Thirty-to-one shot Spiro stunned punters with a gutsy run down the straight to capture the group two Wellington Cup over 2400 metres at Trentham today.
Carrying 53kg and ridden by unfashionable jockey Kane Smith, the five-year-old hit the front as the field straightened for the run to the line and put a one-length break on the others.
Running at full stretch, ears pricked, Spiro looked a sitting duck for the challengers as they came at him but held them all out.
In the last 100m veteran Six O'Clock News and Loose Change charged at Spiro but he wouldn't give in, maintaining his one-length margin at the finish.
Six O'Clock News just edged Loose Change to take second.
The Wellington Cup was New Zealand's premier two-mile race for more than a century but was controversially cut back to
2400m and downgraded to group two a couple of years ago, robbing it of much of its glamour.
Today's race was run in the rain and none of the top favourites showed up in what was an average field.
Queensland owner Dick Karreman, 60, watched his cup lightweight chance Innocent Lady fail and earlier missed out with Obsession in the group one Thorndon Mile and top-rated Smoulder in the Desert Gold Stakes for three-year-old fillies.
Spiro, a gelded son of Pyrus out of a Blues Traveller mare, finished well for sixth in the Marton Cup two weeks ago in his last cup warmup.
He has now won seven of his 29 starts.
NZPA