Gladiator Metals Discovers New Copper-Gold Mineralization Styles at Whitehorse Project

• Gladiator Metals has intersected multiple zones of new copper-gold mineralization at the Valerie and Little Chief prospects, including previously unrecognized copper-porphyry style mineralization.
• The company has mobilized a fourth drilling rig to rapidly advance exploration at Valerie and Little Chief, bringing total active rigs to four across the Whitehorse Copper Project.
• Recent drilling results include 12 meters at 0.64% copper and 0.36 g/t gold at Valerie, and 15.8 meters at 0.85% copper at the same prospect.
• The discoveries validate Gladiator's geophysical targeting process using airborne magnetics and ground gravity surveys across the 35-kilometer Whitehorse Copper Belt.
• With $22.5 million in recent financing plus $8 million existing treasury, the company is fully funded for significant exploration through the end of 2026.

Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSX-V: GLAD, OTC: GDTRF, FSE: ZX7) is a mineral exploration company focused on the advanced-stage Whitehorse Copper Project in Canada's Yukon Territory. The company is developing a high-grade copper, molybdenum, silver and gold skarn exploration project spanning a 35-kilometer belt on the western margin of Whitehorse City. The project benefits from existing infrastructure and proximity to major transportation corridors, with historical production between 1967-1982 totaling 267.5 million pounds of copper, 225,000 ounces of gold, and 2.8 million ounces of silver from 10.5 million tons of mineralized material.

The company's latest drilling results at the Valerie and Little Chief prospects have revealed new mineralization styles that could significantly expand the project's potential, prompting an acceleration of exploration activities and additional drilling capacity.

New Mineralization Discovery at Valerie & Little Chief

Gladiator's initial drilling program targeting gravity anomalies at the Valerie and Little Chief prospects has yielded encouraging results, identifying multiple previously unknown mineralization zones. The drilling program focused on recently identified geophysical targets across a combined 2-kilometer strike length.

At the Valerie prospect, drilling has intersected near-surface magnetite-copper skarn horizons alongside intrusive-related mineralization. The prospect lies approximately 500 meters west of the historic Little Chief mining area, representing the first systematic drilling of this parallel trend.

CEO Jason Bontempo emphasized the significance of these discoveries:

"Gladiator's first drilling of new gravity targets at Little Chief and Valerie has intersected multiple zones of new mineralization with multiple copper (+/-magnetite) skarns flanking the margins of an intrusive body hosting significant mineralization that exhibits copper-porphyry signatures."

The Little Chief area, which served as the primary production source for the historic Whitehorse Copper Mine, has revealed additional mineralized magnetite and serpentine copper skarn horizons in both the footwall area and gravity offset zones.

Valerie Prospect Results & Implications

The Valerie prospect has emerged as a particularly promising target, with drilling revealing multiple styles of copper mineralization over a 2-kilometer geophysical anomaly. Initial results from diamond drillhole VLG-001D3 returned 12 meters at 0.64% copper and 0.36 g/t gold from 88 meters depth, plus 2.42 g/t silver and 16 ppm molybdenum.

More significantly, drillhole VLG-001D2 encountered what the company describes as porphyry-like features within coarse-grained hornblende quartz diorite adjacent to granodiorite. This environment displayed localized quartz-chalcopyrite veining with molybdenite and k-feldspar alteration selvedges, characteristics typically associated with porphyry copper systems.

The hole also intersected a previously unobserved set of semi-massive chalcopyrite and bornite veins ranging from 0.5 centimeters to over 35 centimeters in width, hosted within epidote-altered hornblende quartz diorite. This interval returned 15.8 meters at 0.85% copper from 211.2 meters depth, plus 0.05 g/t gold, 5.8 g/t silver and 20 ppm molybdenum.

These findings represent a departure from the historically limited shallow drilling that predominantly targeted exposed skarn mineralization near surface. The company notes that these newly identified mineralization styles are potentially indicative of a much larger copper-porphyry system.

Little Chief Exploration Progress

At Little Chief, Gladiator has completed ten drill holes with the objective of delineating additional high-grade, near-surface copper resources adjacent to the historic mining area. Results from the initial three holes have shown promising gold-rich, vein-hosted quartz-pyrite and quartz-chalcopyrite mineralization within both intrusive rocks and serpentine-magnetite skarn lithologies.

Notable results include LCG-014 returning 6.0 meters at 0.13% copper from 72.0 meters plus 0.13 g/t gold, and a high-grade gold interval of 1 meter at 7.64 g/t gold from 135 meters. Drillhole LCG-014D1 returned 1.0 meter at 13.35 g/t gold and 1.67% copper from 124.0 meters plus 23.2 g/t silver.

The gravity offset target area has confirmed noteworthy copper mineralization hosted within a highly brecciated section of intrusive rock, with approximately 2 meters of core exhibiting intense chalcopyrite and bornite mineralization within a quartz-brecciated granodiorite unit.

