Auckland Cup
Auckland Cup
Group Two Betting Guide
| Date: | March 8, 2025 |
| Location: | Ellerslie Racecourse |
| Prize Money: | $500,000 |
| Distance: | 3200m |
Staying races are big news in New Zealand and the time honoured Group 2 Auckland Cup ranks highly in the local industry.
The 3200m staying event is the flagship race during Auckland Cup Week in March and although the purse has dropped to $500,000 – and from 2022 it is no longer a Group one, it remains one of the must-win races on the New Zealand Racing calendar.
With recent past winners including Melbourne Cup winner Jezabeel, top four-year-old Sangster and multiple Melbourne Cup entrant Who Shot The Barman – it’s a race to win on the world stage and New Zealand stayers have a great record when they travel to Australia and the rest of the world.
The history goes back further with wins coming from Castletown, Kindergarten and Cuddle. Which talented staying thoroughbred will be next to take out New Zealand’s premier distance event?
2025 Auckland Cup betting odds
Odds for the Auckland Cup as of January 15, 2025 – Courtesy of Neds
- Berkshire Breeze Win $5.00 Place $2.00
- Interpretation Win $6.00 Place $2.25
- About Time Win $8.00 Place $2.75
- Trust In You Win $10.00 Place $3.25
- Whangaehu Win $10.00 Place $3.25
- Son Of Sun Win $12.00 Place $3.75
- Sassy Lass Win $14.00 Place $4.25
- Beavertown Boy Win $18.00 Place $5.25
- Mormona Win $18.00 Place $5.25
- Nereus Win $21.00 Place $6.00
Top Auckland Cup bookmakers
The Auckland Cup generates betting interest from the likes of Australian, Japanese and Hong Kong punters, so bookmakers know how important framing an early market can be.
Popular races like the Auckland Cup are attractive to futures punters who are hoping to lock in the big value on offer. Bookmakers will also offer fixed odds win and place markets when the field is confirmed.
The bookmakers listed below have markets available for the Auckland Cup. If there are no odds listed, bookmakers can be contacted and odds on your desired runner will be given.
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Latest Auckland Cup news
Darryl Bradley has been in a career transition over the last few years, and he feels now is the right ...
Mahrajaan will be given the chance to showcase his staying ability in Australia next month, provided the weather comes to ...
New Zealand Cup winner Mahrajaan earned himself a special place in New Zealand racing history by adding Saturday’s Group 2 ...
A difficult search for a lightweight jockey for Waisake in Saturday’s Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) led Allan Sharrock to ...
A genuinely run Group 2 Auckland Cup will bring out the best in proven stayer Mahrajaan on Saturday when he ...
Wexford Stables have fond memories at Ellerslie with Asterix, and they are hoping to add more when they head to ...
2025 Auckland Cup Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Auckland Cup final field is released.
Previous Auckland Cup fields
Check out the previous Auckland Cup fields here.
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Prise De Fer Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Jonathan Riddell 6 57kg 2 Dionysus Roger James & Robert Wellwood Masa Hashizume 13 55kg 3 Trust In You Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Michael McNab 11 54kg 4 Mahrajaan Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray Sam Weatherley 3 54kg 5 Ocean Billy Bill Pomare Jasmine Fawcett 15 54kg 6 Asterix Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott Lynsey Satherley 7 53kg 7 Fierce Flight Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Joe Doyle 2 53kg 8 Terra Mitica Lance Noble Warren Kennedy 20 52.5kg 9 Nest Egg Stephen Marsh Kozzi Asano 9 52.5kg 10 Uareastar Fraser Auret Courtney Barnes 19 52kg 11 Good Oil Andrew Forsman Sam Spratt 18 52kg 12 Khan Hunter Antony Fuller Darren Danis 12 52kg 13 Roger That Antony Fuller Ulrika Holmquist 16 52kg 14 Waisake Allan Sharrock Kylie Williams 14 52kg 15 Canheroc Chris Wood Kelly Myers 17 52kg 16 Mark Twain Roger James & Robert Wellwood Matthew Cameron 10 52kg 17 Whangaehu Bill Thurlow Lisa Allpress 4 52kg 18 My Maebelline Girl Kylie Little Tegan Newman 1 52kg 19 Queen Sarabi (1E)Amy DoranTBC852kg20 Kiwi Man (2E)Debbie SweeneyTBC552kgNo. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Ladies Man Allan Sharrock Craig Grylls 10 56kg 2 Dionysus Roger James & Robert Wellwood Michael McNab 7 56kg 3 Lincoln King Stephen Marsh Opie Bosson 5 56kg 4 Leaderboard Mark Walker Joe Doyle 9 56kg 5 Roger That Anthony Fuller Lynsey Satherley 2 55.5kg 6 Nerve Not Verve Mike Moroney & Pam Gerard Jake Bayliss 12 55kg 7 Platinum Invador Lisa Latta Ryan Elliot 6 55kg 8 Hinepara Josh Shaw Ashvin Goindasamy 3 55kg 9 Dunhill Kelvin Tyler & Aimee Tyler Jasmine Fawcett 11 55kg 10 Daytona Red Nicholas Bishara Masa Hashizume 4 55kg 11 Super Sid Darren Hollinshead Kate Hercock 1 55kg 12 Ata Rangi John Bell Kozzi Asano 14 55kg 13 Aquacade Lance Noble Warren Kennedy 13 53kg 14 Soprano Supreme Mark Walker Wiremu Pinn 8 53kg
