Randwick Inside Mail: Gerald Ryan-trained Grebeni poised for breakthrough in 2025 Civic Stakes
Grebeni can snap a frustrating run of feature race near misses in the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou -trained Grebeni is racing very consistently without winning this preparation with four minor placings from five attempts.
The striking chestnut resumed with a close third to Sandpaper in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes before a narrow loss to Lavish Empire in the Muswellbrook Cup.
Grebeni had excuses when unplaced behind Punch Lane at Randwick but he then ran a good third to Tavi Time in the Scone Cup before he ran Loch Eagle to less than a length in the Racing To Win Handicap.
Ryan said there was some consideration given to saving Grebeni for a stakes race at Eagle Farm next week before it was decided to give the five-year-old his chance in the Civic Stakes.
'We were originally going to go to Eagle Farm but the way that track is racing we didn't want to risk him,'' Ryan explained.
'So, he will have this run then probably have a breather and we will get him ready for the Little Dance or the Big Dance in the spring.''
. @KPMcEvoy gets Grebeni home to win by half a length after going head to head in the last 200 with Riyazan! pic.twitter.com/JHsczs280Y
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 30, 2023
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Grebeni, who has drawn well in barrier four, is at $10 in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting behind Civic Stakes favourite Headley Grange at $3.
'There is good speed in the race and Grebeni is coming back to 1400m so I thought he would be off the pace to midfield,'' Ryan added.
Grebeni's stablemate, Green Shadows ($14), gives Ryan and Alexiou dual representation in the Civic Stakes.
Green Shadows, part-owned by popular Sky Thoroughbred Central presenter Gavin Carmody, has also returned to racing this campaign in very good form but has drawn off the track.
He ran a close second to Name Dropper in the Tamworth Cup then was beaten three-quarters of a length by Headley Grange over 1300m at Randwick last start.
'Green Shadows comes in to either 14 or 16 after the scratchings,'' Ryan said. 'He's come back well and if he gets the right run, he can make a race of it.''
.@GRyanRacing make it back-to-back Goulburn Cup wins! �
Green Shadows wins the Goulburn Cup with @RachelK11 on board 🙌 pic.twitter.com/E7LIdR5Q91
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 25, 2024
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RANDWICK BIG BETS AND MARKET MOVERS
Race 1: Callistemon $6-$4.20, Piraeus $8.50-$4.60
Race 2: Shropshire Lad $5-$4.80, Satin Stiletto $8-$5.50
Race 3: Lunaite $5.50-$4.60, Bengal $21-$12
Race 4: Millie De Lune $4-$3.80, Piggyback $8-$6
Race 5: Hopper $8-$5, Rotagilla $11-$5.50
Race 6: Quantum Cat $4.60-$3.10, Zaphod $5-$3.20
Race 7: Storm The Ramparts $3.80-$3.50, Gitalong $4.80-$4
Race 8: Raikkonen $3.40-$3, Fiddlers Green $11-$7.50
Race 9: Headley Grange $4.60-$3, Grebeni $19-$10
Race 10: Fully Lit $19-$7, Pereille $16-$9.50
MARKET MOVERS: FEATURE RACE FANCY $3 INTO $2.40 @ClintonPayne reveals where the early money is going for Saturday racing right around Australia. ðŸ'‡ https://t.co/9VLEcsY40t
— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 20, 2025
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EARLY QUADDIE
Race 3: 4,5,10,11
Race 4: 3,5,8,12
Race 5: 2,5,11
Race 6: 1,2,4,10
QUADDIE
Race 7: 1,2,3,6
Race 8: 1,6,12,13
Race 9: 5,6,13,21
Race 10: 1,3,5,19
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PRICE CHECK
Storm The Ramparts and Gitalong (race 7) fought out the finish of a Randwick 1000m sprint two weeks ago and market moves suggest there might be a repeat on Saturday. Storm The Ramparts has firmed from $3.80 to $3.50 favouritism with Gitalong also coming in from to $4.80 to $4. In the Civic Stakes (race 9), Headley Grange is now a dominant favourite after firming from $4.60 to $3 and there has been support for Grebeni who is $19 into $10.
⛈� Back-to-back Randwick wins for Storm The Ramparts as @PrideRacing trains the last three winners, and a double to Adam Hyeronimus! 🥳 @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/qBP014nBar
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
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SECTIONAL STARS
Race 9 No.13 HEADLEY GRANGE was resuming over the Randwick 1300m two weeks ago and was held up for a run from the top of the straight until the 200m when he gained a split and sprinted through for a brilliant first-up win. Headley Grange's final 200m split of 11.59s was the best of the day.
Race 10 No.1 CONTEMPORARY took on stages grade last start and held his own running on for third behind In Flight in the Bob Charley Stakes. Contemporary didn't get a lot of galloping room in the straight but was still able to run his final 600m in 34.11s, one of the best sectionals of the meeting.
A tough win to In Flight in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick for @PrideRacing! 🚀 @ProvenTbreds @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/oCxTvB5sNq
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
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TRIAL POINTERS
Race 7 No.4 SHALL BE is a promising sprinter with a good record of four wins from eight starts and is resuming here off after a close second in a Wyong barrier trial earlier this week. He settled outside leader Royal Bombardier and was keen to go faster but was kept under a tight hold to be beaten less than a half length. Shall Be goes well fresh and looks tuned up for his return.
Race 9 No.1 IKNOWASTAR won the Five Diamond Prelude last spring then resumed off a long spell and disappointed when well beaten behind subsequent Stradbroke Handicap War Machine in the BRC Sprint. Trainer Bjorn Baker sent Iknowastar back to Sydney and he looked more like his old self with a dominant all-the-way Rosehill barrier trial win by more than six lengths two weeks ago.
Back-to-back features for @BBakerRacing! ��
A @Rachelk11 special aboard Iknowastar sees the consistent galloper take the Five Diamonds Prelude at Randwick ðŸ'ŽðŸ'Ž pic.twitter.com/wahyXhOnuQ
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024
• 'Young horse with a lot of ability': Baker bullish on Raikkonen
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BEST BET
Race 3 No.4 BRAVE ONE was a $300,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase who has only had five starts for a debut Randwick win last July and two recent second placings at Canterbury and Rosehill since resuming. Promising three-year-old who didn't shirk his task when second to a smart older horse in Kerguelen last start. Brave One has drawn a little awkwardly but Team Hawkes has found the right race for him and with even luck in running he's going to be very hard to beat.
Brave One races on the speed, travels well under @ZacLloydx, and the son of Exceedance handles the wet track to win on debut for @HawkesRacing � @racing_nsw | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/gRZFlDaPTE
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 6, 2024
• Bengal to claw his way into Kosciuszko contention
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VALUE
Race 1 No.6 HOOLIGAN TOMMY has returned in good order this campaign with two wins and two placings from five starts. He comes to Randwick off a career-best effort at Kembla Grange where he gapped his rivals, winning by a widening margin of more than three lengths when shouldering 60.5kg in heavy going. Hooligan Tommy drops 2.5kg, gets onto a more suitable firmer track and he's at value odds near $8.
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