The Telegraph

The Telegraph

Group One Betting Guide
Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025
Location: Trentham Racecourse
Prize Money: NZ$450,000
Distance: 1200m

The Telegraph is New Zealand’s premier sprinting race, with a purse of NZ$450,000 and a long list of champion winners.

Staged at Trentham every January alongside the Levin Classic, the 1200m feature is run under set weights and penalties and is open to three-year-olds and up.

The weather usually plays a part in Wellington during the summer, with temperamental conditions leading to some high-priced outsiders winning in recent times, although the cream has historically risen to the top in The Telegraph.


The Telegraph 2025 betting odds

Betting markets for The Telegraph 2025 are currently unavailable.


The Telegraph bookmakers

All of our top-ranked betting sites will offer odds on The Telegraph. The following bookmakers will have form and markets for the Trentham feature:


The Telegraph News

Mercurial claims narrow Telegraph win
Sam Spratt teamed up with arguably New Zealand’s most improved racehorse to land a boilover victory in Saturday’s Group 1 ...
Bonny Lass looking to flip the script in Telegraph
Graham Richardson will be hoping for a bit more luck for his star sprinter when she lines up in the ...
Fresh Imwonderfultonight primed for Telegraph
Stakes performer Imwonderfultonight will head to Trentham with fresh legs on Saturday to tackle elite-level company for the first time ...
Dragon Leap chasing another major prize for Wexford
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will on Saturday bid to complete a sprinting double with Dragon Leap at Trentham in ...
Marsh hunting Mercurial Group 1 success
In-form short course performer Mercurial has been given the green light for another crack at a major prize on Saturday ...
Babylon Berlin on Group 1 path
Babylon Berlin was the bridesmaid behind Imperatriz and Levante last season and trainers Ben and Ryan Foote are hoping it ...

Notable The Telegraph winners

Champion sprinter Mufhasa won in 2009 for trainer Stephen McKee and repeated the dose in 2011. The 13-time winner in New Zealand would go on to take out the Group 1 Toorak Handicap when beating the likes of King’s Rose and Luen Yat Forever, before winning again in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes over Cox Plate champion Pinker Pinker.

McKee had won the Telegraph Handicap earlier with Star Of Gold in 2001 when training in partnership with his father, the late Trevor McKee.

Seachange ran one of the quickest times at Trentham of 1:06.66 when winning in 2008. The 14-time winner was twice awarded New Zealand Horse of the Year and its win in 2008 capped off a year which included wins in the Mannerism Stakes and Waikato Draught Sprint.

A year prior to Seachange, future stud star Darci Brahma took out the Telegraph Handicap in fine style for Mark Walker. The horse had burst onto the scene in 2005 when winning the JJ Atkins and the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in the same year. The colt finished his racing career with 10 wins and five placings from 19 starts, which also included the Waikato Sprint and Telegraph Handicap in 2007.

Walker also trained 2004 Telegraph Handicap winner King’s Chapel, which was a popular elect for punters.

The champion names continue down the list of past winners, including the likes of O’Reilly – a future star in the breeding industry – and Mr Tiz, who was a two-time winner in 1989 and 1990.


The Telegraph 2025 Final Field

HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Telegraph field is released.


Previous The Telegraph Fields

  • No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
    1 Silks
    Dragon Leap
    Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott
    Warren Kennedy
    7
    58.5kg
    2 Silks
    Mercurial
    Stephen Marsh
    Sam Spratt
    8
    58.5kg
    3 Silks
    Shamus
    Allan Sharrock
    Ryan Elliot
    1
    58.5kg
    4 Silks
    Lincoln’s Kruz
    Lisa Latta
    Jonathan Riddell
    9
    58.5kg
    5 Silks
    Ifndoubtgetout
    Tracey Bliss
    Lisa Allpress
    2
    58.5kg
    6 Silks
    Is That So
    Clinton Isdale
    Michael McNab
    11
    58.5kg
    7 Silks
    Bonny Lass
    Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall
    Craig Grylls
    3
    56.5kg
    8 Silks
    Maria Farina
    Darryn & Briar Weatherley
    Sam Weatherley
    5
    56.5kg
    9 Silks
    Express Yourself
    Nikki Hurdle
    Ryan Hurdle
    6
    56.5kg
    10 Silks
    Not Guilty
    Tony Pike
    Kozzi Asano
    4
    56.5kg
    11 Silks
    Imwonderfultonight
    Sam Mynott
    Joe Doyle
    10
    56.5kg

