IT’S nearly 50 years since a trainer has won Grafton’s July feature double in the same year.
Now Newcastle and Hunter Racing Hall of Famer Kris Lees is trying to emulate fellow inductee, the late Roy Hinton, whose 1976 feat still stands alone.
Hinton won the Ramornie Handicap with Swiftly Ann, and Grafton Cup with Ontonic – both ridden by Geoff Challen – and it hasn’t been done since.
Lees will have one runner in Wednesday’s $200,000 Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m), and two in the $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) the following day.
His Ramornie representative is Enterprise Pomme, whilst Luncies and Point King will be his Cup starters.
Lees is yet to win Grafton’s major sprint, but has been placed on three occasions.
He ran second with Captain Bax to The Jackal in 2008, third with Motspur to Jerezana in 2011, and second with Gem Song to Ranges in 2022.
Andrew Gibbons has been booked for Enterprise Pomme, who has the limit weight (54kg) and is guaranteed a start.
The Australian Bloodstock-raced mare is currently 15th in order of ballot, and Clarence River Jockey Club can start 16 horses in the Ramornie.
A five-times Brisbane winner – all at the Ramornie 1200m – Enterprise Pomme was purchased for $120,000 last September, but joined Lees’ team only earlier this year.
She was beaten only two and a half lengths when 10th to stablemate Willinga Beast in the Listed Hinkler Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 15 at her latest start.
Whilst Lees is yet to win the Ramornie, Enterprise Pomme’s jockey certainly has.
Gibbons won the race in 2011 on Jerezana, defeating Falco Star and Lees’ Motspur.
Lees withdrew Luncies from the $300,000 Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday because of the ‘Heavy 9’ rating.
“Grafton looks like being a better surface, so we’ll wait for their Cup,” Lees said.
“Michael Rodd was to have ridden him at the Sunshine Coast, and is keen to go to Grafton.”
Rodd stole the show at Saturday’s Doomben meeting, posting a treble.
Luncies has 59.5kg in the Grafton Cup, which Lees won in 2020 with Sixties Groove, who carried 60kg.
Brisbane jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor has been booked for Irish import Point King.
The lightly-raced five-year-old has raced only once in Australia, finishing eighth to subsequent Listed McKell Cup winner Golden Path in a Benchmark 88 Handicap (2000m) at Royal Randwick on May 25.
That was his first start since finishing fourth in the Irish St Leger Trial (2816m) at The Curragh on August 23.
Lees, who intends to take a cross-over nose band off Point King, was one of five provincial trainers to win races at Saturday’s Newcastle meeting – and two were debutantes.
Coolmore-owned Justify filly Lutetia (Andrew Gibbons) easily won the 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m), and fellow Newcastle trainer Sam Kavanagh’s Supido three-year-old Sukida (Jean Van Overmeire) finished strongly to take the Midway 2&3YO Maiden Handicap (900m).
Yet another Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle won the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1600m) with Ambasssadors, ridden by Andrew Adkins.
Gosford trainer Greg McFarlane took the Conditional Benchmark 68 Handicap (1400m) with The Great Houdini (apprentice Anna Roper), and Kembla Grange’s Mitch Beer landed the Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1300m) with Zipitalist (Blake Spriggs).
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Jockey Aaron Bullock suffered a fractured left collarbone when his mount Bodgie crashed not far from the finish of the Benchmark 64 Handicap (900m) at Newcastle.
RacingNSW stewards adjourned an inquiry into the reason why Bodgie ($4.20 second favorite) clipped heels and fell near the 50m.
Stewards also conducted an inspection of the track where the incident occurred, and couldn’t identify any areas of concern.
Bullock leads the NSW jockeys’ premiership with 137 wins, ahead of Ash Morgan, who had ridden 130.5 winners prior to Sunday’s South Grafton Cup meeting.
Story John Curtis, July 14, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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