by Salieri was a daughter of the 1974 G1 Blue Diamond heroine Forina and a half sister to AJC Widden Stakes winner Biscarina (Biscay) who would in turn become the dam of one of the legendary sprinters of the 1980s, Lee Freedman's flying grey Schillaci ( Last Tycoon) who notched up 8 G1 wins.
Plenty of speed in this family!
Want A Winner is bred
Danehill 5m x 4m
Salieri 4f x 5f
Nijinsky 6f, 5f x 5m
Northern Dancer 5m,
Blue Hen Fairy Bridge 5m x 5m via full brothers Fairy King and Sadlers Wells
The female lines of of his sire Yes Yes Yes and his dam Ridicule both feature daughters of Salieri and Todman, plus
Want A Winner's ancestress Tobina was bred 5f x5f to the damsire of the great Star Kingdom, Concerto by Orpheus, Orby's male line..
Her branch of family 13-b goes back to Aspen Leaf (bred 5f x 5f to breedshaping broodmare sire Spearmint) through Madam Jitters (bred 5f x 4m to Spearmint's sire and Australasian turf immortal Carbine)
Rubick's Everest champion Yes Yes Yes sex balances Todman and carries Orby line sire Port Vista, Spearmint's son Spion Kop and sex balanced lines of Musket.
He descends from the mare Grand Duchess (22-d) also the ancestress of Blushing Groom and Mill Reef who are brought together in this pedigree.
Want A Winner joins Multiple G1 placed Firm Agreement, stakes-winner Affirmative Action and stakes placed Yes Queen and Oh Yes She Did as the best progeny to date sired by Yes Yes Yes.
Yes Yes Yes stands at Gooree Park Stud on a fee of $16,500 this season.
With the Golden Saddle done and dusted, and the party atmosphere going full swing, it was time for The Cup!
The Kalgoorlie Gold Cup has been run since 1897 and is one of the few Cups in Australian turf history to have run uninterrupted through two World Wars.
It means a lot to any West Aussie to be associated with the winner of this iconic Listed 2300m staying test. Its greatest hero is the legendary “bushie” Blue Spec, who raced on to win the Melbourne Cup in record time!
The 2026 edition went close to providing a boilover for the ages, when last year's runner up Royal Law held on to the race after getting his nose in front on the line and surviving a protest from the jockey of the despised outsider Sowar - a ten year old gelding stepping out for his 100th race start at odds of 60/1!
Cup favourite this year was Peters Investments Coolgardie Cup winner Opportunistic ( So You Think) who narrowly held the call over the Listed Boulder Cup victor The Jester's Son ( Pierro) who had narrowly beaten the former in that lead up.
Bob Peter's mare Lillian ( War Decree) was well in the market, with last year's Cup runner up Royal Law at 11/1and third placed Currimundi ( Playing God) at 10/1 kept safe.
The Cup was led nearly all the way by the Godolphin-bred blueblood Lavalier ( Microphone), who placed in the G1 South Australian Derby at three but had done little in eight WA starts for Neville Parnham until a third in the Coolgardie Cup. That wasn't enough to earn him many fans for the big one though, and he started at 40/1. Nevertheless, bowling along out in front, Lavalier looked to be enjoying himself!
Heads turned for home in the Cup and Lavalier went for home, the son of Microphone broke two lengths clear as the crowd roared. The challengers were coming. Royal Law loomed up ominously at the 300m momentarily pocketing 10yo Helmet gelding Sowar, who had sat behind the leader all the way and now - despite his despised outsider status - still had something to offer! Lillian and Ginger Baker ( Gingerbread Man) were finishing on stoutly as Lavalier finally ran out of gas. Royal Law hit the front! Sowar had got out and moved up with grim determination as the post approached and made a mighty lunge on the line. There was a nose in it!
Royal Law under desperate riding from Tash Faithfull got the nod but the drama was far from over, as Sowar's jockey Holly Watson fired in a protest - dismissed. The 2026 Cup was a cliffhanger!
Proving that age shall not weary a good stayer, 9yo Ginger Baker flew late into third making the combined age of the first three across the line 25 years!
The Jester's Son was the best of the fancied runners in fourth, with Lillian fifth, while Opportunistic and Currimundi tailed the Cup field home.
Tash Faithfull becomes just the second female jockey in history to win the Gold Cup after Lucy Fiore in 2019 and 2025.
There is an ironic twist to the tale of Royal Law's victory - the six year old son of Pierro is a blueblood who was bred by Bob and Sandra Peters, but he was sold via Inglis Online in July 2024 for $12,000 to Gingin trainer Ash Maley and co-owner JM Williams after five unplaced.starts at three.
No doubt Bob was smiling wryly to himself as he watched Royal Law’s Cup triumph from wherever he was celebrating Cosmic Crusader’s elevation to one of the nation’s best WFA gallopers.
Royal Law proved to be a mighty bargain, with the tough campaigner racking up six wins and ten placings for Maley, including his second in last year's Cup to his relative Sentimental Hero!
Royal Law’s Kalgoorlie Cup win advances his record to 35 starts, 6 - 7 - 3 and $428,790 in stakes.
He becomes the 43rd stakes winner for Lonhro's champion son Pierro.
Royal Law is a member of the famed Peters Investments tribe descending from the Royal Academy mare Lady Ashford, through her Pinjarra Cup winning daughter Star Encounter (Jeune).
His dam Royal Star by Redoute's Choice won the Listed Natasha Stakes 2200m at three and Royal Law was her first foal. The mare was sent to NZ back in foal to Pierro, where she produced a filly Embarking before visiting Ocean Park.
Her 2023 filly by him, Royal Reflection, has commenced racing this season and has stepped out twice for a win and a second.
She was followed by an Ocean Park colt who has been named Asterozoa.
Royal Star is a full sister to G2 WA Guineas heroine and 4 x G3 winner Perfect Jewel ( also at stud in NZ) and half sister to dual Perth Cup winner Star Exhibit as well as the good stayer First Encounter.
This fabulous family traces direct maternal descendant to the great matriarch La Troienne via her Blue Hen daughter Baby League.
The line descends through the G1 Queensland Oaks/ Derby heroine Bravery ( Zephyr Zip) who was mated to mighty Snippets.
The resulting full sisters Springfire (Lady Ashford’s dam) and Valourina have made their mark!
Valourina produced the G1 performed daughters and producers Timbourina ( Woodman) and Media ( Gilded Time) among her three stakes winning and two stakes placed progeny. She produced thirteen winners and founded an extremely successful family.
Her fast sprinting sister Springfire was also a genetic gem and through Lady Ashford a constant stream of stakes winners have flowed from her for Bob and Sandra Peters.
Galaxy Queen (dam of G1 Railway winning mare Galaxy Star) is another descendant of Lady Ashford.
Another valuable source of the Bravery blood going forward will be last season's G1 winning superstar QLD juvenile Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel). Now retired through injury, Archie will stand at his birthplace Newhaven Park.
Royal Law is bred
Northern Dancer 5m x 5m
Nijinsky x 5f,5m
He is linebred to his own ancestress La Troienne, notably through duplications of her son Bimelech via multiple lines of Lalun (Never Bend sex balanced, and Bold Reason).
Champion sire Pierro stands at Coolmore Australia on an enticing fee of $22,000 in 2026.
