Three seconds to golden destiny

The High Court is not usually a place associated with gambling, speculative share trading and the mineral claim-pegging antics of the wild west. But later this year Australia's loftiest court will deliver a judgment with the potential to cause a stampede on the stockmarket. At stake is the right to explore 130 square kilometres of Western Australia's hottest gold acreage, a long-neglected tract of ground in what is known as the Yandal Belt.

It is unlikely that the court will delve deeply into the history of the case. The judges will largely consider a dry argument about legal jurisdiction. Leaving out the history is a pity because that is where the real fun lies in a case that has everything. There is furtive claim-pegging, courthouse jostles and the promise of a lottery -- marbles drawn from a hat -- to determine the winner of a prize that could be worth more than $100 million.