Howdy partners… Who’s going down to ‘wet their whistle’ at the Sandown Park ‘saloon’ on Saturday night?

Yeehaw, this year’s $72,500 Group 3 Shootout (515m) – a four-dog match-race – is one for the ages.

Three million-dollar earners (She’s A Pearl, Wow She’s Fast and McInerney) and a G1 Topgun hero (Photo Man) in a ‘fastest to the draw’ contest for $50,000!

Who will “do what has to be done”?

Eli Wallach said in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.”

Metaphorically, it’s been that way since 1998 when the inaugural Shootout was won by ‘wonder of the west’, Reggemite.

The biggest face-off in the sport resembles a passing parade of ‘gunslingers’. It’s a high-calibre list of sprinting ‘sharpshooters!

So, here’s a look at the Shootout’s ‘pistol-smoking’ history…

1998 – (WA) REGGEMITE; Golden Butter; Time Framer. Margins: 3.25L x 1.75L. Time: 29.74sec. Trainer: Allan Britton
1999 – (VIC) GREAT WISH; Poetic Reward; Faithful Hawk; Legs Ahoy. Margins: 1L x 0.1L. Time: 29.83sec. Trainer: George Kantzidis
2000 – (NSW) GO WILD TEDDY ($3.30); Placard ($2.70); Trousers ($8.00); Kantarn Bale ($2.60F). Margins: 3.75L x 2L. Time: 29.71sec. Trainer: Mark Bell
2001 – (VIC) JUNIOR WHISKY ($4.20); Jeanie’s Queen ($6.80); No Intent ($3.70); Modern Assassin ($1.90F). Margins: 1.75L x 1L. Time: 30.00sec. Trainer: Judy Hayley
2002 – (SA) SILVER SAUL ($6.40); Thunder Creek ($5.10); Modern Assassin ($1.70F); Star Beyond Time ($4.00). Margins: 0.25L x 2.75L. Time: 29.90sec. Trainer: Angela Modra
2003 – (VIC) BOMBASTIC SHIRAZ ($1.70F); Flying Scott ($5.00); Nautical Bill ($6.10); Dancing Habit ($4.30). Margins: 0.1L x 1L. Time: 30.17sec. Trainer: Darren Cairns
2004 – (VIC) WHISKY ASSASSIN ($1.80F); Paua To Burn ($4.80); Panicked ($5.60); Hallucinate ($4.30). Margins: 6.25L x 0.05L. Time: 29.69sec. Trainer: Jason Thompson
2005 – (NSW) BOND ($2.90); Trewly Special ($7.80); Lord Monelli ($5.80); Pure Octane ($1.80F). Margins: 7L x 0.5L. Time: 29.38sec. Trainer: Darren McDonald
2006 – (VIC) JAIMANDY COOPS ($1.50F); Andy Palmer ($2.80); Old Blue ($5.30). Margins: 1.75L x 8.25L. Time: 29.63sec. Trainer: Paul Donohue
2007 – (VIC) COOL EFFORT ($1.80F); Shanlyn Prince ($4.30); Betty’s Angel ($4.10); Miss Hot Gossip ($6.60). Margins: 5L x 4.25. Time: 29.71sec. Trainer: Darren McDonald
2008 – (VIC) MANTRA LAD ($2.80); Queen Lauryn ($1.80F); Made To Size ($6.70); One Tree Hill ($8.40). Margins: 0.05L x 2.2L. Time: 29.86sec. Trainer: Graeme Jose
2009 – (VIC) VELOCETTE ($2.30F); Turanza Bale ($3.30); Mantra Lad ($5.60); Cosmic Rumble ($3.80). Margins: 2L x 1.75L. Time: 29.65sec. Trainer: Graeme Bate
2010 – (VIC) COSMIC CHIEF ($2.90); Push The Paint ($3.50); Enry Walt ($2.50F); So Seductive ($6.20). Margins: 3.5L x 1.25L. Time: 29.33sec. Trainer: Darren Brown
2011 – (VIC) BEKIM BALE ($1.80F), Radley Bale ($3.50); Cape Hawke ($7.50); Allen Harper ($4.70). Margins: 5.75L x 0.5L. Time: 29.13sec. Trainer: Andrea Dailly
2012 – (VIC) PROVEN NITRO ($3.40); Don’t Knocka Him ($2.20F); Odie For Now ($5.20); Heston Bale ($4.00). Margins: 0.8L x 2.2L. Time: 29.14sec. Trainer: Jason Thompson
2013 – (VIC) XYLIA ALLEN ($2.50F); Dyna Nalin ($7.10); Banjo Boy ($2.80); Punch One Out ($3.40). Margins: 2.1L x 5L. Time: 29.07sec. Trainer: Jenny Hunt
2014 – (QLD) IVA VISION; Oakvale Destiny; Awesome Project; Allen Deed. Margins: 1.2L x 4L. Time: 29.27sec. Trainer: Peter Young
2015 – (VIC) KAYDA SHAE ($1.80F); Dyna Double One ($4.10); Brad Hill Billy ($7.00); Sulzanti ($3.80). Margins: 0.6L x 4.7L. Time: 29.33sec. Trainer: Kelly Bravo
2016 – (VIC) ZAMBORA BROCKIE ($2.50F); Outside Pass ($4.10); Dundee Osprey ($2.80); Worm Burner ($5.50). Margins: 2.8L x 1.9L. Time: 29.17sec. Trainer: Anthony Azzopardi
2018 (JAN) – (VIC) ASTON DEE BEE ($1.40F); Quick Jagger ($3.70); Shadale ($8.80); Black Mumbo ($11.20). Margins: 0.05L x 3L. Time: 29.18sec. Trainer: Seona Thompson
2018 (NOV) – (VIC) ORSON ALLEN ($2.50F); Maurice Minor ($3.70); She’s Gifted ($6.10); Aston Kimetto ($2.80). Margins: 0.6L x 2.2L. Time: 29.19sec. Trainer: Correy Grenfell
2019 – (VIC) HOOKED ON SCOTCH ($1.30F); Whiskey Riot ($5.30); Good Odds Harada ($5.80); Mepunga Maggie ($14.90). Margins: 0.8L x 3.3L. Time: 29.16sec. Trainer: Jason Thompson
2020 – (VIC) TIGGERLONG TONK ($6.50); Shima Shine ($2.40F); Christo Bale ($4.60); Hard Style Rico ($2.50). Margins: 1.5L x 1L. Time: 29.03sec. Trainer: Correy Grenfell
2021 – (VIC) ASTON RUPEE ($1.40F); Tiggerlong Tonk ($2.90); McCooly’s Lad ($19.40); Lakeview Walter ($10.40). Margins: 5.7L x 2.5L. Time: 29.10sec. Trainer: Glenn Rounds

NB. Records of 1998, 1999 and 2014 starting prices are not chronicled.