The Telegraph 2024 result


1stMercurial (+1700)
2ndExpress Yourself (+160)
3rdBonny Lass (-250)

The Telegraph recent winners

  • Sam Spratt teamed up with arguably New Zealand’s most improved racehorse to land a boilover victory in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham – her third time triumphing in a meeting that once came close to claiming her life. Spratt’s Telegraph heroics aboard Mercurial came some 21 years after Spratt suffered severe head injuries in a shocking fall in an undercard race on Telegraph Day on January 25, 2003. She not only recovered but later made a triumphant return to the saddle, going on to join New Zealand’s 1000-win club and boasting 20 Group One wins and counting. Spratt is now a three-time Telegraph winner, with Mercurial following in the footsteps of her old favourite Mufhasa (2009 and 2011).Spratt showed her customary front-running prowess aboard Mercurial, recovering from an awkward start to charge forward and take up a position on the outside of Express Yourself. The pace came right out of the race through the middle stages, causing significant interference to several runners in the chasing pack and leading Lincoln’s Kruz to dislodge jockey Jonathan Riddell. Mercurial stayed well out of trouble and was full of running as he threw down the gauntlet to Express Yourself at the top of the straight. That rival rose to meet the challenge, and the pair went to war at the 300m. Favourite Bonny Lass regathered herself after a rocky run and found the line strongly late in the piece, but it remained a two-horse battle to the line and Mercurial won it by a nose. Bonny Lass finished third, a neck behind the first pair.
  • Champion sprinting mare Levante returned to the scene of her inaugural Group One victory on Saturday and made it back-to-back triumphs in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) after another titanic struggle in the home straight. Last year its was subsequent dual Australian Group One winner Roch ‘N’ Horse that went within a nose of victory against the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained daughter of Proisir, while this year it was last start Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) runner-up Babylon Berlin who went to war with her in the closing stages. After travelling sweetly outside pacemaker Packing Rockstar, rider Kozzi Asano had Babylon Berlin cuddled up in front with 300m to run as he waited for the finishing charge of Levante. He wasn’t disappointed as Levante burst into the clear wider out for Ryan Elliot and launched her sprint which quickly took her up to the leader. The pair went head-to-head for the final 250m with Levante gaining the upper hand in the last few strides to take the victory by a neck with outsider Iffndoubtgetout taking a meritorious third a further five lengths back.
  • High-class mare Levante broke through for a deserved Group One victory in a heart-stopping finish to The Telegraph at Trentham. The five-year-old daughter of Proisir went into the time-honoured sprint as an eight-race winner from 13 starts, including the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m) and two editions of the Listed Counties Bowl (1100m). But a Group One victory had eluded the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained mare, who had previously finished second, third, fourth and fifth at the elite level. Clashes with high-class Te Akau Racing mares had previously proven to be a Group One stumbling block, beaten by Avantage in three meetings at the elite level, and she was a last-start second to Entriviere in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) on New Year’s Day. It was widely expected to be more of the same on Saturday with Entriviere an overpowering $1.60 favourite, but this time Levante turned the tables. Ridden by Ryan Elliot, Levante was a world away from her old habit of costly tardiness at the start. This time she broke sharply from gate five and took up a prominent position on the heels of the front-running Ocean Point and Tavi Mac. Levante went for gold at the top of the straight, and with Entriviere getting no closer than fifth after being last to straighten for home, it began to look like this might be Levante’s day. But another Matamata mare had other ideas. Roch ‘N’ Horse burst out of the pack and drew up alongside Levante, the lead changing with every stride through the last 50m as the pair fought out a pulsating finish. They hit the line locked together, with more than two lengths back to the third-placed Mascarpone. After an anxious wait, there was a roar from the Trentham crowd as Levante was declared a deserving Group One winner. The head-turning time for the 1200m of 1:06.18 is being claimed by the Wellington Racing Club as an unofficial world record.
