Golden Easter Egg betting

The 2023 Golden Easter Egg will be raced over three successive weekends from March 25, with betting on the Wentworth Park feature now available. Defending champion She’s A Pearl is the $7 equal favourite with greyhound bookmakers to win the $300,000-to-the-winner final, with Rejuvenate and Victa Damian also well backed. Our Golden Easter Egg betting guide will run you through everything you need to know about the 2023 edition of the race, including the main chances, latest Golden Easter Egg odds, how to bet, the field and the most in-depth historical analysis you will find of the 520m feature.

Golden Easter Egg odds 2023

All-in betting is now available for the Golden Easter Egg, with all good greyhound racing betting sites featuring odds well in advance of the series kicking off.

The Golden Easter Egg odds as of March 21 are as follows:

Golden Easter Egg history

The Group 1 Golden Easter Egg is the biggest race on the New South Wales greyhound racing calendar and is held at Wentworth Park on Easter Saturday each year. The race is a three week series, comprising of heats and semi-finals on the two Saturdays prior to the decider, with greyhounds able to ensure a start in the heats through winning one of the Easter Egg Preludes in the weeks leading up to the opening round.

The first running of the Golden Easter Egg was held in 1990 when taken out by Ultra Sense, a fawn daughter of Acacia Park and Sense Of Joy, and has has carried Group 1 status since its inception.

While the event has always been run over 520m, the first three editions were conducted on grass before the track was converted to loam in 1993. It has remained that way ever since.

Each year, the Golden Easter Egg attracts the best greyhounds from right across the country, with a crowd of thousands descending on the Ultimo circuit on Easter Saturday to witness a truly spectacular night of racing. The series is open to the best 80 greyhounds nominated plus reserves.

A terrific support card is also on offer each year, with the Group 1 Association Cup, Group 3 New Sensation, Group 3 Magic Maiden and the Group 3 Ambrosoli also up for grabs on the big night.

In 2010, the Golden Easter Egg’s prize money purse sky-rocketed to a massive $250,000 to the winner, cementing it as the state’s richest greyhound race.

Betting on the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg

Betting on the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg attracts massive pools and there is always plenty of value to be found within the race, with most of the eight greyhounds sharing a realistic chance of snaring the prize.

For those punters skilful enough to spot the winner three weeks out, most online bookmakers also offer an all-in market for the final, offering some superb prices about some of the series’ leading contenders. This means you might get $15 on the eventual winner, which may start the race as a short favourite.

The benefits of betting with an online corporate bookmaker include the outstanding odds bonuses you can get with Australia’s greyhound betting sites.

Other benefits of placing your Golden Easter Egg bets at online bookmakers include specific race specials and other promotions that are legally allowed from time to time.

Top bookmakers for Golden Easter Egg betting

Golden Easter Egg – the recent years

• • 2022 – She’s A Pearl popular Golden Easter Egg winner
    She’s A Pearl was the hot favourite to win the Golden Easter Egg and the Joe Lord-trained bitch did not disappoint, winning in a time of 29.73. Facing a trick draw, She’s A Pearl jumped from box five and overcame some congestion to put the talented field to the sword and keep favourite backers happy. Good Odds Cash finished second after battling on well, while Fantastic Raven rounded out the top three. She’s A Pearl was a very popular Golden Easter Egg winner on-course with the large syndicate she is owned by on-hand to watch.

  • 2021 – Tommy Shelby wins epic GEE
    Steve Withers superstar Tommy Shelby saluted in an absolute epic Golden Easter Egg final in 2021, beating out Wow for the title. Billed as a race of two, it did not disappoint, with Tommy Shelby crossing from the pink with Wow in hot-pursuit. The pair then slugged it out for the duration, but it was the West Australian ace that proved too strong in the dying stages, winning by 1.5 lengths in a time of 29.97. The Golden Easter Egg victory was Tommy Shelby’s third group 1 victory, following wins in the Hobart Thousand and Australian Cup. Tommy Shelby’s win had some nice synergy after his sire, the great Fernando Bale, also won the race from box eight in 2015. It’s also worth nothing that Tommy Shelby almost did not take his place in the race, because the running of the event was delayed by a week because of the floods in NSW. This put the Golden Easter Egg on a collision course with the Perth Cup, that Withers was desperate to win as his hometown feature.
  • 2020 – COVID-19
    The Golden Easter Egg, one of the premier races on the greyhound industry’s calendar, had originally been postponed from its April date due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but after the on going restrictions being placed around the world Greyhound Breeders Owners & Trainers Association made the decision to cancel it for the year. This being the first time since it started in 1990 that we didn’t see The Golden Easter be run and won.
  • 2019 – Zipping Bailey unwinds with a withering burst

    A blistering finish was the order of the night at Wenty in 2019 as Zipping Bailey stormed over the top of them to record one of the most aesthetically pleasing victories in Golden Easter Egg history. Jumping away last, but at least cleanly from box six the winner got an saloon passage up the rails but still settling close to ten lengths behind leader Black Forge. The dog delivered a barnstorming run however and defeated Federal Lilly and Black Forge to win her maiden Group 1 in 29.92.

