Two stables, those of Michael Freedman and the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership have the possibility of claiming a Ramornie Handicap / Grafton Cup double in the Grafton Carnival’s two major feature races on Wednesday and Thursday.
They are the only two stables with runners in both events.
Freedman has Givemethebeatboys in the Ramornie Handicap. A son of Bungle In The Jungle, the five-year-old won an Open Handicap over 1000m at Eagle Farm back on April 4, a race in which he denied the smart runner-up, Emperor, a hat-trick of wins … and, while Givemethebeatboys has finished unplaced in three starts since that win, they have all been in feature races (The Archer, the Listed Lightning Handicap and the Group 3 W J Healy) and he did not finish far back in any of them.
In his last start, Givemethebeatboys finished out of the placings but only 1.53 lengths behind the winner Yellow Brick. A repeat of that run will certainly put him in the mix on Wednesday.
Freedman will also send out Encoder in the Grafton Cup on Thursday.
The five-year-old son of Encryption also posted a warning when finishing second in the Ipswich Cup behind the Team Munce trained Kaluakoi in his last start. He carried 4kg more than Kaluakoi on that occasion and is now 1kg better off at the weights for their return clash.
Givemethebeatboys is the $7 second favourite for the Ramornie behind the $5 favourite Pereille in what stacks up as an open betting race, Encoder is an $11 chance in the Grafton Cup. The clear favourite here is the Top Charlton trained King Pedro ($2.20).
For their part, the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership will send out Kitty Flash in the Ramornie.
This four-year-old mare has only had one run for the Munce stable since transferring from the New Zealand yard of Andrew Forsman. In both that start in an Open Plate over 1000m … and in her last start for Forsman, Kitty Flash failed to fire at all and was soundly beaten out of the placings.
In her five starts prior to that though, the daughter of Ace High never finished out of the first three places … a run of results which included two third place finishes in Group 3 company … both over 1400m … in the Spring Sprint behind The Skunner and in the J Swap Sprint behind First Five, who went on to win both Group 1 Telegraph and the Group 1 BDC Sprint.
So, Kitty Flash, at best, is certainly no slouch. If she can reproduce even a touch of her best form she would rate as upset material … make that boilover material as she is currently quoted at $61.
As mentioned, the Munce training partnership also have their Ipswich Cup winner Kaluakoi running in the Grafton Cup.
He has had a run since his Ipswich Cup triumph … in the Caloundra Cup in which he finished unplaced behind The Budgiesmugla. This will be his fifth start in the last two months so he should come into the race rock-hard fit.
Kaluakoi is a $14 chance.
