The Telegraph
New Zealand | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Telegraph is a Group 1 race run under WFA conditions for sprinters at Trentham race course conducted by the Wellington Racing Club.
The Telegraph is run over 1200m. It was first run in 1890 and won by Retina.
The Telegraph was the second of the feature New Zealand sprints over the summer but has been moved to be at the start of the year almost swapping with the Railway.
It is run over the six furlongs.
It was always run as a handicap until 2015 when switched to Set Weights & Penalties then WFA.
They can run some incredible times on firm tracks from this chute start with the one dogleg bend to overcome. Mid 66 seconds have been recorded.
One of the best sprinters to come out of New Zealand was Mr Tiz and he won the race twice, dead-heating in 1989 with Festal and winning it by himself in 1990.
Some of late that have had success in Australia include Darci Brahma, Mufhasa, Seachange, Gee I Jane and Avantage.
Lance O'Sullivan had an incredible run winning it on seven occasions between 1982 and 2002, winning most of them for Dave and Paul O'Sullivan.
Enzo's Lad won it twice and then in 2020 went within a head of making it a big treble only to be run down late.
Avantage did the big kiwi sprint double in taking the Telegraph in 2021. She led home a mares trifecta.
Levante got a deserved G1 with a bob of the head in 2022. She ran an almost unbelievable 66.18 seconds in defeating the eventual Newmarket Hcp winner. That win was backed up 12 months later.
The Telegraph was worth NZ$550,000 in 2025.
Notable winners of the Telegraph include Grail Seeker (2025) Levante (2022/2023), Avantage (2020/2021), Enzo's Lad (2018/2019), Sacred Star (2015), Mufhasa (2009/2011), Seachange (2008), Darci Brahma (2007), Gee I Jane (2006), King's Chapel (2004), Tit For Taat (2003), Fritz (2000), O'Reilly (1997), Mr Tiz (1989/1990), Courier Bay (1987/1988), Blue Blood (1975/1976/1977), Serena (1967/1968), Meadow Lark (1929/1930), Statuette (1920/1921), Petrovna (1903/1905), Blazer (1900/1901/1902) and King's Bowman (1895/1896).
The 2025 Telegraph was won by Grail Seeker from Sacred Satono and Navigator.
Previous The Telegraph Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
GRAIL SEEKER
(NZ)
4M IFFRAAJ (GB) - STARWISH (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) |
KEVIN STOTT | 56.5 | LANCE O'SULLIVAN & ANDREW SCOTT | 4 |
|
|
MERCURIAL
(NZ)
5G BURGUNDY (NZ) - ROXETTE (NZ) TAVISTOCK (NZ) |
S C SPRATT | 58.5 | STEPHEN MARSH | 8 |
|
|
LEVANTE
(NZ)
6M PROISIR (AUS) - ISLAND DOY (GB) DOYOUN (IRE) |
RYAN ELLIOT | 56.5 | KEN & BEV KELSO | 2 |
|
|
LEVANTE
(NZ)
5M PROISIR (AUS) - ISLAND DOY (GB) DOYOUN (IRE) |
RYAN ELLIOT | 56.5 | KEN & BEV KELSO | 5 |
|
|
AVANTAGE
(AUS)
