Zabeel Classic
Zabeel Classic
Group One Betting Guide
| Date: | Thursday, December 26, 2025 |
| Location: | Pukekohe Racecourse |
| Prize Money: | $500,000 |
| Distance: | 2050m |
The Group 1 Zabeel Classic is a 2050m thoroughbred race held on Boxing Day (December 26) each year under weight-for-age conditions.
Formerly known as the Auckland Classic and later the Japan Racing Association Classic, the race is now named in honour of Zabeel – a four-time New Zealand champion sire who produced the likes of Might And Power, Octagonal and Vengeance Of Rain.
In 2005, the Zabeel Classic was moved from January to December, which resulted in the race being run twice that year.
2025 Zabeel Classic betting odds
Betting markets for the 2025 Zabeel Classic are currently unavailable.
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Zabeel Classic News
This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi was fittingly capped off in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day ...
Sharon Robertson had a taste of the Group One action at Ellerslie 16 years ago and will return to the ...
Rory Hutchings had the most successful day of his career at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, and will kick off a ...
Snazzytavi more than justified the torrent of support she received in the final minutes of betting prior to Saturday’s Group ...
Taranaki mare Hi Yo Sass Bomb already has a Group 1 placing next to her name, and owner-trainer Kim Reid ...
Opie Bosson moved to the brink of a Group One milestone with an outstanding ride on Ladies Man to take ...
2025 Zabeel Classic Field
HorseBetting will update this page when the 2025 Zabeel Classic final field is released.
Previous Zabeel Classic Fields
No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Ladies Man Allan Sharrock Opie Bosson 10 59kg 2 El Vencedor Stephen Marsh Rory Hutchings 8 59kg 3 Meaningful Star Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Matt Cartwright 7 59kg 4 Skyman Stephen Marsh Masa Hashizume 11 59kg 5 Matscot Sharon Robertson & Alan Reeves Vinnie Colgan 1 59kg 6 Dionysus Roger James & Robert Wellwood George Rooke 2 59kg 7 La Crique Simon & Katrina Alexander Michael McNab 4 57kg 8 Snazzytavi Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall Warren Kennedy 3 57kg 9 Campionessa Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Blake Shinn 6 57kg 10 Bella Waters Moira & Kieran Murdoch Craig Grylls 5 57kg 11 Hi Yo Sass Bomb Kim Reid Joe Doyle 9 57kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Aegon Andrew Forsman Michael McNab 6 59kg 2 No Compromise Chris Waller Ryan Elliot 5 59kg 3 Prise De Fer Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Blake Shinn 3 59kg 4 Gino Severini Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley Kozzi Asano 2 59kg 5 Platinum Invador Lisa Latta Jonathan Riddell 11 59kg 6 One Bold Cat Robbie Patterson Craig Grylls 9 59kg 7 Mali Ston Darryn & Briar Weatherley Sam Weatherley 8 59kg 8 Campionessa Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Opie Bosson 4 57kg 9 Aquacade Lance Noble Vinnie Colgan 1 57kg 10 Kelly Coe Ashley Meadows Matthew Cameron 7 57kg 11 Mazzolino Stephen Marsh Sam Spratt 10 56kg No. Silks Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight 1 Prise De Fer Mark Walker Opie Bosson 4 59kg 2 Defibrillate Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall Warren Kennedy 7 59kg 3 The Mayor Mike Moroney & Pam Gerard Craig Zackey 11 59kg 4 Harlech Mike Moroney & Pam Gerard Cameron Lammas 6 59kg 5 Chase Stephen Nickalls Jonathan Riddell 2 59kg 6 Soldier Boy Gavin Sharrock Sam Weatherley 3 58kg 7 Polly Grey Chris Waller Michael McNab 1 57kg 8 Sinarahma Allan Sharrock Craig Grylls 8 57kg 9 CheaperthandivorceRoger James & Robert WellwoodVinnie Colgan957kg10 Le Sablier Karen Fursdon Masa Hashizume 5 57kg 11 Slave To Love Peter & Dawn Williams Sam Spratt 10 57kg
2024 Zabeel Classic result
1st – Snazzytavi (+100)
2nd – La Crique (-200)
3rd – El Vencedor (+220)
Recent Zabeel Classic winners
- The year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi was fittingly capped off in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature. Snazzytavi and La Crique jumped alongside each other in unison and La Crique settled off the fence in fifth, with the favourite hot on her heels in the trail under Warren Kennedy. El Vencedor took up his favourite role as pacemaker and after stealing a few cheap sectionals, showed plenty of kick early in the straight and set a task for the two mares. Snazzytavi got off the back of La Crique and put a half-length on her at the 100m, but as they caught El Vencedor, La Crique showed her class, kicking back and making it desperately close on the line.