Validation of Geophysical Targeting Strategy

The drilling results have validated Gladiator's systematic geophysical targeting approach across the Whitehorse Copper Belt. Every geophysical target tested has corresponded with either copper-skarn mineralization or intrusion-hosted copper mineralization, confirming the effectiveness of using airborne magnetics to map prospective intrusion-sediment contacts under cover, with ground gravity serving as a direct target detection tool.

This geophysical methodology is now being applied to the remainder of the 35-kilometer Whitehorse Copper belt, with additional results from ongoing ground gravity surveys anticipated in the coming months. The success of this approach suggests significant potential for additional discoveries across the broader project area.

Regional Context & Multi-Prospect Potential

The discoveries at Valerie and Little Chief build upon previous results from the Cowley Park prospect, where drilling intersected a broad 180-meter-wide zone of disseminated bornite and chalcopyrite within chlorite-altered granodiorite intrusive. Drillhole CPG-092 at Cowley returned 55 meters at 0.70% copper from 176 meters, including a higher-grade section of 21.9 meters at 1.27% copper.

Bontempo highlighted the regional significance:

"These multiple zones of intrusive related copper-gold and molybdenum mineralization are associated with multi-phased intrusive systems, intersected at Cowley, Valerie & Little Chief that lie 12km apart within the 100% owned 35km Whitehorse Copper Belt. These newly identified mineralization styles are potentially indicative of copper-porphyry systems within the copper belt."

The identification of similar intrusive-related copper mineralization across multiple prospects separated by 12 kilometers suggests the presence of a large-scale mineralizing system that could significantly enhance the project's overall potential.

Expanded Drilling Program & Financial Position

In response to these encouraging results, Gladiator has mobilized an additional drilling rig to rapidly advance targeting in the Valerie and Little Chief area, bringing the total to four active rigs across the project. Two diamond drill rigs continue resource and exploration drilling at Cowley Park, while the additional capacity will focus on the newly identified targets.

The company's drilling program has been expanded from an initially planned 29,000 meters to 48,000 meters, targeting high-grade copper skarns throughout the Whitehorse Copper Belt before the end of Q4 2025. This acceleration is supported by robust financial positioning following a recent $22.5 million financing.

Bontempo noted the company's funding capacity:

"With the recent closing of a $22.5m financing plus existing treasury of $8m, Gladiator is fully funded for significant exploration until the end of 2026."

Technical Approach & Resource Development Strategy

Gladiator's exploration strategy encompasses both resource definition at established prospects and systematic exploration across the broader belt. At Cowley Park, drilling aims to establish an initial inferred resource framework while testing upside potential for additional copper-skarn and intrusive-hosted copper-molybdenum mineralization.

The exploration program includes drilling at multiple prospect areas including the Chiefs Trend, Best Chance, Arctic Chief, and Cub Trend, each targeting different aspects of the mineralized system. This work is supported by planned geophysical programs including ongoing Induced Polarization surveys, electromagnetic surveys, and additional gravity surveys to refine drill targeting.

To enhance understanding of the encountered intrusive systems, Gladiator plans to establish spaced drill sections as an initial framework to map alteration and geochemical vectors to potential porphyry-style mineralization. The company will utilize handheld spectrometers for mineralogical analysis, focusing on pathfinder minerals that could indicate proximity to larger mineralized systems.

Quality Assurance & Technical Standards

Gladiator maintains comprehensive quality assurance and quality control protocols for its drilling and sampling programs. Diamond core is geologically logged with detailed recording of core recovery and geotechnical measurements. Samples are submitted to ALS Global Laboratory facilities, with preparation in Whitehorse and analysis in Vancouver using industry-standard methods.

The company incorporates certified reference materials and blank samples at a rate of at least 1 in 25 samples to monitor laboratory performance. All quoted intersections are reported as interval widths rather than true widths, acknowledging the complex geometry of the mineralized skarn systems.

Investment Outlook

For investors evaluating Gladiator Metals, the recent drilling results represent a significant development in the company's exploration trajectory. The identification of multiple mineralization styles, including potentially porphyry-related copper systems, suggests the Whitehorse Copper Project may have considerably more potential than previously recognized based solely on skarn-hosted mineralization.

The company's systematic geophysical targeting approach has demonstrated effectiveness across multiple prospects, providing a replicable methodology for discovery across the 35-kilometer belt. With four active drill rigs and funding secured through 2026, Gladiator is well-positioned to rapidly advance evaluation of these new targets while continuing resource definition work at established prospects.

The combination of infrastructure advantages, historical production precedent, and emerging evidence of large-scale mineralizing systems positions the Whitehorse Copper Project as a compelling exploration opportunity in Canada's mining-friendly Yukon Territory. The planned maiden resource estimate targeted for Q2 2026 will provide investors with initial quantification of the project's economic potential.