Master horseman Chris Waller celebrated his fifth Sydney Cup success in 2021 with an upset win by his light-weight import Selino at 25/1 in the two-mile classic at Royal Randwick.

The Champs Elysees five-year-old carried just 50kg in this year’s Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) and simply outstayed his rivals the closing stages to continue Waller’s excellent record in the time-honoured staying showdown.

Waller’s previous Sydney Cup wins came with: Stand To Gain (2011), Grand Marshall (2015), Who Shot Thebarman (2018) and Shraaoh (2019).

For the Hall of Fame trainer, it was his 124th Group 1 success following on from number 123 just one race earlier when Hungry Heart took out the Australian Oaks.

Waller has twice before enjoyed a hat-trick of Group 1 victories on Day 2 of ‘The Championships’ winning the ATC Oaks, Sydney Cup and Queen Elizabeth Stakes treble.

He looks a huge chance to do so again as Verry Elleegant prepares her assault on the $4 million Queen Elizabeth later in the afternoon.

For this year’s Sydney Cup winning jockey Ron Stewart, the result was his first Group 1 success and it came aboard an outsider in betting.

Stewart produced an excellent ride as Selino pulled the entire trip and tried to hang in, but the hoop kept him straight and got the job done.

Selino was on the quick back-up having run a distant fourth nearly eight lengths beaten by Quick Thinker at the Randwick track last weekend in the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m).

Coming back three kilos from that, fit and ready to fire over the longer distance the former European relished going up to the two miles.

Stewart went for home early on the eventual Sydney Cup winner hitting the front on Selino a long way out from the line, and the dour stayer was too strong holding on to defeat fellow 50kg light-weight Rondinella ($11).

The John O’Shea-trained Ocean Park mare was also on the short turnaround having run second in the Chairman’s as well.

In third rounding out the Sydney Cup trifecta was Danny O’Brien’s former VRC Oaks winner Miami Bound ($13), the Reliable Man four-year-old good on the back of her third to Sir Dragonet in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) on April 3.

Miami Bound made up late ground having raced around third last throughout and finished a length in front of the beaten favourite, the Bjorn Baker-trained She’s Ideel ($5.50) running fourth.

Selino has firmed notably in all-in betting on the coveted Group 1 $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) held at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November after his performance in the Sydney Cup 2021.

All-in Melbourne Cup 2021 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for November 2^nd – available in full here – has Selino in from $101 to $34.

2021 Sydney Cup Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia.