An $81 outsider scored a massive boilover in Thursday’s Grafton Cup 2016 with young Coffs Harbour trainer Sally Taylor left pinching herself after the success of tough gelding Rednav in the Clarence River Jockey Club’s premier race.
Rednav (outside, orange silks, pictured at Sandown) scored an upset 2016 Grafton Cup win as an 81/1 outsider in betting. Photo: Adrienne Bicknell.
Taylor has only held her trainer’s licence for a short time having been convinced by owner Peter Wood to take up the game played by her father for years.
Her decision to take Wood up on his advice and prepare smart Henrythenavigator five-year-old for him proved profitable with the horse completing this winter’s Grafton Cup Prelude – Grafton Cup double.
“I’m in complete shock,” Taylor said on Thursday after the Grafton Cup victory, her sixth winner from 26 runners so far.
“It’s absolutely amazing. I never expected this.”
After a last place run in late June at his home track over 2015m under a big weight, Rednav improved on July 7 winning the $25,500 Grafton Cup Prelude (2215m) by nearly three lengths as a 21/1 shot.
Jockey Peter Graham had the mount that day and rode the stayer to perfection again in the Grand Final, Rednav jumping at even juicier odds for the $160,000 Listed McKimms Real Estate Grafton Cup (2350m).
“Pete is perfect for him,” Taylor, who kept the Grafton Cup wins coming for the female trainers after Gai Waterhouse won the past two editions, said of Graham.
“He (Rednav) needs a jockey that actually rides him and wakes him up early.
“I didn’t give any instructions, he did exactly what he wanted to do and rode him absolutely perfect.”
Betting on the handicap clash was dominated by class types including Malice ($4) from the Godolphin stables and last start Caloundra Cup runner-up Jumbo Prince who fought on for his third top three place in as many starts.
The John O’Shea-trained Malice cruised up to them in the final stages of the Grafton Cup and looked a livewire chance to salute for the punters, but was found wanting and dropped out of the race to the line.
Rednav meanwhile showed great tenacity late and weaved back on the inside, bumping Foreign Prince briefly before straightening up and hand Graham with one of the biggest wins of his riding career.
“I was happy all the way but by the 600m I got the run up the inside and thought ‘I am a chance now’ and he just kept coming,” Graham said post-win.
“Us country battlers, we deserve it!”
Leading the Grafton Cup field around this winter was the Tony Gollan-trained Brave Ali who held the lead up until the 1000m when Dream Folk moved up around the leaders going wide and taking up front running.
Malice was poised perfectly one out, one back while Rednav sat just off the front pack waiting to wind-up under Graham.
Dream Folk led around the turn for home, Malice hooking to the outside along with the Michael Nolan-trained Jumbo Prince.
Rednav ($81) quickly burst through onto the scene however and held off his better fancied rivals to win by a head from the Noel Doyle-trained Caloundra Cup third placegetter All Clear ($16) with Jumbo Prince ($4.80) in third finishing off the Grafton Cup trifecta.
To back this year’s Grafton Cup winner Rednav next race at the right price and continue to lock-in the best winter racing carnival odds head to Ladbrokes.com.au now!
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | REDNAV | Sally Taylor | Peter Graham | – | 12 | 54kg | $26 |
| 2 | 11 | ALL CLEAR | Noel Doyle | Paul King | 0.2L | 4 | 54kg | $12 |
| 3 | 4 | JUMBO PRINCE | Michael Nolan | Jim Byrne | 1.2L | 6 | 55.5kg | $5 |
| 4 | 2 | MALICE | John O’Shea | Brenton Avdulla | 1.6L | 8 | 57kg | $3.30F |
| 5 | 10 | EGYPTIAN RULER | Ken Lantry | Andrew Gibbons | 3.7L | 11 | 54kg | $26 |
| 6 | 5 | AMEXED (NZ) | Tony Gollan | Robbie Fradd | 3.8L | 1 | 55kg | $5 |
| 7 | 3 | FOREIGN PRINCE (NZ) | David Payne | Jason Collett | 3.9L | 13 | 55.5kg | $7 |
| 8 | 1 | INDEX LINKED (GB) | Chris Waller | Rory Hutchings | 4.3L | 3 | 60kg | $9.50 |
| 9 | 15 | LIGHT MOTION | Shane Everson | Ms Cassandra Schmidt (a) | 5.9L | 5 | 54kg | $61 |
| 10 | 14 | KINGSTON TIME | Paul Grills | Ms Jodi Worley (a) | 6.1L | 7 | 54kg | $101 |
| 11 | 9 | DREAM FOLK | Gregory Hickman | Grant Buckley | 8.7L | 2 | 54kg | $26 |
| 12 | 6 | BRAVE ALI (NZ) | Tony Gollan | Ms Tegan Harrison | 10.6L | 10 | 54kg | $13 |
| 13 | 8 | TERONADO | Bruce W Hill | Robert Thompson | 16.4L | 9 | 54kg | $9.50 |
| – | 13 | SWIFT LADY (NZ) | John Sargent | Ms Winona Costin (a) | – | 0 | – | – |
| – | 7 | JIAYUGUAN (IRE) | John P Thompson | Glyn Schofield | – | 0 | – | – |
