Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh secured his fifth Group 3 Jennian Homes Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on Sunday with emerging talent Ammirati, though this victory proved unlike any other in his impressive resume.
Marsh had previously won the three-year-old feature with Lucia Valentina (2013), Crown Prosecutor (2018), Scorpz (2019) and Zee Falls (2020).
He entered Sunday anticipating a strong performance from Ammirati, having noted during the week that the Savabeel gelding had “taken the next step” following his maiden breakthrough at Rotorua. Yet Marsh could never have anticipated the extraordinary circumstances that would unfold.
Jockey Matt Cartwright positioned Ammirati handily in fifth, racing outside fellow last-start winner and race favourite Road To Paris. Those two horses were travelling superior to their rivals approaching the home turn, appearing destined to contest the finish.
Road To Paris exhibited the sharper acceleration and established a clear advantage early in the straight, with Ammirati requiring additional time to build momentum through his gears.
Ammirati was hitting top stride entering the final 100 metres and closing ground, though time was running short with Road To Paris maintaining the better part of a length advantage and travelling strongly.
But just when that appeared the settled finishing order, Road To Paris shied at the finish line and veered sharply right. He dislodged rider Masa Hashizume while also carrying Ammirati sideways and virtually stopping him in his tracks.
UNBELIEVABLE: what a way to lose a stakes race just now at Ōtaki.
Horse and jockey okay….punters, not so much!! pic.twitter.com/gGQEjfhK2W— Michael Guerin (@GuerinSports) November 30, 2025
Tulsa King and Landman were both finishing powerfully and nearly overtook the stumbling Ammirati, but he survived by the narrowest margins to win by a nose.
“It’s a funny old game,” Marsh’s stable representative and bloodstock manager Dylan Johnson said.
“It was a good performance from the horse. He was under a bit of pressure from the 600m, but he just kept finding and he was actually starting to pick the favourite up in that last little bit before everything happened. It’s an unusual way to win the race, but it’ll go in the book.”
Ammirati has now compiled six starts for two wins and $73,305 in prize money.