By Punters.com
MORPHETTville, South Australia (Apr. 3, 2025) –
It was heart in mouth viewing, but a lion-hearted Sir Kingsford, an Australian-bred son of California stallion Sir Prancealot, staved off Victorian raider Basilinna to win Saturday’s Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.
Piloting the field in his first attempt at 2500m, Sir Kingsford refused to lay down in a toe-to-toe battle with Basilinna, after the mare threw down the gauntlet at the top of the straight.
Emotions spilt over for Gawler handler Nicole Searle, who trains in partnership with husband Gary, and daughter, Brianna Callanan.
“What a great feeling. To our team at home, well done,” Searle said post-race.
“You’ve all worked hard. Gary and Brianna, and to the owners of this horse, it’s been a long journey.
“We trained his mum, we lost her, unfortunately, last year. We were really looking forward to the filly that she was carrying but this is a tough horse.
“He’s just a really nice horse and probably has taken over the mantle from Lady Silhouette as the best horse we’ve had.”
Sir Kingsford, a 5-year-old gelding, took the lead shortly after the start, turned back the challenge of Basilinna and pulled away in the final 100 meters. He ran the 2500 meters in 2:39.10 and won by one length in a field of 11.
He has 10 wins in 27 starts and earnings of $428,000.
Sir Kingsford won by a length, guided by a brilliant frontrunning ride from Teagan Voorham, it secured a second Port Adelaide Cup win for Voorham, who saluted aboard Hasta La War in 2023.
Voorham admitted that she thought Basilinna, ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, would overhaul them, but Sir Kingsford kept on fighting.
“I personally was worried. I thought when Lachie got to me, he’s going to go straight past me,” Voorham said.
“But this horse, he’s unreal. He hears another horse and he just digs harder and harder every time.
“Every time I thought Lachie was going past me, Sir Kingsford, ‘Billy’ as we call him – he just said absolutely not.”