BCD Group Sprint
BCD Group Sprint
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | Saturday, February 8, 2025 |
| Location: | Te Rapa Racecourse |
| Prize Money: | $500,000 |
| Distance: | 1400m |
The Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (registered as Waikato Sprint) is a Group 1 weight-for-age sprint held at Te Rapa in February each year.
Held on the same day as the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes, the sprint is one New Zealand’s most sought after prizes with some of the countries elite finding themselves on the honour roll.
Melody Belle (2019), Darci Brahma (2007) and Sunline (2002 & 2001) are just a few of the most well-known names to have won the Waikato Sprint since the turn of the century.
The traditional lead-up event to the BCD Group Sprint is the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap, held at Trentham four weeks prior.
2025 BCD Group Sprint betting odds
Odds for the BCD Group Sprint as of January 15, 2025 – Courtesy of Neds
- Grail Seeker Win $2.20 Place $1.30
- Savaglee Win $3.80 Place $1.70
- Alabama Lass Win $6.00 Place $2.25
- Here To Shock Win $6.00 Place $2.25
- Crocetti Win $8.00 Place $2.75
- Captured By Love Win $10.00 Place $3.25
- Legarto Win $10.00 Place $3.25
- Navigator Win $12.00 Place $3.75
- Sacred Satono Win $12.00 Place $3.75
- Skew Wiff Win $14.00 Place $4.25
- Bonny Lass Win $16.00 Place $4.75
- Luberon Win $16.00 Place $4.75
Best BCD Group Sprint bookmakers
All of the top online bookmakers listed below offer all-in and fixed odds betting on the major races out of New Zealand.
The BCD Group Sprint is one of New Zealand’s prized races and the Australian betting sites know how important framing a market is for both New Zealand punters and the locals.
BCD Group Sprint Bookies
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Latest BCD Group Sprint News
2025 BCD Group Sprint Field
The field for the 2025 BCD Group Sprint is not available. Horsebetting will update this page when it is released.
Previous BCD Group Sprint Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 
Callsign Mav John Bary Jonathan Riddell 9 59kg 2 Dragon Leap Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott Vinnie Colgan 7 59kg 3 Waitak Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott Opie Bosson 8 59kg 4 Habana Lance Noble Joe Doyle 3 59kg 5 Ifndoubtgetout Tracey Bliss Ciel Butler 12 59kg 6 Bonny Lass Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall Craig Grylls 13 57kg 7 Faraglioni Josh Shaw Lisa Allpress 1 57kg 8 Malt Time Shaun & Emma Clotworthy Masa Hashizume 4 57kg 9 Imprevu Janine Dalley Ulrika Holmquist 6 57kg 10 Imwonderfultonight Sam Mynott Sam Weatherley 10 57kg 11 Crocetti Danny Walker & Arron Tata Warren Kennedy 2 55.5kg 12 Solidify Team Rogerson Ryan Elliot 11 55.5kg 13 Quintessa Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Matthew Cameron 5 53.5kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 True Enough Andrew Forsman Jonathan Riddell 12 59kg 2 Dragon Leap Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott Warren Kennedy 5 59kg 3 Justacanta Shaun & Emma Clotworthy Masa Hashizume 8 59kg 4 Gino Severini Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Vinnie Colgan 7 59kg 5 Imperatriz Mark Walker Opie Bosson 1 57kg 6 Levante Ken & Bev Kelso Ryan Elliot 10 57kg 7 La Crique Simon & Katrina Alexander Craig Grylls 3 57kg 8 Mustang Valley Andrew Forsman Wiremu Pinn 11 57kg 9 Babylon Berlin Ben Foote Kozzi Asano 9 57kg 10 Faithful Feat Peter Lock Samantha Spratt 5 57kg 11 Bonny Lass Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall Jake Bayliss 4 57kg 12 Maven Belle Mark Walker Craig Zackey 2 53.5kg
2024 BCD Group Sprint result
1st – Bonny Lass (+1400)
2nd – Crocetti (-833.33)
3rd – Callsign Mav (+900)
Recent BCD Group Sprint winners
- One of the unluckiest horses in the top echelon of New Zealand racing in recent times, Bonny Lass turned things around with a supreme front-running performance in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. The $400,000 weight-for-age feature was the first Group 1 victory for the Super Easy mare, whose long run of misfortune dates back to a raceday scratching from the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) on New Year’s Day last year. She returned for another shot at that race a year later and was knocked sideways in the straight, recovering admirably and building back her momentum to surge into second behind Waitak. The Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham brought more of the same, with Bonny Lass finding herself awkwardly positioned behind a slow pace in a rough-run race. She had to switch across the heels of eventual winner Mercurial, only getting into the clear halfway down the straight and working through her gears to dash into third.