2024 Auckland Cup result
1st – Mahrajaan (+2200)
2nd – Good Oil (+390)
3rd – Mark Twain (+110)
Recent Auckland Cup winners
- Four months after his triumph in the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton, Mahrajaan earned himself a special place in New Zealand racing history by adding the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie. Mahrajaan became only the third horse to ever win the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup in the same season, and the first to do so in more than six decades. The other members of this exclusive group are Lochiel (1887-88), Cuddle (1935-36) and Stipulate (1962-63). Ridden by his New Zealand Cup-winning jockey Sam Weatherley, Mahrajaan enjoyed a perfect run in fifth along the rail as the expected leader My Maebelline Girl set a solid pace out in front. The field packed up coming down the side of the track and approaching the home turn, and Weatherley was able to get away from the rail and into clear air on the outside of My Maebelline Girl, Good Oil and Whangaehu. Good Oil produced a strong kick at the top of the straight to take command, but Mahrajaan moved through his gears and launched an irresistible finish wider out on the track. He swept to the lead at the 50m mark and edged ahead of a brave Good Oil to win by three-quarters of a length. The lightly raced Mark Twain flashed home for an eye-catching third.
- It was the case of third time lucky for the Lisa Latta-trained stayer Platinum Invador, who upset calculations in the 2023 Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) to register a deserved big race success. The seven-year-old son of Redwood had previously placed fourth in the race in 2021 behind Oceana Billy after filling third place behind Saturday’s race rival, Roger That a year earlier. Sent to Queensland during the winter of 2021, when prepared by Barry Lockwood, Platinum Invador suffered an injury that saw him off the scene for over a year and he has slowly made his way back to full fitness since resuming in November last year. Latta had poured the work into her charge after he finished an encouraging fifth in the Group 2 Avondale Cup (2400m) on the track a fortnight ago and that worked the oracle as rider Ryan Elliot set him alight from midfield at the 600m, to swoop down the outer of the track and collar game mare Nerve Not Verve in the shadows of the post.
- Apprentice Wiremu Pinn added another highlight to his burgeoning riding career when he produced a daring ride aboard Marton visitor Uareastar to take out the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie. Pinn, who has had a chequered-start to his apprenticeship and only recently returned from a lengthy suspension, had registered his first Group One victory just the month prior when guiding Mascarpone to victory in the Group 1 WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki. He has now added the feature two-mile race to his achievements, taking the bull by the horns when making a mid-race move to get handy to the pace on the Fraser Auret-trained five-year-old mare, which proved the winning of the race. From barrier 16, Uareastar raced back with cover early, but under a calculated Pinn ride eased forward down the back straight to join pacemaker He No Opilio. Urged to the front with 600m to run, Uareastar shot three lengths clear rounding the home turn as race favourites Concert Hall and Sound began to hunt her down. Despite wandering around under pressure over the concluding stages, the daughter of Jakkalberry clung gamely to the lead, outlasting Concert Hall by a neck with Sound a length back in third.
- On the back of a positive ride from Jonathan Parkes, it was the Bill Pomare-trained Ocean Billy who raced away with the 2021 Auckland Cup. Having needed to travel three wide with cover, Parkes made his move 800m out from home to send the five-year-old son of Ocean Park to the front. He managed to hit the lead on the home turn and kept kicking throughout the home straight to go on and win in impressive fashion and in the process went on to book his spot in both the Caulfield Cup & Melbourne Cup later in the year.
- Not many gave the Anthony Fuller-trained Roger That much of a chance leading into the 2020 Auckland Cup, but Roger That managed to take out the Cup at a massive price. Having hit the front on the home turn, the seven-year-old son of Shinko King had market fancies Sound and Platinum Invador breathing down his neck. However, under Samantha Collett, Roger That kept finding throughout the home straight to land victory as a $41 chance and hand Collett her second successive Auckland Cup victory.
- In a sensational staying performance Glory Days delivered Sam Collett’s maiden win at Group 1 level. Staying on strongly throughout the run Glory Days hit the front midway down the straight and sustained to the line, holding out last year’s runner up Five To Midnight.
