The $2 million Sydney Cup is a Group 1 race run at Royal Randwick over two miles (3200m) on a Saturday in early April on Day 2 of 'The Championships.
2025 Sydney Cup Results
- 1st: #2 Arapaho
- 2nd: #20 Waltham
- 3rd: #9 River Of Stars
Sydney Cup News
The Group 1 Sydney Cup is held on the final race day of the esteemed ‘The Championships’ during the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ – also known as Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day – is one of the most exciting and valuable race days on the Australian racing calendar.
2025 Sydney Cup Results
- 1st: #2 Arapaho ($20)
- 2nd: #20 Waltham
- 3rd: #9 River Of Stars
Trainer Bjorn Baker enjoyed another Group 1 win during The Championships with his veteran eight-year-old stayer Arapaho ($20) proving he could run out the two-miles with a tearaway three-length upset in the 2025 Sydney Cup results.
Click here for the full story.
Sydney Cup 2025 Odds & Results
Schweppes Sydney Cup (G1)
| Runner Details | Win | Place |
|---|---|---|
|
1st
2. Arapaho (11) J: Rachel King 56kg
T: Bjorn Baker |
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2nd
20. Waltham (13) J: Reece Jones 50kg
T: Matthew Smith |
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3rd
9. River Of Stars (10) J: Tyler Schiller 52kg
T: Chris Waller |
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4th
13. Mostly Cloudy (9) J: Braith Nock 50kg
T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young |
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|
5th
5. Athabascan (4) J: Tommy Berry 53.5kg
T: John O'Shea & Tom Charlton |
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6th
17. Garachico (6) J: Robbie Dolan 50kg
T: Dominic Sutton |
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7th
3. Zarir (5) J: Damian Lane 56kg
T: Chris Waller |
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8th
10. Cleveland (16) J: Jamie Melham 51.5kg
T: Kris Lees |
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9th
15. Birdman (1) J: Zac Lloyd 50kg
T: Chris Waller |
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10th
4. Circle Of Fire (19) J: Jason Collett 55kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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11th
18. Strathtay (8) J: Jay Ford 50kg
T: Chris Waller |
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12th
6. Zardozi (3) J: Kerrin McEvoy 53kg
T: James Cummings |
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13th
7. Warmonger (18) J: Ashley Morgan 53kg
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
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14th
1. Duke De Sessa (2) J: Harry Coffey 56.5kg
T: Ciaron Maher |
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15th
21. Hopeful (7) J: Andrew Adkins 50kg
T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald |
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|
16th
19. Age Of Sail (15) J: Dylan Gibbons 50kg
T: Kris Lees |
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17th
8. Alalcance (14) J: Tim Clark 52kg
T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott |
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18th
12. Lastotchka (20) J: Andrew Gibbons 50.5kg
T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr |
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19th
14. Tajanis (17) J: Alysha Collett 50kg
T: Chris Waller |
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20th
11. sco Guardi (12) J: Teodore Nugent 51.5kg
T: Chris Waller |
Data retrieved: 16/05/2025 01:44:22 AM (Australia/Brisbane)
Held on the second Saturday of April the meeting is headlined by four Group 1 races including the richest race on the card – the Group 1 $5 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares.
The Sydney Cup is one of only a few Australian races run over the traditional cup distance of 3200m, the same as Australia’s most illustrious race the Melbourne Cup. This open handicap event is worth a very lucrative $2,000,000 and generally features some of the leading stayers in Australia.
All of The Championships’ races for 2020 had reduced prizemoney due to the COVID-19 pandemic including the Sydney Cup offering $1 million before being boosted back up to $2 million in 2021.
As the premier staying event during the Sydney Autumn Carnival, the Sydney Cup field attracts a high-quality field of gallopers each year and notable winners include the three-time Melbourne Cup winning mare Makybe Diva (2004), Tie The Knot (1998 & 1999) and Count Chivas (1996).
The best guide to the Sydney Cup in recent years has been the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) held the Saturday before on Doncaster Mile Day. The Chairman’s Handicap / Sydney Cup is a very popular betting double.
