The Warrnambool Cup 2023 headlines the racing action down under on Thursday with a class line-up of late autumn stayers facing off in the popular Black-Type showdown.

Mankayan is favourite to win the 2023 Warrnambool Cup this Thursday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
This season’s Listed $300,000 Warrnambool Cup (2350m) has drawn a capacity final field with one of the 60kg top-weights Mankayan heading the markets.
The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained seven-year-old is drawn the rails with Ben Melham to ride and pays $4.80 in the latest Warrnambool Cup odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Mankayan chases his first win since June last year, but has been competitive in plenty since.
He was Group 1 performed in the spring when ninth in Sydney’s The Metropolitan (2400m) and has been strong this prep.
Third in the Listed Albury Cup (2000m) with 59kg two back he was last seen running fourth in Sandown’s Group 3 Easter Cup (2100m) with improvement to come getting up to the mile and a half.
The danger following closely in Warrnambool Cup betting at $5 is fellow seven-year-old Irish Butterfly in gate six with apprentice Celine Gaudray looking for her biggest win to date.
Henry Dwyer’s Kiwi-bred O’Reilly gelding has stellar form over the distance and comes off back-to-back 2400m wins at Sandown.
The latest saw him carry 57kg to a big 4.25 length romp home on April 29.
On the quick back-up Irish Butterfly presents fit and ready to fire again dropping back to 54kg.
In a tight top-half of the market a further three runners are also under double-figures for the win including stablemate to the favourite Cadre Du Noir ($6) drawn the far outside alley.
The American-bred War Front seven-year-old is another genuine 2400m specialist (5:3-2-0) out to improve on three unplaced runs this time in.
His latest had him running ninth in the Group 3 JRA Plate (2000m) in mid-April, but the money is coming for him to atone out to his pet distance fourth-up and fit on Thursday.
Maher & Eustace staddle-up a total of three runners in this year’s Warrnambool Cup field with their contingent completed by Le Baol, ninth last start in the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) at Randwick on April 1, at $7.50 also drawn wide (17).
Rounding out the hopes under $10 for the win is the Travis Doudle-trained market mover Not Usual Glorious ($9.50 into $8) to be ridden by John Allen.
The in-form Fiorente six-year-old is bred to stay but is as yet untested at the 2400m.
He comes off a string of runs in easier company back home at Morphettville and comes off an impressive Terang Cup (2150m) win carrying 61kg to victory on a Heavy (10) track on April 16 with Allen aboard.
The 2023 Warrnambool Cup is set to run as Race 9 at 3:55pm (AEST) on Thursday’s bumper 10-race card with full markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.
2023 Warrnambool Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12159×0334 | MANKAYAN (IRE) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Ben Melham | 1 | 60kg | 102 | |
2 | 4x319x64x0 | THIRD REALM (GB) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Ben Allen | 14 | 60kg | 102 | |
3 | 83807×1128 | AURORA’S SYMPHONY | Symon Wilde | Nash Rawiller (late alt) | 5 | 58.5kg | 99 | |
4 | 00×7522138 | SWORDS DRAWN | Michael Moroney | Daniel Stackhouse | 18 | 57.5kg | 97 | |
5 | 051128×099 | CADRE DU NOIR (USA) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Jordan Childs | 19 | 57kg | 96 | |
6 | 11615×7431 | NOT USUAL GLORIOUS | Travis Doudle | John Allen | 10 | 57kg | 96 | |
7 | 521x2x2x96 | HEART OF PUISSANCE | Maddie Raymond | Declan Bates | 7 | 54.5kg | 91 | |
8 | 1439x0x095 | MAHAMEDEIS | Nick Ryan | Billy Egan (late alt) | 4 | 54.5kg | 91 | |
9 | x835593x59 | LE BAOL (FR) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Ms Carleen Hefel (a), (late alt) | 17 | 54kg | 85 | |
10 | 4533×68719 | CABOCHE (NZ) | Chris Waller | Patrick Moloney | 11 | 54kg | 81 | |
11 | 56×0421411 | IRISH BUTTERFLY (NZ) | Henry Dwyer | Ms Celine Gaudray (a) | 6 | 54kg | 81 | |
12 | 77×7770234 | EXTRA ELUSIVE (GB) | Symon Wilde | Ms Linda Meech | 9 | 54kg | 78 | |
13 | 174136×513 | ROLLS | Maddie Raymond | Harry Grace | 15 | 54kg | 78 | |
14 | 223518×675 | MYSTERY ISLAND (JPN) | Shane Jackson | Beau Mertens | 12 | 54kg | 76 | |
15 | 0x7211x716 | GLITTER ’N’ GOLD | Lindsey Smith | Dean Yendall | 13 | 54kg | 73 | |
16 | 6311x326x2 | BAZINI | Symon Wilde | Craig Newitt | 16 | 54kg | 71 | |
17e | 4115×60736 | ESSENTIAL SKY (NZ) | John Sargent | Michael Dee | 3 | 54kg | 69 | |
18e | 97828×7142 | FEUERMOND (GER) | Lindsey Smith | Tom Madden | 8 | 54kg | 69 | |
19e | 434×514126 | LORD GOLDBERG | Andrew Bobbin | 2 | 54kg | 68 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.