Arapaho Stuns in Sydney Cup, Clocking Record Time in Upset Victory The staying feature on Day 2 of The Championships witnessed a significant upset as Bjorn Baker‘s $20 outsider, Arapaho, defied expectations to claim the Sydney Cup 2025 in emphatic record-breaking fashion. The resilient eight-year-old Lope De Vega gelding, who had finished fourth in the […] The post Sydney Cup 2025 Winner is Arapaho at $20 appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
Category: Featured
Sprint feature caps Slipper Island’s breakthrough campaign
Saturday’s Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m) capped a remarkable four-win sequence at Trentham for Slipper Island (No Nay Never), whose trainer Tony Pike now has his eye on an even bigger prize at the Wellington track. As recently as January of this year, Slipper Island was an underachiever with a record that fell far short of his talent. The five-year-old son of No Nay Never had won only twice in a 26-start career, with another nine minor placings and a rating languishing in the low 60s. But Pike mapped…
Dream Of The Moon dominates NZB Airfreight Stakes
Te Akau Racing ran rampant at both New Zealand venues on Saturday, culminating in a runaway by Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard) in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton. The $80,000 three-year-old fillies’ feature was the third win on the Riccarton card for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. The premiership-leading stable previously had a quinella with Knowledge Is Power (NZ) (Written Tycoon) and Hooray For Harry (Harry Angel) in the Windsor Park Stud RR&B Luncheon & Yearling Sale Rating 65 (1200m), followed by Star Shadow’s…
Tikki too speedy in Riccarton dash
Underrated mare Tikki (NZ) (Per Incanto) added to her burgeoning career record when she claimed the feature race for the open handicap speedsters at Riccarton on Saturday, the Commodore Hotel Open Sprint (1200m). The Steven Prince-trained five-year-old had made her mark on tracks with a little give in them around her home province of Otago but Prince wasn’t afraid to bring her to Christchurch to tackle the best on a Good 4 surface after she had finished third in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at the venue in November last…
Sergeant Major strikes winning blow at Randwick
Former Kiwi Sergeant Major (NZ) (Proisir) recorded a strong victory in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday as the three-year-old son of Proisir made a deserved Australian breakthrough. Racing for a syndicate headed by Ozzie Kheir, the Ciaron Maher trained galloper raced prominently throughout and defeated ownership-mate Nostringsattached (Extreme Choice) by just under a half-length. Ridden by Ethan Brown, Sergeant Major sat to the inside of the leader a half-length adrift throughout in what is often an awkward position, but he showed plenty of resilience to…
Mehzebeen takes Hawke’s Bay Cup
A brilliant rails hugging ride by apprentice Lily Sutherland combined with the never-say-die attitude of progressive stayer Mehzebeen proved the key to the finish of a thrilling running of the Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared five-year-old mare certainly enjoys the scenery at Trentham having placed at her only two appearances there prior to Saturday including finishing second to Pennyweka in the 2023 Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). The daughter of Almanzor had franked her staying potential with a winning…
Finnegan flyer is first-up winner
Samantha Finnegan picked up her first winner as a trainer when flying filly Bona Sforza (Written By) swept home on debut to take out the Listed Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. Finnegan moved back to New Zealand last year with husband Francis and their young family and have based themselves in Palmerston North where Samantha prepares their small team of just two runners. Bona Sforza was belatedly having her first start after missing a run at Tauherenikau when the meeting was abandoned before winning an 850m…
Cartwright snares first Saturday winner
Apprentice Luke Cartwright landed his first metropolitan Saturday victory when guiding hardy galloper Heavenly Eagle to victory in the Balgownie Bendigo BM70 Handicap (1300m) at the standalone meeting at Bendigo on Saturday. The six-year-old son of Echoes Of Heaven came from well-back in the field to grab Waimarie and leader Prinzerro just on the line in a perfectly timed ride. Prepared by Stephen Brown, Heavenly Eagle has got a good fresh record, with two wins and two placings from five occasions in a fresh state. “We’re all pretty happy,” Elisha…
Irish Eyes are smiling at Bendigo
Handy stayer Through Irish Eyes was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since prevailing in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) as a three-year-old when successful at the standalone Bendigo meeting on Saturday. The now seven-year-old son of Tavistock might have delayed his jumping debut with his dominant three-length victory in the Off The Track BM78 Handicap (2400m) under a clever ride by John Allen. The Ciaron Maher-trained stayer was sent forward to lead after it soon became evident the race was being run at slow sectionals…
Low-priced Faultless lands Trentham upset
A trip to Trentham for Saturday’s Life Direct 2YO (1300m) was something of an afterthought for Peter, Kim and Shaun McKay, but the Matamata family struck gold in the $35,000 race with their bargain buy Faultless (NZ) Tivaci . The McKays and the late Trevor Luke paid just $6,500 to purchase Faultless from the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. The talented Tivaci gelding has now earned $22,070 from a four-start career. Faultless went into Saturday’s race as the $17 outsider in a six-horse field. His three previous…