Arapaho outstays his rivals in dominant Sydney Cup victory
Bjorn Baker and Rachel King have combined with classy stayer Arapaho to take out the Group 1 Sydney Cup at Randwick, with the eight-year-old gelding proving too tough for his rivals in the 3200m contest.
The son of Lope De Vega was sent around in the time-honoured classic as a +2000 outsider with Dabble, but many good judges gave him a chance after finishing fourth in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes last start, and those who followed him were well rewarded.
After Duke De Sessa (+650) held his position on the inside to take up the early lead, Tim Clark pushed Alalcance (+240) to the front to find his natural racing position and slammed the brakes on immediately.
Going past the winning post for the first time, Alalcance led from River Of Stars (+2000), with Circle Of Fire (+1300) trapped out three-wide and Duke De Sessa gaining the gun run behind the leader.
Clark attempted to lift the tempo at the 700m mark and repeat the dose from previous victories, which got a few of her rivals off the bit and chasing.
However, Arapaho was one of the runners that was still travelling behind the speed, and turning for home, Alalcance started to struggle quickly, and Rachel King pushed the button on her mount.
Arapaho took over at the 300m mark and ran away from the rest of the field, putting up a two-length margin within 100m before pulling further away in the concluding stages.
Waltham (+5000) picked his way through the pack and flashed home to nab second from the game River Of Stars, but it was Arapaho who claimed a big three-length victory in the 2025 Sydney Cup.
Bjorn Baker was overwhelmed with emotion after the race, and he was quick to mention the great ownership group involved in the winner.
“I haven’t got my good friends in this horse, I’ve got my family, so it’s very special,” Baker said.
“We lost one of the part owners last year, Griffo, he’s a legend and what he did for Western Sydney and what he did for charities and what he did for rugby league, I’m never going to be able to replace that at all.
“He’s an absolute champ and just so much love to the family, we miss them.
“Well we get a bit emotional about this horse at the stables, we love him and we gave him a bit of Murray Baker treatment on Thursday and he relaxed beautifully today.
“That entails just doing a solid piece of groundwork, and he’s a sound horse. We know he’s got acceleration, and that’s where having a father that won everything but the Melbourne Cup comes into it.
“So impressive and great ride today, Rachel King, just held him up, held him, held him, held him, and he exploded, which he can do.
“I’m the luckiest man in the world; I’m just lucky to train good horses that are fit, healthy and well.
Rachel King picked up another Group 1 winner aboard Arapaho, and she spoke post-race.
“You can just see what this horse means to everyone, he’s just been a superstar, he’s won races we never thought he even should have been in at the start and to do what he did today,” King said of the winner.
“I probably had as many doubts as everyone else about 3200m, I wasn’t quite sure, you know, but the one thing I always say to everyone is I’ve never ridden a horse so honest, he just tries.
“I was bolting, I had to count to 10 and just wait until I got to the top of the rise. He’s got an awesome turn of foot for a stayer.
“I knew if he got an economical run, which he did himself because he jumped super today and put himself in a beautiful spot.
“He went to sleep and look credit to Bjorn and his team. They had him perfect, cherry ripe today, couldn’t have been any fitter and feeling any better.”
currently has Arapaho as a $51 shot to win the 2025 Melbourne Cup all-in market.
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