Comeback stayer Apulia has etched his name into Lindsay Park history, becoming the Hayes dynasty’s first winner of the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) with a dominant display at Ascot on New Year’s Day.
Prepared by Ben, JD and Will Hayes, Apulia absorbed a searching tempo under champion jockey William Pike before reeling in leader Filthy Habits in the straight to claim the staying feature.
The victory capped a highly successful West Australian campaign for the gelding, who also landed two Group 2 races during the trip after finishing unplaced in last month’s Group 1 Northerly Stakes.
Sent out a $1.80 bookmakers favourite, Apulia never gave his backers much cause for concern, with Pike — now a five-time Perth Cup-winning jockey — settling the stayer into a midfield stalking position before producing him at the right time.
Apulia had shown top-level promise earlier in his career when finishing second in the 2023 Victoria Derby, but his progression was halted by a bleeding episode and a tendon injury that sidelined him for more than 12 months.
The gelding returned in Melbourne last spring with back-to-back victories before heading west, where he confirmed his return to elite staying form.
Connections have already flagged a return to Melbourne, with the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in late March identified as a potential next target.