5M FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - ASAVANT (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ) |
DANIELLE JOHNSON | 56.5 | JAMIE RICHARDS | 10 |
|
|
AVANTAGE
(AUS)
4M FASTNET ROCK (AUS) - ASAVANT (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ) |
O P BOSSON | 56.5 | JAMIE RICHARDS | 13 |
|
|
ENZO'S LAD
(AUS)
6G TESTA ROSSA (AUS) - SHEERAMA (AUS) CATBIRD (AUS) |
M MCNAB | 58.0 | MICHAEL & MATTHEW PITMAN | 3 |
|
|
ENZO'S LAD
(AUS)
5G TESTA ROSSA (AUS) - SHEERAMA (AUS) CATBIRD (AUS) |
SAM WEATHERLEY | 55.5 | MICHAEL & MATTHEW PITMAN | 1 |
|
|
SIGNIFY
(NZ)
5G PERFECTLY READY (AUS) - PICA PICA (NZ) STRAVINSKY (USA) |
R CUNEEN | 55.0 | A COWAN | 10 |
|
|
ADVENTADOR
(NZ)
7G FAST 'N' FAMOUS (AUS) - ALPINE BEAUTY (NZ) KHOZAAM (USA) |
M CAMERON | 55.5 | GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN | 10 |
|
|
SACRED STAR
(AUS)
5G FLYING SPUR (AUS) - IRISH NOVA (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
V A COLGAN | 57.0 | TONY PIKE | 12 |
|
|
IRISH FLING
(NZ)
5M DARCI BRAHMA (NZ) - IRISH BELLE (NZ) O'REILLY (NZ) |
MARK DU PLESSIS | 52.0 | GUY LOWRY & GRANT CULLEN | 4 |
|
|
FINAL TOUCH
(NZ)
5M KASHANI (USA) - MY LYDIA (AUS) UMATILLA (NZ) |
C W JOHNSON | 58.0 | J F PARSONS | 6 |
|
|
GUISEPPINA
(NZ)
5M JOHAR (USA) - BATTOCCHI (NZ) SUCCESS EXPRESS (USA) |
JAMES MCDONALD | 53.0 | STEVEN RAMSAY & JULIA RITCHIE | 18 |
|
|
MUFHASA
(NZ)
6G PENTIRE (GB) - SHEILA CHEVAL (NZ) MI PREFERIDO (USA) |
S C SPRATT | 56.5 | STEPHEN MCKEE | 15 |
|
|
VONUSTI
(NZ)
5G USTINOV (AUS) - REASONABLY (AUS) SOUND REASON (CAN) |
N G HARRIS | 52.5 | TIM & MARGARET CARTER | 16 |
|
|
MUFHASA
(NZ)
4G PENTIRE (GB) - SHEILA CHEVAL (NZ) MI PREFERIDO (USA) |
S C SPRATT | 55.5 | STEPHEN MCKEE | 11 |
|
|
SEACHANGE
(NZ)
5M CAPE CROSS (IRE) - JUST CRUISING (AUS) BROAD REACH (NZ) |
G MCKEON | 58.5 | R R MANNING | 3 |
|
|
DARCI BRAHMA
(NZ)
4H DANEHILL (USA) - GRAND ECHEZEAUX (NZ) ZAFONIC (USA) |
O P BOSSON | 57.0 | MARK WALKER | 10 |
|
|
GEE I JANE
(NZ)
5M JAHAFIL (GB) - MISS DISTINCTION (NZ) BLETCHENCORE (AUS) |
S SEAMER | 55.5 | N COUCHMAN | 10 |
|
|
KEENINSKY
(NZ)
3C STRAVINSKY (USA) - SO KEEN (NZ) JADE HUNTER (USA) |
A C PEARD | 50.5 | GRAEME ROGERSON & STEPHEN AUTRIDGE | 4 |
|
|
KING'S CHAPEL
(AUS)
3C KING OF KINGS (IRE) - LOWER CHAPEL (GB) SHARPO (GB) |
N G HARRIS | 52.0 | MARK WALKER | 8 |
|
|
TIT FOR TAAT
(NZ)
5G FALTAAT (USA) - MISS KIWITEA (NZ) TRULY VAIN (AUS) |
M J WALKER | 58.5 | W HERBERT | 5 |
|
|
VINAKA
(NZ)
3G VOLKSRAAD (GB) - SHEPHERD'S DELIGHT (NZ) FAMOUS STAR (GB) |
L A O'SULLIVAN | 52.5 | JIM GIBBS | 3 |
|
|
OUR STAR OF GOLD
(NZ)
6G FAMOUS STAR (GB) - GOLDTAINE (NZ) CENTAINE (AUS) |
P D JOHNSON | 53.0 | STEPHEN & TREVOR MCK | 3 |
|
|
FRITZ
(NZ)
5G KREISLER (IRE) - BRIGHTEN UP (GB) SHARPO (NZ) |
N G HARRIS | 53.0 | N COULBECK | 5 |
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