The Randwick Guineas 2025 results saw a huge upset from the John O’Shea & Tom Charlton trained Linebacker who denied odds-on favourite Broadsiding another Group 1 victory in Sydney on Saturday.

The Godolphin raced top elect came off a first-up win in the Group 2 Hobartville and was heavily backed to become a four-time elite level winner with victory in this year’s Group 1 $1 million Randwick Guineas (1600m).

Linebacker ($9) however was too strong late off a gun on-speed ride by the in-form Zac Lloyd who guided the smart Super Seth gelding to a half-length triumph in the famous Randwick mile feature race.

“Yeah, it’s like it’s been well rewarded today,” co-trainer Tom Charlton told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-win.

“As a gelding he has just pleased us all the way, you could see a long way out, he was in a really good rhythm today, they were going at a high speed, but he looked comfortable.

“I thought he paraded beautifully before he didn’t get as warm at the gates. He just was probably, you know, the true showing today back to the mile.

“He’s always been a very talented horse, and you know, just last run I just was convinced it wasn’t his true running, and he just got in a better position today and it worked out well.”

It was the progressive three-year-old’s second time beating James Cummings‘ star colt to the winning post after he won a Group 3 at Rosehill last March in which Broadsiding ran third.

Since then, however, Broadsiding held the advantage with Linebacker second to him in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes, sixth in the Group 1 Golden Rose, and sixth again last time out in the Hobartville beaten 3.29 lengths.

He showed great improvement third-up and fit back up to 1600m however with the Kiwi-bred Randwick Guineas champ returning to winning form in style.

Linebacker was settled second on the turn for home before hitting the lead 300m out and then fending off the challenge from Broadsiding, who Lloyd rode home in the Hobartville last start, in a gutsy Group 1 winning performance not to be forgotten.

“It was obviously a big privilege to ride Broadsiding last start, but Linebacker today, it’s not a bad exchange, it panned out perfectly,” Lloyd said.

“Well, my pre-race strategy was to get both Broadsiding and Swiftfalcon uncomfortable because I feel Linebacker is a superior miler, and if we left it to a sit and sprint, they’re probably sharper than him.

“He got to me at about the 200m, and I thought oh it’s a bit sooner than I would have liked, but when he got to about a neck, my bloke held him quite comfortably the last hundred.

“It was a very good effort, and I’m super pleased for both John and Tom.”

Rounding out the Randwick Guineas trifecta still under a length beaten third was Swiftfalcon ($5) for Team Hawkes who also finished strongly giving fight the closing stages.

The Group 1 $750,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 22 is the next logical step for Linebacker who, as mentioned, is already a Group 1 winner over that distance.

The Autumn Sun (2019) is the last horse to complete the Randwick Guineas / Rosehill Guineas double.

2025 Randwick Guineas Results

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