KROPP V KROPP IN THE TOOWOOMBA CUP. ONE OF THE MANY SUB-PLOTS IN THE RACE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, September 24, 2026

Not for the first time, Matt Kropp and his son William Kropp, who both hold individual training licences in their own right, will line up against each other, this time with the big carrot of a possible win in the Toowoomba Cup on the line.

William Kropp saddles Prince Levi, the better fancied of the two Kropp trained runners.

The five-year-old gelding finished sixth, but only 1.12 lengths behind the winner over a distance (1650m) well short of his best in the warm-up run leading into the Cup. That run came after a two month break from race action, so it should have brought him on in a number of ways with the 2000m trip of the Toowoomba Cup sure to be much more to the liking of the son of Casino Prince.

Earlier in the year Prince Levi thrived over ground, winning twice and finishing second three times in five successive starts over distances ranging from 2000m to 2200m and, while he hasn’t been able to replicate those results since then, there is good reason for that.

In his seven starts since resuming from a break following that hot run of form, Prince Levi has raced in tougher feature race company in all but two of those starts … turning in solid enough performances in the likes of the Listed Bernborough (where he finished 2.50 lengths behind War Eternal (who would frank that form by also winning his next two starts) and the Group 3 Tatts Cup (where he finished fourth, 3.71 lengths behind the Chris Waller trained Asterix who, two races later, was good enough to finish fourth in the Group 3 Naturalism at Caulfield.

For his part, Matt Kropp sends out his Magic Millions Shoot Out winner, Sun Worshipper who, in the same vein as Prince Levi, also boasts some lively feature race form over the last six months, albeit without winning.

Those results include a fifth place finish in the Chairman’s Handicap (won by Middle Earth) … and a third place finish, a second place finish and a fourth place finish in the Ipswich Cup, the Tatts Gold Crown and the Caloundra Cup (all Listed races).

While Prince Levi and Sun Worshipper do represent different stables, it is a given that any runner with the name Kropp listed as its trainer will arrive rock-hard fit, fully ready for battle, and that is what both of these runners will bring to the Cup contest on Saturday.

Prince Levi, who carries 2kg less than Sun Worshipper (56.5kg to 58.5kg) and who has drawn barrier number eight as opposed to Sun Worshipper who will jump from the extreme outside barrier, is currently on the fourth line of betting at $8.50 while Sun Worshipper is a $21 chance.

Prince Levi’s regular pilot Mark du Plessis will again ride the William Kropp trained runner on Saturday. Angela Jones takes the ride on Sun Worshipper.

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