Horses to claim victory in both races include Circle Of Fire (2024), The Offer (2014), Jessicabeel (2010), No Wine No Song (2008), Henderson Bay (2002), Linesman (1997), and King Aussie (1990).
The 2022 Sydney Cup form was franked with the winner Knights Order returning in the spring to run third in that year’s Caulfield Cup results in Melbourne.
Knights Order returned in 2023 to run a credible third in the Sydney Cup results behind upset winner Explosive Jack.
The 2025 Sydney Cup ran on Saturday April 12, 2025 on Day 2 of Sydney’s ‘The Championships’ in April and was won in an impressive upset by Bjorn Baker’s eight-year-old galloper Arapaho ($20).
| Sydney Cup 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Date: | Saturday April 12, 2025 |
| Track: | Royal Randwick Racecourse |
| Distance: | 3200m |
| Conditions: | Open Handicap |
| Status: | Group 1 |
| Prize Money: | $2 million |
| Inaugurated: | 1862 |
2025 Sydney Cup Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 11 | 56kg | $20 | |||
| 2 | 20 | WALTHAM (GB) | Matthew Smith | Reece Jones | 2.95L | 13 | 50kg | $51 | ||
| 3 | 9 | RIVER OF STARS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Tyler Schiller | 3.5L | 10 | 52kg | $20 | ||
| 4 | 13 | MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Braith Nock (a) | 4.13L | 9 | 50kg | $41 | ||
| 5 | 5 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Tommy Berry | 4.33L | 4 | 53.5kg | $16 | ||
| 6 | 17 | GARACHICO (GB) | Dominic Sutton | Robbie Dolan | 5.94L | 6 | 50kg | $91 | ||
| 7 | 3 | ZARIR (IRE) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 6.55L | 5 | 56kg | $61 | ||
| 8 | 10 | CLEVELAND (IRE) | Kris Lees | Ms Jamie Melham | 6.76L | 16 | 51.5kg | $31 | ||
| 9 | 15 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 6.77L | 1 | 50kg | $8 | ||
| 10 | 4 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 6.82L | 19 | 55kg | $14 | ||
| 11 | 18 | STRATHTAY (NZ) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 6.94L | 8 | 50kg | $17 | ||
| 12 | 6 | ZARDOZI | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 7.11L | 3 | 53kg | $6.50 | ||
| 13 | 7 | WARMONGER (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ashley Morgan | 9.45L | 18 | 53kg | $31 | ||
| 14 | 1 | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Harry Coffey | 14.23L | 2 | 56.5kg | $7 | ||
| 15 | 21e | HOPEFUL (FR) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Andrew Adkins | 15.4L | 7 | 50kg | $201 | ||
| 16 | 19 | AGE OF SAIL (GB) | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons | 16.45L | 15 | 50kg (cd 51.5kg) | $151 | ||
| 17 | 8 | ALALCANCE (GB) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 16.7L | 14 | 52kg | 2.0kg | $3.50F | |
| 18 | 12 | LASTOTCHKA (FR) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Andrew Gibbons | 17.53L | 20 | 50.5kg | $151 | ||
| 19 | 14 | TAJANIS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Ms Alysha Collett | 17.62L | 17 | 50kg | $31 | ||
| 20 | 11 | SCO GUARDI (IRE) | Chris Waller | Teo Nugent | 37.22L | 12 | 51.5kg | $151 | ||
| 23e | BACIO DEL MIST (NZ) | Lee & Cherie Curtis | Ms Molly Bourke (a) | 0 | ||||||
| 22e | MR WATERVILLE (IRE) | Chris Waller | 0 | |||||||
| 16 | VALIANT KING (GB) | Chris Waller | Reece Jones | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sydney Cup Betting
Sydney Cup betting is notoriously difficult and, just like the Melbourne Cup, is always a very open race.
In recent years favourites have a strong record in the Sydney Cup and the likes of Mahtoum (2005), No Wine No Song (2008), Ista Kareem (2009), Jessicabeel (2010), Niwot (2011), and The Offer (2014) have all given punters a positive result in the race.
Circle Of Fire ($5.50 in 2024) is the last Sydney Cup favourite to win.