- In a field that oozed quality from top to bottom with half of the twelve runners boasting wins at Group One level it was flying four-year-old Imperatriz who proved best on the day when she took out the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. The Mark Walker-trained daughter of I Am Invincible went into the race off the back of a narrow but impressive victory over race rival Babylon Berlin in the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at the venue on New Year’s day followed by a decisive win in the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m) at Pukekohe on January 21. Hunting her third stakes win in a row and her fourth at the highest level, rider Opie Bosson had her perfectly positioned on the fence ahead of midfield as Babylon Berlin set up a solid pace, enhanced by the riderless Mustang Valley, who dropped Wiremu Pinn shortly after the start and continued on around the field. Bosson was giggling to himself at the 600m as he had a lapful of horse and so it proved as he unleashed the mare in the run home, where she quickly moved alongside Babylon Berlin before forging clear to win with ridiculous ease in a slick 1.20.70 for the 1400m, the fastest since Mrs Selleck won the race back in 1992. Babylon Berlin battled solidly to record her third Group One runner-up placing in succession, ahead of Levante who made good ground late after being near last approaching the home bend.
- Despite the limited crowd on course due to COVID protocols, there were still plenty of joyous scenes in the Te Rapa grandstand as the connections of outstanding racemare Levante celebrated her second consecutive Group One win with victory in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint. Touted as a match race between the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained five-year-old and fellow superstar mare Entriviere, the race lived up to its billing as the pair set down to fight out the finish over the final 300m. Despite having to sit three wide with cover aboard Levante, rider Ryan Elliot had taken a tactical advantage over rival jockey Opie Bosson on Entriviere by swooping into contention on the point of the turn as Entriviere was held up in a pocket for several strides. That proved the difference as Levante shot to the front with Entriviere in hot pursuit and despite a valiant chase Entriviere had to settle for a gallant runner-up, finishing half a length in arrears.
- In what most pundits deemed a match race between Avantage and Levante, it was marvellous mare Avantage who triumphed as she bought up a seventh Group One win in her illustrious career. The opportunity to see two of the best mares racing in New Zealand at present go head-to-head was thwarted when Levante effectively put paid to her chances when she missed the start by a conservative eight lengths. That didn’t worry the many Avantage supporters who watched jockey Opie Bosson weave some magic as he had the Fastnet Rock five-year-old in the trail after 400m despite starting from the extreme outside barrier in the eleven-horse field. Bosson moved Avantage forward to take the lead at the top of the straight and put the contest beyond doubt as he sent Avantage three lengths clear of her rivals, a margin that she held comfortably to the winning post to defeat Callsign Mav and Mascarpone with Levante putting up a herculean effort to run fifth.
- At his fourth attempt, Te Akau Shark claimed the Group One win that seemed inevitable in the BCD Sprint at Te Rapa. Making his first race appearance since his third behind Lys Gracieux and Castelvecchio in the 2019 Cox Plate, Te Akau Shark looked to be in trouble as the $1.40 favourite. A conservative six lengths adrift of The Mitigator with less than 300m to run, Te Akau Shark responded to Opie Bosson’s urgings to swoop on race leader The Mitigator and beat him by a comfortable two lengths.
