# Telegraph Handicap

The Telegraph Handicap is a Group One New Zealand horse race contested by the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham Racecourse in Upper Hutt. It was traditionally raced during the Wellington Cup carnival in mid-January, however from 2025 it has been shifted to earlier in January.
The Telegraph Handicap, raced over 1200 metres, and the Railway Stakes contested at Ellerslie Racecourse are New Zealand's premier sprint races.
In the late 1980s the race was called the Wrightson Handicap.
The nature of the Trentham track ensures fast times and some Telegraph Handicap winners have been able to lay claim to world record times over 1200m.

## 1954 racebook

* 1954 WRC Wellington Cup racebook front cover
* 1954 WRC Wellington Cup raceday officials
* 1954 WRC Telegraph Handicap page starters and results
* 1954 WRC Telegraph Handicap page showing the winner, John Gilpin
* 1954 WRC Telegraph Handicap page starters and results
* 1954 WRC Wellington Cup train arrangements

## Previous winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer(s) | Time | Second | Third |
| 2025 | Grail Seeker 56.5 | Kevin Stott | Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott | 1.07.71 (soft) | Sacred Satono 58.5 | Navigator 58.5 |
| 2024 | Mercurial 58.5 | Samantha Spratt | Stephen Marsh | 1:08.51 (good) | Express Yourself 56.5 | Bonny Lass 56.5 |
| 2023 | Levante 56.5 | Ryan Elliot | Ken & Bev Kelso | 1:07.11 (good) | Babylon Berlin 56.5 | Ifndoubtgetout 58.5 |
| 2022 | Levante 56.5 | Ryan Elliott | Ken & Bev Kelso | 1:06.18 (good) | Roch 'N' Horse 56.5 | Mascarpone 58.5 |
| 2021 | Avantage 56.5 | Danielle Johnson | Jamie Richards | 1:06.97 (good) | Spring Heat 56.5 | Burgundy Belle 56.5 |
| 2020 | Avantage 56.5 | Opie Bosson | Jamie Richards | 1:07.04 (good) | Enzo’s Lad 58.5 | Spring Heat 56.5 |
| 2019 | Enzo's Lad 58 | Michael McNab | Michael & Matthew Pitman | 1:06.95 (good) | Ferrando 55.5 | Sensei 55.5 |
| 2018 | Enzo's Lad 55.5 | Sam Weatherley | Michael & Matthew Pitman | 1:08.30 (good) | Kawi 59 | Ferrando 55.5 |
| 2017 | Signify 55 | Racha Cuneen | Alex Cowan, Ashburton | 1:07.71 | Start Wondering 58 | Perfect Fit 56 |
| 2016 | Adventador 55.5 | Matt Cameron | Gus Lowry & Grant Cullen | 1:08.34 | Miss Seton Sands 53.5 | Trepidation 53 |
| 2015 | Sacred Star 57 | Vinnie Colgan | Tony Pike | 1:07.71 | Designated Driver 53 | Trepidation 53 |
| 2014 | Irish Fling 52 | Mark Du Plessis | Gus Lowry & Grant Cullen | 1:07.48 | Natuzzi 54.5 | Jaggard 52 |
| 2013 | Final Touch 58 | Chris Johnson | John & Karen Parsons | 1:08.53 | Xanadu 55 | Burgundy 55 |
| 2012 | Guiseppina 53 | James McDonald | Steven Ramsay & Julia Ritchie, Maungatautari | 1:06.94 | Atomic Force 59 | El Chico 55 |
| 2011 | Mufhasa 56.5 | Samantha Spratt | Stephen McKee, Ardmore | 1:07.04 | First Command 58.5 | Coup Align 56.5 |
| 2010 | Vonusti 52.5 | Noel Harris | Tim & Margaret Carter | 1:09.36 | Tootsie 52.5 | Stupendous 52.5 |
| 2009 | Mufhasa 55.5 | Samantha Spratt | Stephen McKee, Ardmore | 1:07.39 | Atapi 55 | Ruud Van Slaats 53.5 |
| 2008 | Seachange 58.5 | Gavin McKeon | Ralph Manning, Cambridge | 1:06.66 | Kay’s Awake 55 | Maximum Star 52 |
| 2007 | Darci Brahma 57 | Opie Bosson | Mark Walker | 1:07.00 | Seachange 55.5 | Kay's Awake 53 |