- Campionessa shed her Group One bridesmaid’s tag at Pukekohe Park on Boxing Day when recording a well-deserved victory in the Zabeel Classic (2050m). Previously runner-up in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2050m) earlier this year, Campionessa returned in the spring where she disappointed in her two outings at Hastings and the decision was made to put her aside for summer racing. That decision by trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson has proven to be a masterstroke, with the daughter of Contributer recapturing form with a first-up victory in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe last month before winning the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa 10 days prior. She was duly backed into $3 favouritism for Tuesday’s Zabeel Classic and didn’t disappoint her backers. After jumping away well for jockey Opie Bosson, she was settled in the trail behind pacemaker Kelly Coe and enjoyed an economical passage throughout. Entering the straight, the pair had to fight for room in between the leader and Mazzolino and eventually found a passage. In the centre of the track, Sydney raider No Compromise was full of momentum and loomed like the winner at the 200m, but Campionessa was able to fight back and hold on for a neck victory.
- Graham Richardson savoured one of the highlights of his career as Defibrillate brought a long-range plan to fruition in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day – a second consecutive triumph in the weight-for-age feature for Richardson and his training partner Rogan Norvall. The eight-year-old son of Shocking finished third in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in October in his first start back on home soil, then won the Group 3 Balmerino Stakes (2050m) at Pukekohe on November 1. That prompted Richardson to start working towards the Zabeel Classic, run over the same course and distance some eight weeks later. When the big day finally rolled around on Monday, Defibrillate held up his end of the bargain, stepping out of the shadows of favourites Sinarahma and Prise De Fer and claiming his first win at the elite level. Defibrillate was given a perfect midfield ride by South African jockey Warren Kennedy, settling into a smooth rhythm in fifth and one off the rail. Sydney-based mare Polly Grey set a solid tempo out in front throughout the race, and she threw down the gauntlet to her rivals with a kick at the top of the straight. But Defibrillate and Prise De Fer emerged from the pack and soon wore down the front-running grey mare, surging past and clearing out to fight a two-horse battle to the finish. Last-start Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) hero Prise De Fer gave it everything he had but Defibrillate found a little more in the final 100 metres and kicked away to win by a length and three-quarters.
- Veteran galloper Tiptronic led all the way to take out his second career Group One prize when he captured the Group 1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie. The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained eight-year-old had hinted he could return to his best form when finishing on strongly for third in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at his most recent start. The son of O’Reilly had finished fifth in the race a year earlier after being forced to sit three-wide throughout, however this time rider Ashvin Goindasamy followed Richardson’s instructions to the letter as he took Tiptronic to the front and set a steady pace throughout. Goindasamy upped the tempo approaching the home turn and it was obvious he had his rivals in trouble as Tiptronic slipped two lengths clear early in the run home. Refusing to yield, Tiptronic held out a brave bid from runner-up Vernanme, holding on to win by a length and a half as race favourite Two Illicit produced a late run to take third.
- Having finished second in the Captain Cook Stakes earlier in the month, the Roger James & Robert Wellwood-trained Concert Hall claimed Group 1 success in the Zabeel Classic. Concert Hall had looked a Group 1 winner in waiting throughout her career having won four individual stakes races before her success in the Zabeel, but had struggled to breakthrough at the top level. Stepping up to her preferred 2000-metre distance, her winning chances appeared to have been dashed when Vinnie Colgan found himself last of the eleven runners with just 600 metres to run, however with a genuine tempo out in front, the six-year-old mare managed to grind home down the centre of the track and was the one who finished off best.