  • Class prevailed at Trentham when versatile mare Avantage was at her very best in taking out the Telegraph Handicap for the second year in succession. The Jamie Richards-trained five-year-old had scored fresh-up in the Group 1 Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day to take her Group 1 winning tally to five and added a sixth as she defended the title she captured in 2020 with another superb performance.
  • Having been beaten in the race 12 months earlier when Melody Belle, the Te Akau team led by Jamie Richards got their revenge with Avantage. With Enzo’s Lad pushing for three straight wins in the Telegraph Handicap, Avantage managed to wear down the reigning champion when the pair broke clear in the home straight. Jockey Opie Bosson was praised by Jamie Richards following the race, giving the jockey plenty of praise for the ride with Avantage needing to navigate a tricky barrier. Once the pair managed to find cover, it was always going to benefit Avantage chances in the home straight.
  • Big dividends and an upset win were the order of the day once again in 2019 as Enzo’s Lad went back-to-back in the Trentham feature. A wide barrier saw favourite Melody Belle struggle to get into the race, which left the race ripe for the taking. Ferrando looked like he had kicked away to claim the prize but the reigning champ launched a late bid and just got up in a photo finish.
  • For the second-straight year it was a huge outsider that took out the Telegraph after Enzo’s Lad saluted at $74. Enzo’s Lad cornered into the straight just behind the leader and looked like he was struggling to get to the front but under a brilliant ride from Sam Weatherley the horse hit the front and held off all comers.
  • Signify caused a big upset in 2017 when winning at odds of $46.30. The southerner had solid form leading into the race, but not on the scale as some of the well-fancied runners. Under the urging of jockey Racha Cuneen, Signify was able to finish over the top of Start Wondering to score its biggest career win.
  • On an overcast and rain-affected track at Trentham, Adventador caused the biggest upset in the 127-year history of the Telegraph Handicap. The seven-year-old won paying $80.90 and caused a shock around New Zealand in the process. It was racing against one of the better Telegraph Handicap fields in history, but it managed to turn questionable form around and take the big victory. In second place was Miss Seton Sands at $8.30 to place and in third was Trepidation at $9.20 to place – setting up a $62,332.30 trifecta.
  • Sacred Star entered the Telegraph having not won in four starts since taking out the Group 2 QTC Cup at Eagle Farm, but class is permanent and it showed a quality field a clean pair of heels. The Tony Pike-trained gelding won by four lengths in a lightning time of 1:07.01, but the biggest surprise of the day was the odds on offer. Bookmakers dished out $27.40 for the win despite the form it had shown in Australia. It would later go on to win the Group 1 NRM Sprint and the Group 3 Darley Plate, but subsequently finish a disappointing 11th in the 2016 Telegraph Handicap as the $2 favourite.
  • Trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen scored their first of two Telegraph Handicap winners with Irish Fling after later winning with Adventador. The five-year-old was an each way chance in the market at $8.50 and it just held on over the fast-finishing Natuzzi to win by a neck in a time of 1:07.48. The race was run on a rare Fast 1 track at Trentham which caused plenty of controversy. Again the multiples payouts were big as despised outsider Jaggard finished third paying $19.10 for the place.
  • Final Touch was too classy for its rivals in 2013 and due to the quality of opposition it faced, the champion South Island runner won paying $14.50. Ridden by Chris Johnson, the five-year-old was given a quiet ride at the back of the field before Johnson let it loose in the straight. It held on by a long neck over the well-favoured Xanadu and Burgundy with the likes of 2012 champion Guiseppina finishing well down the track.
  • Guiseppina scored a win for the shorter-priced runners in 2012 when winning at odds of $4.70. The five-year-old scored by a long neck over Australian raider and Railway Stakes winner Atomic Force, with El Chico running in third at odds of $8.40. James McDonald was the winning jockey, beating out Nash Rawiller who was in second. Due to the firm track, two-time winner Mufhasa was scratched in the lead-up.

