Golden Nursery steep in HISTORY |
Bruce Cameron wins Allwood with daughter of LOVELIEST. |
 Wolf Of West Bay the 2019 Golden Nursery Champion.
The Alabar Golden Nursery is steep in a long history of South Australian Harness racing and was first run in 1971 when won by Karomin by Moon Raider driven by Lou Webster.
The inaugural event was run over 9 furlongs and 30 yards from the stand, Blue Rowan and Uncle Remus were big names to claim the race prior to it becoming a mobile event in 1982, won by Sleepy Van and driven by John Lee. Vin Knight crossed the border in 1983 with Armchair Ride to take out the Nursery which was the first year stakemoney was lifted to $20,000. Popular Port, Pappy McCoy and New South Wales champion juvenile Nickalong Shadow also appear on the honour roll of the Golden Nursery during the 80’s. In 2004 the stakemoney was reduced to $15,000, two years later it dropped to $12,500, then in 2011 BOTRA came on board and the Golden Nursery stakemoney was raised back to $20,000 and for the first time was run as finals for both sexes with both finals worth $20,000. In 2018 HRSA decided, due to lack of numbers, the Golden Nursery would revert back to one final worth $30,000 with Group 3 status. The original running was deemed a no race after an horrific fall however it was rerun the following week with filly Bubbles And Cheese proving too good. David Harding has driven four Golden Nursery winners. Greek Gambit his first in 1997, in 2011 Harding drove both the colts & geldings winner Fistfullofdollars and the fillies winner Concorde Crest, then in 2014 he won on Hez The One. Kevin Brough has also driven four winners Majestic Manwarra (1996), Notso Cheap (1998), Go Girlfriend (2007) and Malibu Grin (2009). Brough rates his Nursery win on Notso Cheap in 1998 for owner Bill Walker as a tough and brilliant young horse “He won just about everything as a two-year-old and then come back to win the Sires Stakes at three.” Brough said. “Malibu Grin was also a lovely horse, he ran second in the Tatlow at Moonee Valley before the Golden Nursery but he had a bone disease and had to be put down” Brough went on to say. South East reinsman Jayson Finnis will be hoping Kindergarten Stakes winner Sanur Beach will give him his fourth and record equalling win in the classic. Finnis has won with King Grin (2010), Renesmae (2017 fillies champion) and Wolf Of West Bay last year. The Golden Nursery Final will be run on Anzac Day this year and the winner will join a long list of stars who have written their name in the record book. |
Treachery in full flight
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