NZ Cup hero Kingman's busy start to 2026
Adam Hamilton • December 16th, 2025 10:04 AM
New Zealand Cup hero Kingman’s start to 2026 is now clear
Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy confirmed the sport’s most exciting pacer would “go full bore” at trying to win a new $1 million bonus in Victoria through January and February.
McCarthy and owner Mick Harvey have agreed Kingman will launch his attack on the six-race Victorian Cups’ circuit in the first of them, the $75,000 Group 2 Bendigo Cup (1609m) on January 10.
Kingman, who burst into the big league with Victoria and NZ Cups wins, is locked-in to tackle the first three legs of the six-race series, which carries a $1 million bonus for any pacer who can win four legs, including the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14.
“Mick (Harvey) and are going hard at it (the bonus) from the start,” McCarthy said. “We’ll have him raring to go for Bendigo and then back-up at Shepparton the week after and Ballarat after that (January 24).
“We’re happy to take him into Bendigo without a lead-up race. He’s an easy horse to train, so he won’t need one.
“He had a couple of easy weeks after coming home from NZ, but he’s back fast- working now and I can get him right with a strong workout at Menangle.
“Think back to the NZ Cup, he went into that without a run since he won the Victoria Cup, which was three-and-a-half weeks before it.”
Kingman has been a revelation since joining McCarthy’s stable with nine starts netting seven wins and a second.
His performance to come three-wide without cover and outstay the great Leap To Fame in the NZ Cup is widely regarded as one of the best wins in the history of the iconic race.
Confirmation Kingman will race at Bendigo cements a fairytale start to Harness Racing Victoria’s revamped Summer of Glory with freaking trotting mare Keayang Zahara to race on the same night in the $100,000 Group 1 Maori Mile.
McCarthy said talks with owner Tony Licastro over the night fortnight would decide whether last Saturday week’s Group 1 Blacks A Fake winner Don Hugo tackled any of the Cups in Victoria.
“He’s actually racing this week,” he said. “Tony is sponsoring the meeting through his Ultra Air company and Don Hugo will be in the free-for-all.
“Then we’ll map out how January and February look for him, but the race I’m most keen on is defending his Miracle Mile crown because it’s such a suitable race for him.”
Kingman’s prospects of winning the bonus have been boosted with news Leap To Fame’s Melbourne raid will be limited to just two races, the $150,000 Group 1 Cranbourne Cup on January 31 and the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14.
Leap To Fame posted his 60th career win from just 77 starts at Albion Park and became the first Australasian pacer to top $5 million in prize money.
With Leap To Fame still heading to the Hunter Cup, it sets up a fantastic scenario where Kingman could be racing for the $1 million bonus, but will need to beat Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup to cement it.