    2019 Easter Egg Cup results

    When	April 20, 2019
    Where	Wentworth Park
    First Prize	$250,000
    Winner	Zipping Bailey
    Trainer	Jason Mackay
    Born	23/07/2016 Black Bitch
    Owner	Hallinan Hallinan (SYN)
    Margin	1.00
    Time:	29.92
    Others in finishing order
    Federal Lilly, Black Forge, Blue Striker, Miss Splendamiro, Irinka Lizzy, Banjo Tifia, Black Opium

  • 2018 – Jill defeats defending champ
    Up Hill Jill denied Striker Light a second Golden Easter Egg title when running down the champion bitch to salute by a neck in 29.77.

    Trained in Victoria by David and Rose Geall, it was her second group 1 but her first in the Harbour City after previously running second in the Group 1 National Futurity, the Peter Mosman Classic, the Bob Payne Sprint, third in the Group 1 Paws of Thunder and sixth in the 2017 Golden Easter Egg – all of which were run and won at Wentworth Park.

    2018 Easter Egg Cup results

    When	March 03, 2018
    Where	Wentworth Park
    First Prize	$250,000
    Winner	Up Hill Jill
    Trainer	David Geall
    Born	20/02/2015 Black Bitch
    Owner	ROSE GEALL
    Margin	0.25
    Time:	29.77
    Others in finishing order
    Striker Light, Fernando Express, Dual Keroma, Miss Splendamiro, Two Times Twice, Crash Bandicoot, Bombshell Bandit

  • 2017 – Crowning glory for Striker
    Kelly and Brett Bravo scored their biggest feature win when Striker Light saluted in the 2017 edition of the race.

    The black bitch held off a late challenge from Lagoon Jazzy to score in 29.99 – recording her 13th career victory and second group 1 win, having already won the National Futurity at Wentworth Park.

    2017 Easter Egg Cup results

    When	April 15, 2017
    Where	Wentworth Park
    First Prize	$250,000
    Winner	Striker Light
    Trainer	Brett Bravo
    Born	04/03/2015 Black Bitch
    Owner	Kelly Bravo
    Margin	0.25
    Time:	29.99
    Others in finishing order
    Lagoon Jazzy, Big Flood, Lucky Chap, Slamming Thunder, Up Hill Jill, Aqua Cheetah, Mack Tux>

  • 2016 – Second Egg for Jason
    Trainer Jason Thompson recorded his second Golden Easter Egg victory in the latest running over 520m. Moreira, a brindle dog, started a $3.20 favourite in the race and headed off a tough challenge from Anthony Azzopardi’s Asa Killa Queen.

    It was a remarkable week for Thompson with the Victorian conditioner claiming three group or listed races and over $425,000 in prize money. Read a full report here.

    Jason Thompson previously won the race with Don’t Knocka Him in 2012. 2016-03-26

    2016 Easter Egg Cup results

    When	March 03, 2016
    Where	Wentworth Park
    First Prize	$250,000
    Winner	Moreira
    Trainer	Jason Thompson
    Born	09/09/2013 Brindle Dog
    Owner	Adean Manolitsis
    Margin	0.25
    Time:	29.70
    Others in finishing order
    Brad Hill Bill, Knight Sprite, Blue Revolver, Asa Killa Queen, Dawkins Bale, Mitcharlie Mia, Rare Pearl (FTF)>

  • 2015 – Fernando Bale Has Set The New Record!
    Trainer Andrea Dailly secured her first Golden Easter Egg victory while the breeders Paul and Jan Wheeler managed to secure the amazing trifecta taking out first, second and third in the race. Fernando Bale, jumped as the $2.10 favourite in the race. The white and dark brindle dog had every go right in the race as he jumped off to a brilliant start and managed to lead all the way, making the Golden Egg a one sided race and setting the new race record at an amazing 29.48 seconds.

    2015 Easter Egg Cup results

    When	April 04, 2015
    Where	Wentworth Park
    First Prize	$250,000
    Winner	Fernando Bale
    Trainer	Andrea Dailly
    Born	12/03/2013 White and Dark Brindle Dog
    Owner	Brendan Wheeler
    Margin	4.25
    Time:	29.48 (Race Record)
    Others in finishing order
    Dawkins Bale, Dyna Nico, Zipping Midge, Dyna Double One, Ronray Spirit, Over limit, Recruitment>

Group 1 Golden Easter Egg honour roll