Champ back to defend South Cup
By Tim Howard
After a stunning opening day at the 2024 Grafton July Racing Carnival all eyes have turned to the running of the 2024 South Grafton Cup.
Clarence Valley Jockey Club executive officer Michael Beattie said the excitement for this race has taken off in the racing community since it became an entry vehicle for the $3 million Big Dance.
He said on Monday that nominations had not yet closed for the event, but there were already 20 entrants for Sunday’s big race.
Among them is the Murwillumbah trained galloper Cepheus, last year’s winner and runner up in the Big Dance.
“Cepheus is back to defend his title, but I would say the main reason is to have another shot at the Big Dance,” Beattie said.
Beattie said the seven-year-old gelding looked to be in even better form than when he qualified for the race at Grafton and showed enough form to become one of the race favourites.
“I would argue this year he is in even better form than last year,” Beattie said.
“This time last year, coming into the South Cup, Cepheus had gone around in the Glasshouse, and run second in the Glasshouse, which was a Listed race.
“And he’d run fourth in the Eye Liner, which is also a Listed race.”
Beattie said Cepheus has not enjoyed the same results as last year, but has been racing in better quality events.
“This year’s he’s racing in two Group Ones, where he’s admittedly finished down the track, the George Ryder and the Stradbroke, but this time last year he’d only ever had one run at Group One level,” he said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind the horse is going equally well, if not better than last year.”
Beattie said Cepheus was likely to meet a stronger field in this year’s race, although it was hard to tell until nominations closed.
He said the opening day of racing for the carnival on Sunday, the Kensei Club Community Race Day, could not have gone better.
“We were absolutely thrilled to have enough entries to run a nine-race program,” he said.
“And we had a crowd comparable to last year’s, which was great to see.”
He said the CRJC had changed the format of the day, making six of the nine races a prelude to races later in the carnival.
“Essentially those horses that were contesting those races were here simply for the reason that they wanted to contest the better races later in the carnival,” Beattie said.
He said the winner of the Grafton Cup prelude, Full Press, was almost certain to run in the Grafton Cup on July 18.
“He’s a Coffs Harbour-trained horse so I’m certain he’ll take his place in the Cup field,” he said.
He said the strength of Sunday’s fields was a vindication for the club’s move to include more prelude races in the program.
“It gets trainers to think earlier about coming to Grafton,” he said.
“The best way they can guarantee they get a runner in the Ramornie, or Grafton Cup, is to come and win a prelude race.”
He said it was good for the punters to see these horses earlier in the carnival.
“They get a chance to see which horses are in form and follow them through the carnival,” he said.
Beattie was also pleased with vibe the carnival generated on its opening day.
“The first day is family day, there’s free entry and there was a big crowd down at the Westlawn tent enjoying the free entertainment,” he said.
“And the betting ring was, as it always is, very busy which is a great thing to see.
“There was just a really good feel for the day and that bodes really well for the rest of the carnival.”
For more sports news, click here.