However there has also been plenty of upsets in the history of the Sydney Cup including by the likes of Just A Dancer ($41 in 1991), Grand Marshal ($41 in 2015), Selino ($26 in 2021), and Explosive Jack ($26 in 2023) who defeated 150/1 outsider True Marvel in that year’s quinella.
There was also an upset in 2025 with Arapaho winning at $20.
Good Sydney Cup betting tips include looking for horses that ran top four in their lead-up runs and graduates out of the previous weekend’s Chairman’s Handicap at the Randwick track.
2025 Sydney Cup Form Guide
The Sydney Cup form is often very easy to follow as most horses contest either the Group 2 Chairman’s Handicap (2600m) or Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) in the lead-up to the race. The Chairman’s Handicap remains the key Sydney Cup form race.
Arapaho (4th in 2025) was the last Tancred Stakes graduate to continue on and win the Sydney Cup.
Stay tuned for our insider Sydney Cup 2025 Form Guide & Betting Preview for all the race facts and stats to guide your selections on the two-mile classic.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2025 SYDNEY CUP FORM GUIDE
2025 Sydney Cup Tips
Stay tuned for our insider Sydney Cup 2025 Tips on the two-mile staying showdown of the autumn!
CLICK HERE FOR OUR COMPLETE 2025 SYDNEY CUP TIPS & BEST BETS
- To Win: #8 Alalcance ($2.20 at time of publish) – BET NOW
Mares don’t have the best Sydney Cup record, but 8. ALALCANCE (15) this year is looking a huge chance to be the first since Etah James (2020) to beat home the boys in the two-mile classic. This striking grey daughter of Mastercraftsman is the right age to win as a 5YO and she is absolutely airborne. The quick back-up off her dominant Group 2 Chairman’s Quality win by nearly two lengths here over 2600m suits as she’s fit and firing on all cylinders. Should easily see out the 3200m off of that. She’s won all three this prep and just doesn’t know how to run a bad race. Loves Randwick (3:2-1-0) and, even with a 2kg penalty, gets in on just 52kg here. That’s a nice drop from the 56.5kg she carried with ease seven days earlier. Gets conditions to suit, Tim Clark stays on, and she looks every chance to do the double Circle Of Fire completed last year. Looks very well placed and just needs to get into the right spot from the draw to salute for the punters.
2025 Sydney Cup Field
Each year the Sydney Cup field attracts the autumn’s top-class stayers many of which have had previous experience over the two miles either via an earlier year’s Sydney Cup or even the iconic Melbourne Cup run at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November.
The Sydney Cup 2025 field will be released Tuesday before the race and published in full below.
The 2025 Sydney Cup final field features a capacity line-up of stayers including the flying Alalcance from the Waterhouse/Bott yard chasing her fourth straight win this prep and Ciaron Maher’s 56.5kg top-weight Duke De Sessa who won the Caulfield Cup last spring.
Click here to read more on the standout contenders in the Sydney Cup 2025 field and betting markets.
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | H Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 524419×122 | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Harry Coffey | 2 | 56.5kg | 114 | ||
| 2 | x0451x5524 | ARAPAHO (FR) | Bjorn Baker | Ms Rachel King | 12 | 56kg | 112 | ||
| 3 | x11235x2x9 | ZARIR (IRE) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 5 | 56kg | 108 | ||
| 4 | 1x8906x045 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | Jason Collett | 22 | 55kg | 108 | ||
| 5 | x8001x7829 | ATHABASCAN (FR) | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Tommy Berry | 4 | 53.5kg | 102 | ||
