Latest news with #CejayGraham
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Craig Cousins-trained 2025 Stradbroke Handicap hope The Inflictor on song at Doomben
The Inflictor rounded out his Stradbroke build-up with a commanding victory to the delight of punters in a Benchmark 85 Handicap at Doomben on Saturday. The Craig Cousins -trained galloper never gave his rivals a look in over the 1350m trip, racing on the speed before strolling clear in the straight with jockey Nash Rawiller throwing the reins at the four-year-old gelding. The Inflictor ($3.10 fav) defeated Sir Artie ($16) by 1-1/2 lengths with $101 outsider Without Revenge a short-half-head away in third. 'Put him in the box-seat (in the Stradbroke Handicap), get the run at the top of the straight and he'll be in the finish,' Rawiller said. 'I was impressed with his turn of foot.' The Inflictor secured ballot exemption in Queensland premier race with a win in the $300,000 The Gateway back in December and his trainer confirmed one of Queensland's leading ladies Cejay Graham would ride The Inflictor at 51kg in the Stradbroke. Cousins, who will take the week off from his day job as a truck driver on Stradbroke week, declared The Inflictor would not race again until his June 14 assignment, with the son of Under The Louve to spend plenty of time on a water walker between now and then. 'Onwards and upwards,' he said. 'I never thought it would happen to me so I'm just going to enjoy it. 'He's a character, he's a real dude this horse. 'He's a charm to have and makes my job easy.' The Inflictor dominates Race 2 at Doomben! ðŸ'° @nashhot — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 The Inflictor firmed in Stradbroke betting from $34 to $26 following Saturday's victory. Meanwhile, Saturday's two Listed class races were won by Manhood and Belegato. The Chief De Beers (1110m) was turned upside down at the start when the expected leader Economics missed the start hopelessly. Rachel King aboard Manhood seized the opportunity, sending her mount to lead and dictating terms to suit themselves. The Annabel and Rob Archibald -trained galloper led throughout to win easily from King Kapa with Cannonball rounding out the placings. A perfect @RachelK11 ride sees Manhood take out Race 4 at Doomben for @ANeashamRacing! — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 'He's just like riding a big armchair,' King said. 'He just kept building and with 53 (kilos) on his back, he just kept finding.' In the Darby McCarthy OAM QTIS 3YO (1110m), the run of the race was key to Belegato's success. The Liam Birchley -trained gelding trailed the speed before being presented at the top of the straight and from there he wasn't being beaten. Belegato, under Jag Guthmann-Chester, defeated the hard closing Mayfair with in third.
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Rex Lipp says Cifrado must win BRC Sprint to make Stradbroke Handicap field
Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp has declared that his stable star Cifrado needs to win Saturday's BRC Sprint to have any hope of making the prestigious Stradbroke Handicap. 'He's got to win it,' Lipp said about the $300,000 Group 3 race, which offers a golden ticket into the feature Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14. 'If he doesn't win it, he goes to the paddock.' Cejay Graham returns from suspension to hop on board the four-year-old gelding from barrier two in the BRC Sprint (1350m) after regular rider Kyle Wilson-Taylor decided to instead steer $19 chance Matcha Latte for Wyong trainer Sara Ryan. 'He hasn't had a lot of luck on him so who knows?' Lipp said about Wilson-Taylor declining the ride. 'He's an easy horse to ride, you've just got to use your common sense. He's as good as I can get him, it's just a matter of whether he's good enough.' With a rating of 102, Cifrado sits on the fringe on qualifying for the $3m Stradbroke but he will need to beat a strong field in the BRC Sprint that includes the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained $3.70 favourite War Machine, which is coming off a last-start victory over Jimmy The Bear in a Benchmark 100 (1400m) at Caulfield on May 10. The Hayes brothers' Rise At Dawn, which finished fourth in last month's Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick, is also strong in the market at $6.50. Cifrado, who has won $1.7m in prizemoney with five wins from 26 starts, is a $23 chance in the BRC Sprint. Last year's Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner will appreciate the extra distance of 1350m after his flop in the 1200m Group 2 Victory Stakes this month. Topweight Yellow Brick, trained by father-and-daughter combination Tony and Maddy Sears, has a 107 rating, which should be good enough to make the Stradbroke field. The five-year-old gelding, who hasn't raced since finishing fifth in the $1.5m Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m) in January, has won both his trials this month. 'He's in very good order, I couldn't be any happier with him,' Maddy Sears said. 'His rating looks enough to get him in the Straddie so hopefully we don't have the worry of anything. We'll go for the win-and-your're-in theory and get the job done. 'I just want the sun to keep shining and shining because he's very good on a dry surface. 'Most times he's been beaten it's been caused by a wet track.'
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 Doomben Cup: Jockey Cejay Graham to ride Miss Joelene for trainer Kelly Schweida
Rejuvenated jockey Cejay Graham joked that she would have to be 'carried' to the weigh-in if she could win this week's $1 million Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on 50-1 shot Miss Joelene in just her second attempt at Group 1 glory. A 10-day suspension has seen Graham out of action since a wet and wild Hollindale Stakes Day on the Gold Coast on May 10. On that day she rode Miss Joelene to an admirable fourth place behind star trio Antino, Fawkner Park and Kovalica in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m). And despite Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida having an array of top jockeys from down south to choose from, he and Miss Joelene's owner Darren Wilson have kept their faith in Graham to ride the four-year-old mare in the Doomben Cup. It will be Graham's second crack at a major after she rode the Gary Portelli -trained gelding Kintyre to ninth in last year's $1.5m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick. 'I'm still a freshie at it,' Graham said about her Group 1 experience. 'It'll be fantastic to ride in one up here in Queensland and even better to get that opportunity for Kelly. 'I had hoped that I'd be able to stick with her throughout her preparation because I knew she was aiming towards that sort of line (Doomben Cup).' Asked what it would mean to win a Group 1 for her biggest supporter Schweida, who has two majors under his belt, Graham said: 'I think I'd have to get carried back in. I'd be very emotional, purely because of Kelly. 'I don't think you could make a Group 1 extra special but I reckon that would do it.' Queensland star Antino ($3.50) and daring frontrunner Pride Of Jenni ($4) head the Doomben Cup market but Miss Joelene ($51) proved in the Hollindale Stakes – albeit on a heavy track – that she was more than capable of springing an upset. Antino wins the TAB Hollindale Stakes in dominant fashion! ðŸ'Š @tonygollan — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 10, 2025 • 'Her best is good enough to beat anyone': Is Pride Of Jenni the horse to end Craig Newitt's Group 1 drought? 'She ran an absolute cracker on that bottomless track at the Gold Coast the other day so I don't think she could be going any better heading into the Doomben Cup,' Graham said. 'It's a very exciting time. I said to Darren (Wilson) 'I based my suspension around her' and he said 'No you didn't'. I said 'no I did, I'm telling you, she is what I'm most looking forward to'.' Graham is hoping for a track in the soft range at Doomben on Saturday and given the weather forecast of showers this week in Brisbane, she may well get her wish. Plenty of roughies have saluted at massive odds already this winter carnival and Graham isn't too fazed about Miss Joelene's $51 odds for the Doomben Cup, especially given the mare's superb record on soft ground (6:3-1-1). 'With the way the tracks might be, you just never know,' she said. 'One thing about her, she didn't love the track the other day (at the Gold Coast) but she still performs well on any surface and I think that extra distance will be right up her alley.'
