APULIA AND PIKE BREEZE HOME IN THE PERTH CUP

By Graham Potter | Thursday, January 1, 2026

Willie Pike tasted Perth Cup glory for a record-equalling fifth time when the race favourite, the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Apulia outclassed his rivals in the 2026 edition of the race, winning every bit as convincingly as the 2.90 length winning margin suggests … the way a $1.80 favourite should win.

Apulia’s performance underlined a remarkable comeback … and this is an absolute feather in the cap fir Team Hayes, after the son of the Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente had to be nursed and managed through an untimely twelve month period when he sidelined following a bleeding attack and a tendon issue.

Apulia has shown great promise earlier in his career, finishing second in the Group 2 VRC Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington in March 2023 … in only his third start … winning the $400 000 Group 2 Vase at Moonee Valley in October 2023 and then finishing second in the $2 million Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington in November on Melbourne Cup day 2023.

The merit of those performance brought a suggestion of better things to come, but this is racing we are talking about, and the setback that Apulia suffered meant that any aspirations the connections had for Apulia were, at very least, put on hold for the lengthy period of time that Apulia was out in the paddock in recovery mode.

It was just good to get him back. To get him back and winning so early was a huge bonus.

In his five starts since resuming at Moonee Valley on October 25, Apulia has won four times, taken out the Gold Star over 1496m, the Listed Chester Manifold Stakes over 1600m … and has now completed a double at Ascot, winning back-to-back races in the Ted Van Heems Stakes over 2100 followed by the icing on the cake, the Perth Cup win over 2400m.

That’s a tremendous training feat, obviously supported by a willing partner in Apulia, who seems as keen on making up for lost time as anyone else.

No Group 2 is a ‘gimme’ … but this was close to it.

The jump was all important, but there was no concern there allowing Pike to settle Apulia in midfield, biding his time, A forward move in the approach to the home turn went smoothly and Apulia straightened with a clear run to the line and, while it did take a while for him to take the measure of the free-running, front runner Filthy Habits.

Apulia was always going to do that and had the race within safe keeping well before he crossed the line.

“’After last start where I didn’t get away so well and had to climb a mountain at the top of the straight, I just thought so much hinged on the way he jumped,” said Pike, taking to Racing WA.

“He just jumped so clean. If I’d have known he was going to do that I would have been … no worries, we win it.

“They turned the pace on and had us off the bridle, but I was still confident that when I got him in the clear he would rally … and he did!”

More articles