- It was a famous victory for Ladies First in 2018, gripping on for a gritty win. In one of the closest margins in the race’s history, Five to Midnight surged to the line to almost topple the winner, whose trainer Lisa Latta even thought had been beaten. Ladies First clung on however in a photo finish.
- Chenille justified its favouritism in 2017 when scoring an impressive victory. The Tony Pike-trained runner was well-found in the betting markets and punters came away happy with the result. A couple of long shot chances filled the placings which made for improved pay outs from bookmakers. It wasn’t the typical Auckland Cup field which included Melbourne Cup-type runners, but the winner was a class above the rest.
- El Soldado caused the biggest Auckland Cup upset of all time when winning at odds of $125. The nine-year-old turned back the clock in what was massive win for connections and bookmakers. Most of the money came for Sacred Master and the well-performed Benzini, but a steady ride from Darryl Bradley was enough to see the old boy home at Ellerslie. Future Melbourne Cup entrant Rose Of Virginia finished in second at odds of $6.10 to place and favourite Sacred Master was a further length behind.
- Rock Diva continued its success on Auckland Cup Day, having won the McKee Sunline Vase the year prior on the same day. The Tony Pike-trained mare ran as the $4.90 favourite with bookmakers and it was able to find the advantage of the line in holding off King Kamada by just under a length. There were no superstars in behind the daughter of Lucky Unicorn, but the Raffles-owned runner got the job done nicely.
- Who Shot Thebarman was a short-priced favourite when winning the Auckland Cup in 2014. The talented Mark Oulaghan-trained gelding showed its class when winning by a length and bigger and better things would later come in Australia. The son of Yamanin Vital paid $2.50 with bookmakers which was one of the shortest-priced winner in recent history and the trifecta of $132.30 was also one of the lowest in history. Celtic Prince and More Than Sacred ran on into the placings with Travolta and Australian jockey Nash Rawiller finishing fourth.
- Sangster justified its $2 favouritism tag when winning by 2.25 lengths. The Busuttin/Young-trained son of Savabeel put the training duo on the map by scoring an easy Auckland Cup victory. The classy gelding never looked like being beaten against a field lacking the top notch form. El Soldado finished second at place odds of $17 and Chaparrone, with Craig Williams in the saddle, finished off well for third. The dominant win was one of the best in Auckland Cup history.
- Shez Sinsational was just that in 2012 when winning in a driving finish. The Allan Sharrock-trained mare launched late down the outside with James McDonald in the saddle to score by a long head over Spiro and Six O’Clock News. The four-year-old by Ekraar was well-backed into $3.20 after showing good ability throughout the summer and it was able to handle the likes of Booming which had Hugh Bowman in the saddle. The turn-of-foot shown by Shez Sinsational was one of the best in the races’ history.
Past Auckland Cup winners
| Auckland Cup Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Mahrajaan | Sam Weatherley | Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray |
| 2023 | Platinum Invador | Ryan Elliot | Lisa Latta |
| 2022 | Uareastar | Wiremu Pinn | Fraser Auret |
| 2021 | Ocean Billy | Jonathan Parkes | Bob Pomare |
| 2020 | Roger That | Samantha Collett | Anthony Fuller |
| 2019 | Glory Days | Samantha Collett | Bill Thurlow |
| 2018 | Ladies First | Jonathan Parkes | Allan Sharrock |
| 2017 | Chenille | Leith Innes | Tony Pike |
| 2016 | El Soldado | Darryl Bradley | Phillip Devcich |
| 2015 | Rock Diva | Mark Du Plessis | Tony Pike |
| 2014 | Who Shot Thebarman | Matt Cameron | Mark Oulaghan |
