REX LIPP FLYING UNDER THE RADAR IN NEWCASTLE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, November 13, 2025

Toowoomba based trainer Rex Lipp seldom travels too far from home. He is too seasoned a trainer to be fooled by false expectations so the very fact that he is taking the five-year-old gelding Cifrado down to Newcastle to tackle the $1 million The Hunter on Saturday is a move worth noting.

Cifrado will be fourth-up on Saturday, and he has a shown steady, positive progression in his previous three runs this preparation, last time getting to within 0.30 lengths of the winner Manhood (a nine-time winner) in an Open Handicap over 1000m.

That was very much a sharpener for The Hunter assignment where the distance test steps up to 1300m.

Whether those encouraging signs means that Cifrado is on his way back to his best, only Saturday’s run will tell. In the past, his best has been pretty formidable.

As a two-year-old Cifrado won the Champagne Classic (over 1200m) and the Sires Produce (over 1400m) … both Group 2 races. He also finished second in the Listed Phelan Ready.

As a three-year-old Cifrado won the Group 3 Vo Rogue (1350m) and finished second in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas.

As a four-year-old Cifrado won the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes (1300m) and finished second in both the Group 3 George Moore (1200m) and the $1.5 million Magic Millions QTIS Open (1200m).

Cifrado has yet to win as a now five-year-old, having only had those three runs (as mentioned previously) since resuming after a four-month break from racing action.

In spite of his record of five wins and eight runner-up finishes from thirty starts pointing to a horse who chances can seldom be easily dismissed, Cifrado is posted at $51 odds for Saturday’s race.

You would assume that the opposition would obviously have the most to do with Cufrado’s price … but just how daunting, in fact, are the credentials of the best of his rivals?

The race favourite Yorkshire will go into the race bidding for four wins in a row. He is currently a winner of six races from only eights starts … but … has only won up to BM88 company. As a five-year-old though, and lightly raced, he arguably has age and scope for further improvement on his side.

The second favourite Coal Crusher won The Hunter in 2023 and finished third in the 2024 edition of the event (behind Briasa).

The Joe pride trained gelding has not saluted in seventeen starts since that The Hunter win in 2023, but he appears to have been set pretty nicely for The Hunter this year coming through the very competitive Group 3 Sydney Stakes (behind Rothfire) and the Russell Balding, where he finished fourth behind the likes of Jimmysstar, Lady Shenadoah and Mazu.

Accredited and Ostraca, the third and fourth favourites respectively, are the only other two runners quoted under $10 in the betting market, with the latter arguably having the better form having competed in one Group 2 and two Group three races in his last three starts.

The Group 2 run was in The Shorts (behind Joliestar and Briasa) and the Group 3 runs were in the Concorde (behind Headwall and Lady Shenadoah) and in the Sydney Stakes (won by Rothfire).

That form looks pretty good lined up in this company.

The race is there for the taking though, whether you are the $3.60 favourite or a $51 chance with a $580 000 cheque awaiting the winning connections.

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