After winning the Group III ATC Premier's Cup (2000m) twelve months ago with Harpo Marx (IRE) (Galileo), trainer Bjorn Baker and jockey Rachel King went back to back with Arapaho (FR) at Randwick on Saturday.
The 6yo son of Lope De Vega (IRE) launched down the centre of the track to defeat the Frankel gelding Francesco Guardi (IRE) by a neck with the Reliable Man gelding Lord Ardmore a half-length back in third.
The Listed CRJC Grafton Cup winner in July, Arapaho (FR), advances his record to six wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 22 starts with earnings of $520,600.
"The horse is flying. Credit to Bjorn (Baker) and the team, they've got him absolutely bouncing out of his skin," King said.
"Back up in distance today really helped him. He had to overcome a wide gate, but he settled well early and just towed me into it at the top of the straight.
"I probably was a little bit worried, but there wasn't much I could do about it from back there; I sort of had to sit and suffer.
"For a horse who gets over ground, he has got a very good turn of foot, so I knew he was always going to sprint hard. It was just a case of whether we would give them too much of a head start.
The son of Lope De Vega (IRE) was a Listed winner at Deauville at three for Andre Fabre. After finishing last in a Listed event at Saint-Cloud, Arapaho (FR) was consigned to the 2020 Arqana Autumn Sale, where Bjorn Baker Racing/Avenue Bloodstock/Clarke Bloodstock had the final say at €140,000.