The Telegraph past winners list

The Telegraph Past Winners
Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2024 Mercurial Sam Spratt Stephen Marsh
2023 Levante Ryan Elliot Ken & Bev Kelso
2022 Levante Ryan Elliot Ken & Bev Kelso
2021 Avantage Danielle Johnson Jamie Richards
2020 Avantage Opie Bosson Jamie Richards
2019 Enzo’s Lad Michael McNab Michael & Matthew Pitman
2018 Enzo’s Lad Sam Weatherley Michael & Matthew Pitman
2017 Signify Racha Cunnen Alex Cowan
2016 Adventador Matthew Cameron Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen
2015 Sacred Star Vinnie Colgan Tony Pike
2014 Irish Fling Mark Du Plessis Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen
2013 Final Touch Chris Johnson John & Karen Parsons
2012 Guiseppina James McDonald Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie
2011 Mufhasa Sam Spratt Stephen McKee
2010 Vonusti Noel Harris Tim & Margaret Carter
2009 Mufhasa Sam Spratt Stephen McKee
2008 Seachange Gavin McKeon Ralph Manning
2007 Darci Brahman Opie Bosson Mark Walker
2006 Gee I Jane Scott Seamer Neville Couchman
2005 Keeinsky Allan Peard Graeme Rogerson
2004 King’s Chapel Noel Harris Mark Walker
2003 Tit For Taat Michael Walker Wayne Herbert
2002 Vinaka Lance O’Sullivan Jim Gibbs
2001 Star Of Gold Peter Johnson Stephen & Trevor McKee
2000 Fritz Noel Harris Neil Coulbeck

The Telegraph winners pre-2000

The Telegraph Past Winners Pre 2000
Year Horse
1999 Bawalaksana
1998 Vegas
1997 O’Reilly
1996 Loader
1995 Lord Tridan
1994 Lady Madonna
1993 Victory Dias
1992 Morar
1991 Vain Sovereign
1990 Mr Tiz
1989 Festal / Mr Tiz
1988 Courier Bay
1987 Courier Bay
1986 Tanalyse
1985 High Regards
1984 Mac’s Gamble
1983 So Modest
1982 Our Shah
1981 Anderil
1980 Flying View
1979 Arbre Chene
1978 Extra Flash
1977 Blue Blood
1976 Blue Blood
1975 Blue Blood
1974 Show Gate
1973 Sharif
1972 Count Kereru
1971 Sharivari
1970 Grizzly
1969 Elabama
1968 Serena
1967 Serena
1966 Misere
1965 Starlit
1964 Donald Dinnie
1963 Sonare
1962 Rochdale
1961 Fountainhead
1960 Kathey’s Romance
1959 Bamboo
1958 Lorica
1957 Japonica
1956 Ma Reine
1955 Hot Drop
1954 John Gilpin
1953 Lord Fort
1952 Hands Off
1951 Lord Moss
1950 Castlebrae
1949 Citril
1948 Ladyship
1947 Da Vinci
1946 Master Dash
1945 Alright
1944 John Gay
1943 Palora
1942 Autolite
1941 Sir Beau
1940 Sternchase
1939 Rakahanga
1938 Top Row
1937 Gold Boa
1936 Acceptable
1935 Wheriko
1934 Silver Ring
1933 Autopay
1932 Green Linnet
1931 Palermo
1930 Meadow Lark
1929 Meadow Lark
1928 Paperchase
1927 Booster
1926 Cawnpore
1925 Hipo
1924 Parody
1923 Tamatete
1922 The Hawk
1921 Statuette
1920 Statuette
1919 Nanna
1918 Wrestler
1917 Multiplication
1916 Panmure
1915 Hoy
1914 Beldame
1913 Sanguinary
1912 Nyland
1911 Gipsy Belle
1910 Equitas
1909 Tumut
1908 All Red
1907 Munjeet
1906 Alisa
1905 Petrovna
1904 Ballarat
1903 Petrovna
1902 Blazer
1901 Blazer
1900 Blazer
1899 Armoureux
1898 Telephone
1897 Torpina
1896 King’s Bowman
1895 King’s Bowman / Saracen
1894 Vogengang
1893 Rebellion
1892 Regina
1891 Lullaby
1890 Retina

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