- It had been more than a decade since Troy Harris rode his last Group One winner and the Cambridge jockey nailed the opportunity when guiding Melody Belle to victory in the 2019 BCD Group Sprint. Harris was lucky to be riding the Jamie Richards-trained runner after receiving a stay of proceedings for a recent suspension. The ride was inch-perfect from Harris with Melody Belle needing to get up inside her rivals and despite giving them three-lengths with 100m to go, the superstar mare powered to the finish line to salute in dramatic fashion.
- A wet Te Rapa had the connections of Start Wondering in a sombre pre-race mood, but New Zealand’s reigning champion sprinter didn’t let the rain dampen his parade. The Wanganui seven-year-old overcame the Slow 9 going to successfully defend his title in the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint. Start Wondering settled in behind the pace before striding to the front 200m from home for regular jockey Johnathan Parkes. The gelding dug deep in the final stages to keep the challenge of Packing Eagle at bay with the longshot Brilliant Shine taking third money ahead of Ronchi.
BCD Group Sprint past winners list
| BCD Group Sprint Past Winners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Bonny Lass | Craig Grylls | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall |
| 2023 | Imperatriz | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker |
| 2022 | Levante | Ryan Elliot | Ken & Bev Kelso |
| 2021 | Avantage | Opie Bosson | Jamie Richards |
| 2020 | Te Akau Shark | Opie Bosson | Jamie Richards |
| 2019 | Melody Belle | Troy Harris | Jamie Richards |
| 2018 | Start Wondering | Jonathan Parkes | JJ & Evan Rayner |
| 2017 | Start Wondering | Jonathan Parkes | JJ & Evan Rayner |
| 2016 | Xtravagant | Matt Cameron | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards |
| 2015 | Sacred Star | Vincent Colgan | Tony Pike |
| 2014 | Viadana | Craig Grylls | Lance Noble |
| 2013 | Final Touch | Chris Johnson | John & Karen Parsons |
| 2012 | Veyron | Leith Innes | Linda Laing |
| 2011 | Mufhasa | Samantha Spratt | Stephen McKee |
| 2010 | Tavistock | Jason Waddell | Andrew Campbell |
| 2009 | Mufhasa | Samantha Spratt | Stephen McKee |
| 2008 | Seachange | Gavin McKeon | Graeme Sanders |
| 2007 | Darci Brahma | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker |
| 2006 | Kristov | Jason Waddell | Phillip Stevens |
| 2005 | Sedecrem | Andrew Calder | Colin Jillings & Richard Yuill |
| 2004 | Sedecrem | Grant Cooksley | Colin Jillings & Richard Yuill |
| 2003 | Tit For Taat | Michael Walker | Wayne Herbert |
| 2002 | Sunline | Greg Childs | Trevor McKee & Stephen McKee |
| 2001 | Sunline | Greg Childs | Trevor McKee & Stephen McKee |
| 2000 | Tall Poppy | Jim Walker | Noel Eales |
BCD Group Sprint Past Winners Pre 2000
| BCD Group Sprint Past Winners Pre 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | ||
| 1999 | Surface | ||
| 1998 | Rebel | ||
| 1997 | Avedon | ||
| 1996 | Allegro | ||
| 1995 | Snap | ||
| 1994 | Western Red | ||
| 1993 | Veandercross | ||
| 1992 | Mrs Selleck | ||
| 1991 | Mr Tiz | ||
| 1990 | Race Not Held | ||
| 1989 | Poetic Prince | ||
| 1988 | Courier Bay | ||
| 1987 | Courier Bay | ||
| 1986 | Tanalyse | 1985 | Super Tai |
| 1984 | Abit Leica | ||
| 1983 | Pinson | ||
| 1982 | Givenchy | ||
| 1981 | Mun Lee | ||
| 1980 | Coobers Queen | ||
| 1979 | March Legend | ||
| 1978 | Copper Belt | ||
| 1977 | Soliloquy | ||
| 1976 | Mop | ||
| 1975 | Auditor | ||
| 1974 | Kings Romance | ||
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