| 6 | 52454×8323 | ZARDOZI | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 3 | 53kg | 109 | ||
| 7 | 21x408x020 | WARMONGER (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Ashley Morgan | 20 | 53kg | 104 | ||
| 8 | x1x122x111 | ALALCANCE (GB) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 15 | 52kg | 2.0kg | 111 | |
| 9 | 24x31342x7 | RIVER OF STARS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Tyler Schiller | 11 | 52kg | 106 | ||
| 10 | 21x00x80x4 | CLEVELAND (IRE) | Kris Lees | Ms Jamie Melham | 18 | 51.5kg | 101 | ||
| 11 | 07976×0000 | SCO GUARDI (IRE) | Chris Waller | Teo Nugent | 13 | 51.5kg | 93 | ||
| 12 | x41x0x0067 | LASTOTCHKA (FR) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Andrew Gibbons | 23 | 50.5kg | 100 | ||
| 13 | 2x4400x433 | MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Braith Nock (a) | 10 | 50kg | 97 | ||
| 14 | 7424124112 | TAJANIS (IRE) | Chris Waller | Ms Alysha Collett | 19 | 50kg | 97 | ||
| 15 | 3x6x0x4252 | BIRDMAN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 1 | 50kg | 95 | ||
| 16 | x0090x0693 | VALIANT KING (GB) | Chris Waller | Reece Jones | 16 | 50kg | 94 | ||
| 17 | 5x5561x124 | GARACHICO (GB) | Dominic Sutton | Robbie Dolan | 6 | 50kg | 91 | ||
| 18 | 51336×0636 | STRATHTAY (NZ) | Chris Waller | Jay Ford | 9 | 50kg | 91 | ||
| 19 | 3267×65154 | AGE OF SAIL (GB) | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons | 17 | 50kg | 89 | ||
| 20 | x8x943x018 | WALTHAM (GB) | Matthew Smith | 14 | 50kg | 89 | |||
| 21e | 622×006635 | HOPEFUL (FR) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Andrew Adkins | 7 | 50kg | 88 | ||
| 22e | 86x67x7070 | MR WATERVILLE (IRE) | Chris Waller | 8 | 50kg | 84 | |||
| 23e | 13×4692150 | BACIO DEL MIST (NZ) | Lee & Cherie Curtis | Ms Molly Bourke (a) | 21 | 50kg | 76 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
2025 Sydney Cup First Acceptances
After nominations close in February the Sydney Cup first acceptances are taken four weeks out from the race on a Tuesday in early March, narrowing down the list of horses heading towards the $2 million classic.
The Sydney Cup 2025 first acceptances close on Tuesday the 11th of March 2025.
2025 Sydney Cup Nominations
The Sydney Cup nominations are first taken by Racing NSW on a Tuesday in early-mid February about two months out from the race and can attract up to 100 stayers.
The 2025 Sydney Cup nominations will close on Tuesday the 11th of February 2025.
The Sydney Cup 2025 nominations drew 98 autumn stayers with betting on the two-mile classic currently led by Japanese raider Cils Blancs and fellow international Desert Hero from the UK.
Sydney Cup History
The Sydney Cup was first run in 1862 as a Principal race over 16 furlongs, and Talleyrand won the inaugural race. The distance and conditions of the Sydney Cup remained the same for over a century until Australia’s adoption of the metric system caused the length to be converted to 3200m in 1973. In 1980 the Sydney Cup was elevated to Group 1 status.
The event has gone by a number of different names over the years including the Randwick Grand Handicap, Randwick Grand Handicap Sweepstakes and the Sydney Gold Cup.
In 2017 the Sydney Cup was run on April 8 but declared a No Race after the fall of Almoonqith. It ran for a second time a fortnight later with the same horse, UK raider Polarisation, first past the post again.
In 2018 Who Shot Thebarman made history winning the Sydney Cup as a nine-year-old at his fifth attempt in the two-mile classic.
In 2021 trainer Chris Waller celebrated his fifth Sydney Cup success with Selino.
In 2025 Arapaho won the Sydney Cup in a record time of 3 minutes 18.31 seconds.
| Sydney Cup Records | |
|---|---|
| Time Record: | 3:19.0 set by Apollo Eleven in 1973 and equalled by Just A Dancer in 1991. |
| Most Heavily Weighted Winner (since 1970): | My Good Man with 60kg in 1978. |
| Lightest Weighted Winner (since 1970): | Palace Revolt with 48.5kg in 1989. |
Recent Sydney Cup Winners
| Year | Place | Horse | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sydney Cup |
1st | Arapaho | 3 minutes 18.31 seconds (R) |
| 2nd | Waltham | ||
| 3rd | River Of Stars | ||
| 2024 Sydney Cup |
1st | Circle Of Fire | 3 minutes 20.89 seconds |
| 2nd | Athabascan | ||
| 3rd | Kalapour | ||
| 2023 Sydney Cup |
1st | Explosive Jack | 3 minutes 26.91 seconds |
| 2nd | True Marvel | ||
| 3rd | Knights Order | ||
| 2022 Sydney Cup |
1st | Knights Order | 3 minutes 32.29 seconds |
| 2nd | Sheraz | ||
| 3rd | Daqiansweet Junior | ||
| 2021 Sydney Cup |
1st | Selino | 3 minutes 23.13 seconds |
| 2nd | Rondinella | ||
| 3rd | Miami Bound | ||
| 2020 Sydney Cup |
1st | Etah James | 3 minutes 28.46 seconds |
| 2nd | The Chosen One | ||
| 3rd | Raheen House | ||
| 2019 Sydney Cup |
1st | Shraaoh | 3 minutes 22.06 seconds |
| 2nd | Vengeur Masque | ||
| 3rd | Glory Days | ||
| 2018 Sydney Cup |
1st | Who Shot Thebarman | 3 minutes 20.04 seconds |
| 2nd | Zacada | ||
| 3rd | Sir Charles Road | ||
| 2017 Sydney Cup |
1st | Polarisation | 3 minutes 29.16 seconds |
| 2nd | Who Shot Thebarman | ||
| 3rd | Big Duke | ||
| 2016 Sydney Cup |
1st | Gallante | 3 minutes 24.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Libran | ||
| 3rd | Grand Marshal | ||
| 2015 Sydney Cup |
1st | Grand Marshal | 3 minutes 24.70 seconds |
| 2nd | Who Shot Thebarman | ||
| 3rd | Like A Carousel | ||
| 2014 Sydney Cup |
1st | The Offer | 3 minutes 23.86 seconds |
| 2nd | Opinion | ||
| 3rd | Sertorius | ||
| 2013 Sydney Cup |
1st | Niwot | 3 minutes 20.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Efficient | ||
| 3rd | Once Were Wild | ||
| 2012 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mourayan | 3 minutes 24.29 seconds |
| 2nd | Norsqui | ||
| 3rd | Aliyana Tide | ||
| 2011 Sydney Cup |
1st | Stand To Gain | 3 minutes 29.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Older Than Time | ||
| 3rd | Solid Billing | ||
| 2010 Sydney Cup |
1st | Jessicabeel | 3 minutes 21.86 seconds |
| 2nd | Divine Rebel | ||
| 3rd | Harris Tweed | ||
| 2009 Sydney Cup |
1st | Ista Kareem | 3 minutes 27.4 seconds |
| 2nd | Divine Rebel | ||
| 3rd | Mr Tipsy | ||
| 2008 Sydney Cup |
1st | No Wine No Song | 3 minutes 25.5 seconds |
| 2nd | Pentathon | ||
| 3rd | Lang | ||
| 2007 Sydney Cup |
1st | Gallic | 3 minutes 27.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Irazu | ||
| 3rd | No Wine No Song | ||
| 2006 Sydney Cup |
1st | County Tyrone | 3 minutes 22.6 seconds |
| 2nd | Zabeat | ||
| 3rd | Three Chimneys | ||
| 2005 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mahtoum | 3 minutes 27.6 seconds |
| 2nd | County Tyrone | ||
| 3rd | Philosophe | ||
| 2004 Sydney Cup |
1st | Makybe Diva | 3 minutes 21.1 seconds |
| 2nd | Manawa King | ||
| 3rd | Mummify | ||
| 2003 Sydney Cup |
1st | Honor Babe | 3 minutes 30.5 seconds |
| 2nd | County Tyrone | ||
| 3rd | Grey Song | ||
| 2002 Sydney Cup |
1st | Henderson Bay | 3 minutes 26.7 seconds |
| 2nd | Mr. Prudent | ||
| 3rd | Spirit Of Westbury | ||
| 2001 Sydney Cup |
1st | Mr. Prudent | 3 minutes 26.9 seconds |
| 2nd | Prophet’s Kiss | ||
| 3rd | Starina | ||
| 2000 Sydney Cup |
1st | Streak | 3 minutes 30.3 seconds |
| 2nd | Sharscay | ||
| 3rd | Ears’ Ronny | ||
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