- Premier NSW jockey James McDonald had made the trek back across the ditch for the Zabeel Classic and it was all made worth it when JMac partnered True Enough to victory for Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman. McDonald rode True Enough to victory in the Thames Cup (1600m) in January and nearly a year later he reunited with the six-year-old gelding to record a Group 1 victory. The son of Nom du Jeu had been in a purple patch of form that season, recording three wins and two placings from five starts, including victories in the Group 3 Red Badge Sprint (1400m) and Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m), and a last start placing in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
- History was made at Ellerslie when the Christopher Gibbs & Michelle Bradley-trained Danzdanzdance became the first horse to claim the Captain Cook Stakes / Zabeel Classic double. Ridden by Opie Bosson, Danzdanzdance settled at the rear before circling the field rounding the turn and after she straightened, she lengthened on the heavy ground to win easily. The grey mare made a mess of her rivals, with placegetters Lizzie L’Amour and Jon Snow beaten by 3.5 lengths and 8.1 lengths respectively.
- Having finished third in the previous two runnings of the Zabeel Classic, Authentic Paddy finally broke through for a maiden Group 1 win with an upset win in the 2017 Zabeel Classic. Having gone around as $21 chance, not many gave the Lisa Latta-trained gelding a chance in the race, but under a perfectly rated front running ride from Trudy Thronton, the son of Howbaddouwantit simply never looked like getting run down in the home straight.
- Despite being sent a round as a $41 chance, the Stephen McKee-trained Consensus caused one of the biggest upsets in Zabeel Classic history. The five-year-old mare responded to urgings from Alysha Collett to get the better of race favourite Volkstok’n’barrell, who had been majorly backed late into a very tight quote. With the favourite finding plenty of trouble in the home straight, it was Consensus who reaped the benefits with a nice turn of foot.
- Despite Kawi’s imposing record of nine wins, two at Group 1 level, and six seconds from 20 starts there have been plenty who have questioned his talent at top level, particularly the Ellerslie right-handed way around. However, in the 2015 Zabeel Classic, the Allan Sharrock-trained son of Savabeel broke his Ellerslie maiden tag in the best way possible.
Zabeel Classic past winners list
| Zabeel Classic Past Winners since 2000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2024 | Snazzytavi | Warren Kennedy | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall |
| 2023 | Campionessa | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson |
| 2022 | Defibrillate | Warren Kennedy | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall |
| 2021 | Tiptronic | Ashvin Goindasamy | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall |
| 2020 | Concert Hall | Vincent Colgan | Roger James & Robert Wellwood |
| 2019 | True Enough | James McDonald | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman |
| 2018 | Danzdanzdance | Opie Bosson | Christopher Gibbs & Michelle Bradley |
| 2017 | Authentic Paddy | Trudy Thornton | Lisa Latta |
| 2016 | Consensus | Alysha Collett | Stephen McKee |
| 2015 | Kawi | Leith Innes | Allan Sharrock |
| 2014 | Soriano | Rory Hutchings | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson |
| 2013 | Historian | Matthew Cameron | Gary Alton |
| 2012 | Veyron | Rogan Norvall | Linda Laing |
| 2011 | Shez Sinsational | James McDonald | Allan Sharrock |
| 2010 | Booming | Vinne Colgan | Jeff Lynds |
| 2009 | Vosne Romanee | Matthew Cameron | Jeff Lynds |
| 2008 | Gallions Reach | Sam Spratt | Richard Yuill |
| 2007 | Sir Slick | Bruce Herd | Graeme Nicholson |
| 2006 | Mikki Street | Bruce Herd | Lisa Latta |
| 2005 | Bazelle | Jason Waddell | Paul Jenkins |
| 2005 | St Reims | Leith Innes | Chris McNab |
| 2004 | Lashed | Opie Bosson | Graeme Rogerson & Stephen Autridge |
| 2003 | Hail | Greg Childs | Bruce & Stephen Marsh |
| 2002 | Giovana | Peter Johnson | Carol Marshall |
| 2001 | Zonda | Damien Oliver | Roger James |
| 2000 | Rebel | Linda Ballantyne | Val Langsford |
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