| 2013 | Sangster | Opie Bosson | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
| 2012 | Shez Sinsational | James McDonald | Allan Sharrock |
| 2011 | Titch | Opie Bosson | Kevin Myers |
| 2010 | Zavite | Damien Oliver | Anthony Cummings |
| 2009 | Spin Around | Vinnie Colgan | Steven Cooper |
| 2008 | Prize Lady | Mark Sweeney | Graeme & Mark Sanders |
| 2007 | Prize Lady | Mark Du Plessis | Graeme Sanders & Debbie Sweeney |
| 2006 | Pentane | Michael Walker | Lance O’Sullivan |
| 2005 | Bazelle | Mark Du Plessis | Paul Jenkins |
| 2004 | Upsetthym | Gemma Sliz | Karen Fursdon |
| 2003 | Bodie | Noel Harris | Neil Connors |
| 2002 | Maguire | Scott Seamer | John Collins |
| 2001 | Our Unicorn | Michael Coleman | Alan Jones & Brett Macdonald |
| 2000 | Able Master | Grant Cooksley | Bruce Wallace |
Auckland Cup Past Winners Pre 2000
| Auckland Cup Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Irish Chance | ||
| 1998 | Jezabeel | ||
| 1997 | Yobro | ||
| 1996 | Senator | ||
| 1995 | Royal Tiara | ||
| 1994 | Mitak | ||
| 1993 | Ligeiro | ||
| 1992 | Castletown | ||
| 1991 | Star Harvest | ||
| 1990 | Miss Stanima | ||
| 1989 | Spyglass | ||
| 1988 | Sea Swift | ||
| 1987 | Kotare Chief | ||
| 1986 | Kerry Lane | ||
| 1985 | Secured Deposit | ||
| 1984 | Stylish Dude | ||
| 1983 | Foutnaincourt | ||
| 1982 | Chimbu | ||
| 1981 | Drum | ||
| 1980 | My Blue Denim | ||
| 1979 | Tamboura | ||
| 1978 | Stylemaster | ||
| 1977 | Royal Cadenza | ||
| 1976 | Perhaps | ||
| 1975 | Kia Maia | ||
| 1974 | Rose Mellay | ||
| 1973 | Apollo Eleven | ||
| 1972 | Sailing Home | ||
| 1971 | Artifice | ||
| 1970 | Il Tempo | ||
| 1969 | Il Tempo | ||
| 1968 | Bright Chief | ||
| 1967 | Royal Sheen | ||
| 1966 | Apa | ||
| 1965 | Lucky Son | ||
| 1964 | Senor | ||
| 1963 | Stipulate | ||
| 1962 | Floutulla | ||
| 1961 | Ruato | ||
| 1960 | Marie Brizard | ||
| 1959 | Froth | ||
| 1958 | Red Eagle | ||
| 1957 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1956 | Yeman | ||
| 1955 | Tesla | ||
| 1954 | Arawa | ||
| 1953 | Coaltown | ||
| 1952 | Rev | ||
| 1951 | Classowa | ||
| 1950 | Beaumaris | ||
| 1949 | Swanee | ||
| 1948 | Frances | ||
| 1947 | Balgowan | ||
| 1946 | Sylis | ||
| 1945 | Expanse | ||
| 1944 | Foxwyn | ||
| 1943 | Lord Chancellor | ||
| 1942 | Kindergarten | ||
| 1941 | Piastre | ||
| 1940 | Beau Vite | ||
| 1939 | Cheval de Volee | ||
| 1938 | Cheval de Volee | ||
| 1937 | The Buzzer | ||
| 1936 | Cuddle | ||
| 1935 | Cuddle | ||
| 1934 | Gold Trail | ||
| 1933 | Minerval | ||
| 1932 | Fast Passage | ||
| 1931 | Admiral Drake | ||
| 1930 | Motere | ||
| 1929 | Concentrate | ||
| 1928 | Corinax | ||
| 1927 | Rapier | ||
| 1926 | Tanadees | ||
| 1925 | Rapine | ||
| 1924 | Te Kara | ||
| 1923 | Muraahi | ||
| 1922 | Scion | ||
| 1921 | Malaga | ||
| 1920 | Starland | ||
| 1919 | Karo | ||
| 1918 | Mascot | ||
| 1917 | Fiery Cross | ||
| 1916 | Depredation | ||
| 1915 | Balboa | ||
| 1914 | Warstep | ||
| 1913 | Sir Solo | ||
| 1912 | Bobrikoff | ||
| 1911 | Santa Rosa | ||
| 1910 | Waimangu | ||
| 1909 | All Red | ||
| 1908 | All Red | ||
| 1907 | Zimmerman | ||
| 1906 | Master Delaval | ||
| 1905 | Putty | ||
| 1904 | Mahutonga | ||
| 1903 | Wairiki | ||
| 1902 | Siege Gun | ||
| 1901 | St. Michael | ||
| 1900 | Blue Jacket | ||
| 1899 | Blue Jacket | ||
| 1898 | Uhlan | ||
| 1897 | Antares | ||
| 1896 | Nestor | ||
| 1895 | Anita | ||
| 1894 | Lottie | ||
| 1893 | Pegasus | ||
| 1892 | St. Hippo | ||
| 1891 | Pinfire | ||
| 1890 | Crackshot | ||
| 1889 | Leopold | ||
| 1888 | Lochiel | ||
| 1887 | Nelson | ||
| 1886 | Nelson | ||
| 1885 | Nelson | ||
| 1884 | The Poet | ||
| 1883 | Savage | ||
| 1882 | Welcome Jack | ||
| 1881 | King Quail | ||
| 1880 | Foul Play | ||
| 1879 | Ariel | ||
| 1878 | Ariel | ||
| 1877 | Lara | ||
| 1876 | Ariel | ||
| 1875 | Kingfisher | ||
| 1874 | Templeton | ||
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