The staying showpiece of The Championships Day 2 at Royal Randwick, the 2025 Sydney Cup, is shaping up as a fascinating contest with Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott‘s in-form mare Alalcance installed as the early favourite.
In-form grey Alalcance is favourite in 2025 Sydney Cup betting this weekend. Photo: Bradley Photos.
The Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m), a true test of endurance, has drawn a compelling field, and Alalcance is well-fancied to extend her winning streak.
“Alalcance is favourite in 2025 Sydney Cup betting to win her fourth win on the trot this weekend,” a form analyst noted.
The Mastercraftsman mare has been in sensational form this preparation, commencing with a victory in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) on March 8th.
She followed that with an emphatic four-plus length win in the Group 3 NE Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill and then another dominant performance in the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) last weekend, winning by over two and a half lengths.
Despite drawing a wide barrier 15, Alalcance is the $2.80 top elect at Ladbrokes to successfully navigate the 3200m journey and become the first mare to claim the Sydney Cup since Etah James in 2020.
Notably, she carries a favourable 52kg, including a 2kg penalty, a significant drop from her 56.5kg Chairman’s Quality winning weight.
Godolphin‘s accomplished stayer Zardozi holds the second position in the Sydney Cup betting market at $6.
Trained by James Cummings, the Kingman mare will carry 53kg from barrier 3 with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
The four-year-old is seeking her first win since the Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes in March of the previous year, but her consistent performances in major staying events, including fourth place finishes in both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup last spring, highlight her class.
Her recent form includes an eye-catching third in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 29th.
Ciaron Maher‘s Caulfield Cup victor Duke De Sessa is also prominent in the Sydney Cup odds at $8, drawing barrier two and carrying the 56.5kg top weight.
While no horse has carried more than 55kg to victory since Mourayan’s 58kg win in 2013, some punters believe Duke De Sessa has the quality to defy this trend.
Jockey Harry Coffey retains the ride on the six-year-old, who surprised many with a first-up Group 3 JRA Plate win over a mile at Caulfield in early February.
He has since recorded consecutive second-place finishes in the Australian Cup Prelude and the Tancred Stakes, indicating his readiness for the two-mile test.
Maher, a three-time Sydney Cup-winning trainer with Circle Of Fire (2024), Etah James (2020), and Explosive Jack (2023), holds a strong hand in the race.
“Circle Of Fire is out to defend his Sydney Cup title and become the first dual champion since Tie The Knot in 1998 & 1999!” a racing historian from Races.com.au pointed out.
The defending champion, Circle Of Fire, returns this year, aiming to become the first back-to-back Sydney Cup winner since Tie The Knot in 1998 and 1999.
Currently priced at $17, the Almanzor gelding won last year’s race with 51.5kg but faces a tougher task this season with 55kg, following a lead-up fifth to Dubai Honour in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m).
He has also been dealt a difficult hand with a wide barrier 22.
The Chris Waller-trained import Birdman, a four-year-old son of Free Eagle, has drawn the coveted inside barrier and will carry the lightweight of 50kg, coming off a second-place finish in last weekend’s Chairman’s Quality.
Other notable contenders for the Sydney Cup include Bjorn Baker‘s seasoned stayer Arapaho, who finished fourth in the Tancred Stakes, and the Melbourne Cup performer Mostly Cloudy, who could offer value at longer odds over the two-mile distance.
The 2025 Sydney Cup is scheduled as Randwick Race 7 at 3:15pm (AEST).
2025 Sydney Cup Field & Barriers
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp 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 | FRANCESCO 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.
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