Grafton Cup winner Michael Costa leads the race for Trainer of the July Carnival while Ashley Morgan has charged ahead in the standings for best jockey
Grafton’s surrogate son and a Welsh invader lead the race for the July Racing Carnival’s best trainer and jockey titles.
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LEADING TRAINERS
(1st - 3pts, 2nd - 2pts, 3rd - 1pt)
13 - Michael Costa (Gold Coast)
12 - Matthew Dunn (Murwillumbah/Warwick Farm), Stephen Lee (Ballina)
9 - Kristen Buchanan (Wyong)
8 - Jenny Graham (Port Macquarie)
7 - Tony Gollan (Eagle Farm)
6 - David McColm (Murwillumbah), Sue Grills (Tamworth), Greg Kilner (Grafton)
After his dream Grafton Cup victory Gold Coast trainer Michael Costa is poised to take home the Trainer of the July Carnival title with one more day of racing to go.
Costa has a total of three wins with Purrfect Deal winning the Grafton Cup Prelude-Grafton Cup double and Palaszczuk winning the Benchmark 58 1400m Handicap on Ramornie Day, while Phobetor’s runner up finish in the Ramornie Handicap and a pair of 3rds puts Costa’s total on 13 points for the carnival.
He has a chance to extend his lead with five runners on Sunday, including Getyourgreyon in the Maclean Cup, but has Northern Rivers pair Matthew Dunn and Stephen Lee just one point adrift and equal on 12 points.
Dunn started the carnival well with two 2nds and a 3rd, and followed it up with a win and a 2nd on Ramornie Day and another 2nd with Laure Me In in the Grafton Cup. He has a total of eight runners booked across six races on Sunday including Ready To Humble in the Maclean Cup.
Lee has been Mr Consistency as the only trainer to score points on each day of the carnival so far. The Ballina trainer has six runners on Sunday including Maclean Cup runner Nothingforthepress, who has three previous wins at Grafton.
Kristen Buchanan has also been thereabouts, with five of her seven runners across the carnival running third or better, including Oakfield Cherokee winning the Class 6 Rural Plate (2200m) on Ramornie Day, while Jenny Graham trained a winner on each of the main two days of the carnival.
Tony Gollan jumped out of the gates with a win and two 2nds on Westlawn Day, but had no success with his subsequent two runners on Ramornie Day, had no runners installed on South Grafton Cup Day and Grafton Cup Day, and has no runners booked for Maclean Cup Day.
Greg Kilner, the best of the Grafton trainers, is on six points after landing a double with Volfoni and Grafton Guineas Prelude winner Swanston on the opening day of the carnival.
John Shelton is the next best placed Grafton trainer on four points after his first Sir James Kirby Handicap (1000m) win with Jule’s Spirit in the last on Thursday. With no rides booked for Kilner on Sunday, Shelton is well placed to make a late charge as the best local with six runners on Sunday including Bugalugs, who ran third in the John Carlton Cup, starting as topweight in the Maclean Cup.
LEADING JOCKEYS
24 - Ashley Morgan
17 - Ben Thompson
13 - Andrew Mallyon
12 - Matthew McGuren
10 - Leah Kilner, Aaron Bullock
8 - Reece Jones, Raymond Spokes
7 - Jon Grisedale, Kirk Matheson, Christian Reith
Among the jockeys, Ashley Morgan has been the revelation of the carnival, riding five winners across the duration. The Hunter Valley based Welshman has five more chances to extend his lead on Sunday, including another ride on South Grafton Cup winner Texas Storm in the Maclean Cup.
Queensland-based jockey Ben Thompson has ridden two high profile winners at the carnival - Grafton Cup winner Purrfect Deal and Grafton Guineas winner Tamilaide - but is not returning to Grafton on Sunday and won’t improve on second spot.
Andrew Mallyon is in third spot with three wins including the Grafton Cup Prelude on Purrfect Deal and Mother’s Gift (1400m) on Hard Labour. He missed out on a chance to ride Purrfect Deal in the Grafton Cup - with Thompson securing the victorious ride - and Mallyon’s booking on Chris Waller trained Wu Gok scratched.
Mallyon is the only rider to score points on each day of the carnival and has seven rides on Sunday including Michael Costa’s Getyourgreyon in the cup.
Matthew McGuren (12) is the best placed Grafton jockey and has six rides on Sunday including Evopex in the Maclean Cup.
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