The remarkable eight-year-old, Arapaho (Fr) threw aside any two-mile doubts with a brilliant win in Saturday’s Group I Sydney Cup, taking his career earnings over $4million.
Despite being beaten just a nose by Vauban in the 2000m Ranvet Stakes 2000m two runs prior followed by a game fourth to Dubai Honour and Duke De Sessa in the Tancred Stakes at weight for age over the 2400m, Arapaho went into the Cup reasonably unfancied at $21.
As the race unfolded there was a strong pace set by favourite Alalcance which had to work to get there, and Rachel King found herself in a perfect spot one off the fence behind the lead pack with her horse settling into just the type of rhythm you like to see in a distance race.
When that lead pack came under pressure and began wilting rapidly, he all but pulled his way to the lead with King sitting pretty and once she asked for the all-out effort he responded brilliantly to beat Waltham (Roaring Lion) by three lengths with River Of Stars (Sea The Stars) third.
“You can just see what this horse means to everyone,” said King.
“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. I probably had as many doubts as everyone else about 32(00).
“I wasn't quite sure, you know. One thing I always say to everyone is I've never ridden a horse so honest. He just tries. 600 metres from home, he looked the winner already. I was bolting.
“I had to sort of count to ten and just wait until I got to the top of the rise. He's got an awesome turn of foot for a stayer.”
The victory takes his overall record to 10 wins from 44 starts but since arriving in Australia it is seven wins and seven placings from 37, including a win in the 2023 Group I Tancred Stakes and last year’s Group II Zipping Classic at Caulfield.
It’s his sixth stakes success, and in fact in Australia he’s “only” been seen 17 times at trips of 2000m and longer which have produced six of his wins and five placings.
Arapaho (FR) was a Listed winner at Deauville at three for Andre Fabre before coming to Australia.
Bjorn Baker Racing/Avenue Bloodstock/Clarke Bloodstock shelled out €140,000 for the son of Lope de Vega at the 2020 Arqana Autumn Sale.
He is a half-brother to Listed winner Alula Borealus (Kendargent) and Group III Colin Stephen Stakes winner Athabascan (Almanzor), who was runner-up in the Group 1 Sydney Cup and one of his opponents today.
They are three of the four winners out of the Listed Saint-Cloud Prix Dahlia winner Alzubra (Dansili).
