BIG DANCE ELIGIBILITY SPARKS SOUTH GRAFTON CUP INTEREST

THE lure of eligibility for Royal Randwick’s $3m Big Dance has breathed new life into the South Grafton Cup.

So says Clarence River Jockey Club chief executive Michael Beattie, who is thrilled with the interest from trainers who have nominated 36 horses for Sunday’s $80,000 feature on the second day of the Jacaranda City’s famous July carnival.

The race will be run over the same 1600m distance as the Big Dance, to be run on November 3.

“There is a good depth of quality in this year’s entries,” Beattie said today.

“This will be the fifth year the South Grafton Cup has carried Big Dance eligibility, and RacingNSW’s decision to include our race has been a winner for sure,” Beattie said today.

“It has taken the South Cup to another level.

“There is no better example than last year when Sydney trainer Joe Pride brought Headley Grange here.

“Whilst he didn’t win (he ran sixth as a $2.25 favorite), he did contest the Big Dance later in the year and then became a Group 1 winner in the Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm a few weeks ago.

“And Ciaron Maher’s Vivy Air ran second in the South Grafton Cup last year, and also was runner-up to her stablemate Gringotts in the Big Dance five months later.”

Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn has two of the 36 entries as he chases a remarkable fourth South Grafton Cup on end.

Dunn was successful with the ill-fated Cepheus in both 2023 and 2024 (Aaron Bullock rode him the first year and Nash Rawiller the second), and Boys Night Out (pictured) last year.

Jake Bayliss rode Boys Night Out in his defeat of Sydney visitors Vivy Air and Sibaaq (Annabel and Rob Archibald).

“Matt has again nominated Boys Night Out along with Cranky Harry,” Beattie said.

“He likes to especially target the South Grafton Cup as his record indicates.”

Big Dance eligibility for the South Grafton Cup coincided with the first running of the new Randwick feature in 2022, and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott succeeded at Grafton with Surf Dancer (Winona Costin).

The Cup was boosted from the $50,000 in 2021, when not one Sydney trainer bothered sending a horse north.

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees has nominated Group 1 placegetter Pier Pressure for Sunday’s renewal, and Kembla Grange trainer Paul Murray, a regular July visitor, has entered Winning Point.

Murray is targeting next Wednesday’s $200,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) with his Wagga Town Plate winner Harry’s Bar.

The South Grafton Cup winner automatically becomes exempt from ballot for next Thursday’s $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) should connections decide on a back-up.

Whilst acceptances for all races at Sunday’s meeting close at 9am tomorrow (Thursday), trainers also should note that entries for both the Ramornie Handicap and Thursday’s Cup – along with all supporting races on both days – close at 11am tomorrow.

Beattie says there is a real local flavour about last Saturday’s Caloundra Cup runner-up So You Are, who will contest the Grafton Cup.

“Whilst So You Are is trained at Armidale by Stirling Osland, he is raced by Ramsey Pastoral,” Beattie said.

“Stuart Ramsey was heavily involved for many years at Grafton as owner of the then abbatoirs, which employed many locals.”

. Recent South Grafton Cup winners are:

2022 – SURF DANCER, (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Winona Costin), 61kg @ $6.50;

2023 – CEPHEUS (Matt Dunn, Aaron Bullock), 62kg @ $3.70;

2024 – CEPHEUS (Matt Dunn, Nash Rawiller), 62kg @ $5.50;

2025 – BOYS NIGHT OUT (Matt Dunn, Jake Bayliss), 54kg @$4

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JULY 8, 2026 - PIC SUPPLIED