Hemlock Stone pulls off shocking Perth Cup upset at Ascot

Hemlock Stone delivered the biggest shock of Australia’s New Year’s Day races by winning the Group 2 Perth Cup at Ascot Racecourse on Wednesday.

The Grant and Alana Williams-trained gelding finished a full three-quarters of a length ahead of the betting sites favourite Diamond Scene ($3.80).

Besides Diamond Scene, the other pre-race betting favourites disappointed and failed to impress in the $1,000,000 race at Ascot.

Perth Cup betting odds upset

While Hemlock Stone’s win was convincing, the five-year-old was one of the most unlikely gallopers to win the Perth Cup according to the horse racing betting odds.

Hemlock Stone entered the Group 2 race with just $61 odds to win. Just two horses –Luke Fernie’s Be Optimistic ($67) and Neville Parnham’s Flower In The Wind ($151)– had longer chances.

The betting apps were not the only ones shocked by Hemlock Stone’s big win. His co-trainer, Grant Williams, admitted after the race that his team “didn’t expect this one.”

He added “It’s a massive thrill, especially for the large group of owners who believed in him.”

Hemlock Stone’s owner, Peter Morley, also chimed in post-race, saying “Thirty years in the making, and to win the Perth Cup with a horse like this is beyond words.”

2025 has just started, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Hemlock Stone’s victory remains as one of the biggest upsets of the year when things are all said and done 12 months from now.

Jockey praises winning horse

After the race, jockey Patrick Carbery had nothing but good things to say about his winning horse.

“He doesn’t know what price he is!” Carbery said enthusiastically while celebrating the upset victory.

“Pre-race, I said to the guys, ‘let’s get excited, we have a horse in the Perth Cup,’ and I said ‘good luck’ more than anything. It has blown me away,” he added.

Favourites disappoint

Helmlock Stone’s win has rightly dominated the post-race headlines, but it’s also worth noting how poor some of the Perth Cup favourites performed on Wednesday.

Sentimental Hero –the second favourite, with $5.50 chances– finished 15th out of 15 gallopers.

Third favourite, In Good Order ($6.00), finished in 7th, four lengths behind Helmlock Stone.

Young Werther, the fourth favourite, did not fare much better than In Good Order. The seven-year-old gelding finished in 8th, practically neck-and-neck with In Good Order.