The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt, during the Wellington Cup carnival in January.

Telegraph Handicap
Group I race
LocationTrentham Racecourse
Wellington, New Zealand
Inaugurated1891
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Websitewww.trentham.co.nz
Race information
Distance1200m (6 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds and up
WeightSet Weights & Penalties
PurseNZ$450,000 (2024)

The Telegraph Handicap, raced over 1200 metres, and the Railway Stakes contested at Ellerslie Racecourse are New Zealand's premier sprint races.

In the late 1980s the race was called the Wrightson Handicap.

Previous winners edit

Year
Winner
Jockey
Trainer(s)
Time
Second
Third
2024[1] Mercurial 58.5 Samantha Spratt Stephen Marsh 1:08.51 (good) Express Yourself 56.5 Bonny Lass 56.5
2023[2] Levante 56.5 Ryan Elliot Ken & Bev Kelso 1:07.11 (good) Babylon Berlin 56.5 Ifndoubtgetout 58.5
2022[3] Levante 56.5[4] Ryan Elliott Ken & Bev Kelso 1:06.18 (good) Roch 'N' Horse 56.5 Mascarpone 58.5
2021[5] Avantage 56.5 Danielle Johnson Jamie Richards 1:06.97 (good) Spring Heat 56.5 Burgundy Belle 56.5
2020[6] Avantage 56.5 Opie Bosson Jamie Richards 1:07.04 (good) Enzo’s Lad 58.5 Spring Heat 56.5
2019 [7] Enzo's Lad 58 Michael McNab Michael & Matthew Pitman 1:06.95 (good) Ferrando 55.5 Sensei 55.5
2018 [8] Enzo's Lad 55.5 Sam Weatherley Michael & Matthew Pitman 1:08.30 (good) Kawi 59 Ferrando 55.5
2017 Signify 55 Racha Cuneen Alex Cowan, Ashburton 1:07.71 Start Wondering 58 Perfect Fit 56
2016 Adventador 55.5 Matt Cameron Gus Lowry & Grant Cullen 1:08.34 Miss Seton Sands 53.5 Trepidation 53
2015 Sacred Star 57 Vinnie Colgan Tony Pike 1:07.71 Designated Driver 53 Trepidation 53
2014 Irish Fling 52 Mark Du Plessis Gus Lowry & Grant Cullen 1:07.48 Natuzzi 54.5 Jaggard 52
2013 Final Touch 58 Chris Johnson John & Karen Parsons 1:08.53 Xanadu 55 Burgundy 55
2012 Guiseppina 53 James McDonald Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, Maungatautari 1:06.94 Atomic Force 59 El Chico 55
2011 Mufhasa 56.5 Samantha Spratt Stephen McKee, Ardmore 1:07.04 First Command 58.5 Coup Align 56.5
2010 Vonusti 52.5 Noel Harris Tim & Margaret Carter 1:09.36 Tootsie 52.5 Stupendous 52.5
2009 Mufhasa 55.5 Samantha Spratt Stephen McKee, Ardmore 1:07.39 Atapi 55 Ruud Van Slaats 53.5
2008 Seachange 58.5 Gavin McKeon Ralph Manning, Cambridge 1:06.66 Kay’s Awake 55 Maximum Star 52
2007 Darci Brahma 57 Opie Bosson Mark Walker 1:07.00 Seachange 55.5 Kay's Awake 53
2006 Gee I Jane 55.5 Scott Seamer Neville Couchman, Cambridge 1:07.77 Dezigna 52.5 Magistra Decta 53
2005 Keeninsky 50.5 Allan Peard[9] Graeme Rogerson & Stephen Autridge, Tuhikaramea 1:07.55 Sedecrem 56.5 Dezigna 50.5
2004 King's Chapel Noel Harris Mark Walker 1:06.79 Sunlaw Sedecrem
2003 Tit For Taat 58.5 Michael Walker Anne Herbert 1:07.64 Egyptian Raine 58 Fair Embrace 54
2002 Vinaka 52.5 Lance O'Sullivan Jim Gibbs 1:08.06 Life Of Riley 52 Spring Rain 54
2001 Star Of Gold 53 Peter D Johnson Stephen & Trevor McKee 1:07.76 Spring Rain 53 Travellin' Man 52.5
2000 Fritz 53 Noel Harris Neil Coulbeck, Leithfield 1:07.63 Cheiron 54 Star Of Gold 54
1999 Bawalaksana 52 Lance O'Sullivan Paul O’Sullivan 1:06.51 Buster Brookfield 52 Samboa 53
1998 Vegas 51.5 Opie Bosson Graeme Rogerson & Keith Hawtin 1:08.85 Kiora Star 52 Coogee Walk 53
1997 O'Reilly 49 Lance O'Sullivan Dave & Paul O’Sullivan, Matamata 1:07.36 Classic Royal 49 Krispin Klear 55.5
1996 Loader 55 Chris Johnson Peter J & Dawn M Williams 1:06.85 Sun Spot 55 Snap 50
1995 Lord Tridan 57 Tony Allan Michael Moroney, Matamata 1:07.06 Rampage 48.5 Saxonvale 54.5
1994 Lady Madonna 50 Jim O'Styke Grant Searle 1:10.40 Enhancer 51.5 Lord Tridan 56
1993 Victory Dias 49.5 Craig Beets C W & Jim Gibbs & Lance Noble 1:06.59 Lord Tridan 51 Javelin 56
1992 Morar 52.5 Larry Cassidy Dave & Paul O’Sullivan 1:08.91 Mrs Selleck 49.75 Romanee Conti 47
1991 Vain Sovereign 52 Brian Hibberd M R Campbell 1:08.31 Mr Tiz 60.5 Hypervain 50
1990 Mr Tiz 55.5 Lance O'Sullivan Dave & Paul O’Sullivan 1:07.99 Vain Sovereign 52 Zephyr Magic 55.5
1989 Mr Tiz 50.5 (dead heat) Lance O'Sullivan Dave & Paul O’Sullivan 1:07.66 - Sirstaci 50
1989 Festal 49 (dead heat) Larry Cassidy Bruce Marsh 1:07.66 - Sirstaci 50
1988 Courier Bay 58 David Walsh G A White 1:07.45 Sirstaci 49.5 Squire Gray 47.5
1987 Courier Bay 54.5 David Walsh G A White 1:07.45 Kosha 57 Knight Invader 50
1986 Tanalyse 54.5 David Walsh D Grubb 1:07.35 Princess Dram 53 Silver Tip 51.5
1985 High Regards 48.5 Lance O'Sullivan Dave & Paul O’Sullivan, Matamata 1:07.23 Romantic Bay 48.5 Clear Gold 56.5

Wellington Cup Carnival edit

Other major races include the:

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Race 8 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 13 JAN 2024 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  2. ^ "Race 8 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 14 JAN 2023 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  3. ^ "Race 8 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 15 JAN 2022 | LOVERACING.NZ".
  4. ^ "Levante wins Telegraph in unofficial world record time over 1200 metres". 15 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Race 8 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 16 JAN 2021 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  6. ^ "Race 7 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 18 JAN 2020 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  7. ^ "Race 7 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 19 JAN 2019 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  8. ^ "Race 7 JR & N BERKETT TELEGRAPH at WELLINGTON RC on 20 JAN 2018 | LOVERACING.NZ". loveracing.nz.
  9. ^ "Racing: Winning post 'just in time'". NZ Herald. February 6, 2024.
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