ARAPAHO - DUAL GROUP 1 WINNER!
ARAPAHO - DUAL GROUP 1 WINNER!
2020: Purchased from the Arqana HIT Sale, in partnership with Avenue Bloodstock and Clarke Bloodstock for 140,000 euros
2022: Wins the Listed Grafton Cup
2022: Wins the Group 3 Premier’s Cup
2022: Runs a fantastic 11th in the Melbourne Cup
2023: Wins the Listed Canberra Cup
2023: Wins the Group 1 Tancred Stakes
2024: Wins the Group 2 Sandown Classic
2025: Wins the Group 1 Sydney Cup
Career: 44-10:6:3
Prizemoney: $4,020,650
arapaho’s rise through the ranks
It was October 2020: the peak of COVID in Europe. International borders were firmly shut, and large portions of Australians were beginning to emerge from harsh lockdowns. Not only was there no hope of Jim heading to Europe to scour the bloodstock market, we could not even task our usual bloodstock and vet associates in England to cross the English Channel into Europe. With much economic uncertainty, we also did not know how COVID was going to affect the global economy in general let alone the bloodstock market.
Yet.
With the races still continuing in NSW, I was busy as usual; but, newly relocated to Brisbane, Jimbo had time on his hands and was avidly keeping his eye on stakes races across Europe. I tasked Jim and his UK based associate, Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock to, “Find a good one, boys!”.
Looking for a horse with stamina but also a turn of foot, we needed a horse suitable for Australia – well-performed, yet still with upside. A horse that had run to a high enough level that gave us confidence that we could reach stakes grade. One that hadn’t been heavily campaigned and ideally had shown versatility with respect to ground conditions.
ARAPAHO enters the scene…
ALL ARAPAHO: Adding to his Group 1 Tancred Stakes success, Arapaho races away to win the Group 1 Sydney Cup.
Bred by the wife of highly successful French trainer, Andre Fabre, Arapaho won his first start as a 2yo in a maiden at Saint-Cloud. With quite a good commercial pedigree, and as a colt, he was purchased by Coolmore, staying in training with Fabre. He progressed through the grades as a 3yo to win a stakes race, before he was tested in the Group 1 French 2000 Guineas, placing 6th, which meant his stallion appeal in the northern hemisphere was starting to diminish. He had two more runs in Stakes grade and was then entered for sale in November of his 3yo year. Serious about purchasing him, we had to lean on our trusted network in France to help with in person inspections, conformation reports, photos & videos. Our English vet was able to look at the X-rays and the scope online, and she tasked a French colleague to do a clinical inspection on site.
At the time of purchase, we were looking at him as a 1600-2000m horse. We knew he was a stakes class horse and there were more million dollar races in Australia than we could target him at, so it seemed an astute buy.
FEELING THE LOVE: Arapaho is welcomed back a champion with an incredible display in the Sydney Cup (3200m).
Hitting Australian shores, he took a little time to acclimatise. Starting to get up in trip, he ran very well at Hawkesbury over 1800m, and it was his next start at Rosehill on the 21st of May 2022 where everything turned for him, winning by an impressive 7.6L in town. From then, Arapaho has been an absolute model of consistency and prep by prep him has come back better and better. He claimed the Group 3 Premier’s Cup that preparation before progressing to landing Group 1 glory in the Tancred Stakes at his next prep. And this season, he followed it up with a Group 2 Sandown Classic victory and success in the Group 1 Sydney Cup. We weren’t entirely convinced that the two miles was for him but taking a leaf out of my father, Murray Baker’s, book we stacked the trackwork into him and he absolutely thrived. Not only did he win and run out the 3200m of the Sydney Cup, he completely gapped his rivals, racing away to win by almost 3 lengths!
With a mix of long-term loyal stable clients (some of whom have been with me since the very beginning), and new owners having their first horse with me, I am thrilled to have helped them realise their dream with a dual-Group 1 winning stayer who now has his sights firmly set on this year’s Melbourne Cup!
ALL SMILES: Delivering the terrific ownership group of Arapaho with a day to remember!