| 2006 | Gee I Jane 55.5 | Scott Seamer | Neville Couchman, Cambridge | 1:07.77 | Dezigna 52.5 | Magistra Decta 53 |
| 2005 | Keeninsky 50.5 | Allan Peard | Graeme Rogerson & Stephen Autridge, Tuhikaramea | 1:07.55 | Sedecrem 56.5 | Dezigna 50.5 |
| 2004 | King's Chapel | Noel Harris | Mark Walker | 1:06.79 | Sunlaw | Sedecrem |
| 2003 | Tit For Taat 58.5 | Michael Walker | Anne Herbert | 1:07.64 | Egyptian Raine 58 | Fair Embrace 54 |
| 2002 | Vinaka 52.5 | Lance O'Sullivan | Jim Gibbs | 1:08.06 | Life Of Riley 52 | Spring Rain 54 |
| 2001 | Star Of Gold 53 | Peter D Johnson | Stephen & Trevor McKee | 1:07.76 | Spring Rain 53 | Travellin' Man 52.5 |
| 2000 | Fritz 53 | Noel Harris | Neil Coulbeck, Leithfield | 1:07.63 | Cheiron 54 | Star Of Gold 54 |
| 1999 | Bawalaksana 52 | Lance O'Sullivan | Paul O’Sullivan | 1:06.51 | Buster Brookfield 52 | Samboa 53 |
| 1998 | Vegas 51.5 | Opie Bosson | Graeme Rogerson & Keith Hawtin | 1:08.85 | Kiora Star 52 | Coogee Walk 53 |
| 1997 | O'Reilly 49 | Lance O'Sullivan | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan, Matamata | 1:07.36 | Classic Royal 49 | Krispin Klear 55.5 |
| 1996 | Loader 55 | Chris Johnson | Peter J & Dawn M Williams | 1:06.85 | Sun Spot 55 | Snap 50 |
| 1995 | Lord Tridan 57 | Tony Allan | Michael Moroney, Matamata | 1:07.06 | Rampage 48.5 | Saxonvale 54.5 |
| 1994 | Lady Madonna 50 | Jim O'Styke | Grant Searle | 1:10.40 | Enhancer 51.5 | Lord Tridan 56 |
| 1993 | Victory Dias 49.5 | Craig Beets | C W & Jim Gibbs & Lance Noble | 1:06.59 | Lord Tridan 51 | Javelin 56 |
| 1992 | Morar 52.5 | Larry Cassidy | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan | 1:08.91 | Mrs Selleck 49.75 | Romanee Conti 47 |
| 1991 | Vain Sovereign 52 | Brian Hibberd | M R Campbell | 1:08.31 | Mr Tiz 60.5 | Hypervain 50 |
| 1990 | Mr Tiz 55.5 | Lance O'Sullivan | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan | 1:07.99 | Vain Sovereign 52 | Zephyr Magic 55.5 |
| 1989 | Mr Tiz 50.5 (dead heat) | Lance O'Sullivan | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan | 1:07.66 | - | Sirstaci 50 |
| 1989 | Festal 49 (dead heat) | Larry Cassidy | Bruce Marsh | 1:07.66 | - | Sirstaci 50 |
| 1988 | Courier Bay 58 | David Walsh | G A White | 1:07.45 | Sirstaci 49.5 | Squire Gray 47.5 |
| 1987 | Courier Bay 54.5 | David Walsh | G A White | 1:07.45 | Kosha 57 | Knight Invader 50 |
| 1986 | Tanalyse 54.5 | David Walsh | D Grubb | 1:07.35 | Princess Dram 53 | Silver Tip 51.5 |
| 1985 | High Regards 48.5 | Lance O'Sullivan | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan, Matamata | 1:07.23 | Romantic Bay 48.5 | Clear Gold 56.5 |
| 1984 | Mac's Gamble | D Healey | M M Phillips | 1:08.45 | | |
| 1983 | So Modest | Greg Childs | K, KR & N Crawford | 1:07.52 | | |
| 1982 | Our Shah | Lance O'Sullivan | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan & Mike Moroney | 1:09.52 | | |
| 1981 | Anderil | C McNab | Dave & Paul O’Sullivan & Mike Moroney | 1:07.50 | | |
| 1980 | Flying View | S Laming | K H Pratt | 1:09.50 | | |
| 1979 | Arbre Chene | R D Vance | P K Cathro | 1:09.75 | | |
| 1978 | Extra Flash | S R Autridge | | | | |

## Wellington Cup Carnival

Other major races include the:
* Wellington Cup.
* Levin Classic.
* Thorndon Mile.
* Desert Gold Stakes.