“It means something to come and win at Grafton”
Final win of the carnival cherry on top for best trainer and cause for a shake up in the race for best jockey.
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Andrew Mallyon robbed the 2021 Jockey of the July Racing Carnival title from Ashley Morgan in an incredible last day of racing on Maclean Cup Day at Clarence River Jockey Club.
LEADING JOCKEYS
(1st - 3pts, 2nd - 2pts, 3rd - 1pt)
25 - Andrew Mallyon
24 - Ashley Morgan
17 - Ben Thompson
14 - Matthew McGuren
12 - Jon Grisedale
Also: 10 - Leah Kilner, Aaron Bullock, Georgina McDonnell; 9 - Raymond Spokes; 8 - Reece Jones, Jake Bayliss; 7 - Kirk Matheson, Christian Reith, Casey Waddell, Luke Rolls.
Morgan rode five winners across the first four days of the carnival to hold a big lead in the title race, but Mallyon drew level after three wins on Calcareous, Morethannumberone and Galaxy Belle on Sunday, before taking the spoils with a fourth win on The Catch in the very last race of the carnival.
Mallyon pipped Morgan for the title by one point, after the Welshman was unplaced and unable to add to his tally across four rides, including South Grafton Cup winner Texas Storm in the Maclean Cup.
“Interestingly both jockeys were very aware of the standings and watching it closely,” CRJC chief executive officer Michael Beattie said.
“Andrew and Ashley are both regular competitors at our meetings and it’s really good to see both of them having such a great carnival.”
Ben Thompson, who rode Purrfect Deal for Michael Costa in the Grafton Cup and is currently third in the 2020/21 Queensland Jockeys Premiership, was third in the jockey standings for the carnival.
Matthew McGuren was the best placed local jockey in fourth.
Mallyon was third leading into the final day, with Hard Labour in the Mother’s Gift (1400m) the most notable of his earlier wins.
LEADING TRAINERS
19 - Michael Costa (Gold Coast)
14 - Matthew Dunn (Murwillumbah/Warwick Farm)
13 - Stephen Lee (Ballina)
9 - Kristen Buchanan (Wyong)
Also: 8 - Jenny Graham (Port Macquarie), Sue Grills (Tamworth); 7 - Tony Gollan (Eagle Farm), Tony Newing (Gosford); 6 - David McColm (Murwillumbah), Greg Kilner (Grafton), John Shelton (Grafton).
The Catch’s win in the Maclean Variety Meats Benchmark 58 Handicap (1700m) wrapped up a memorable campaign for Michael Costa, who took out the 2021 Trainer of the Carnival.
The Gold Coast trainer landed five winners, highlighted by Purrfect Deal winning the Grafton Cup as well as the Grafton Cup Prelude.
The win was close to the heart for Costa, who spent time living in Grafton as a race steward and compared the win to his own version of the Melbourne Cup.
“Grafton became a home away from home, so it’s a home track grand final in a race I really wanted to win,” Costa said.
“First runner, first win and a race I’ve really wanted to win for a long time.”
Costa lived in Grafton for 18 months before moving to Sydney to take up his trainer’s license in 2010.
Where the dream of winning the Grafton Cup begun. My old rented unit in Grafton! pic.twitter.com/fAL44EVDNJ
— Michael Costa Racing (@mcosta_racing) July 8, 2021
“Michael Costa is a very intelligent young man who went from being a steward to a racehorse trainer based in Sydney,” Mr Beattie said. “He could see how difficult it was going to be at that level, so he moved his family to the Gold Coast and has set himself up so beautifully there.”
Mr Beattie, a former steward himself who assumed the top role at CRJC after returning from Macau in 2012, did not cross paths directly with Costa, but was well aware of the young man’s history.
“It was before my time, but I knew Michael had been here and I knew Michael long before he had his trainer’s license,” he said.
“I think it’s fair to say Racing NSW had him marked as the up and coming steward and the next big thing, and I know they were very disappointed when he put his notice in and said he wanted to go training racehorses.”
Costa’s sentimentality supports the theory that the Grafton Cup and its sprint equivalent the Ramornie Handicap are much more than $200,000 Listed races on the calendar.
“How much the Grafton Cup meant for him and touched him, albeit not being born and bred here, shows it’s not just about the prizemoney,” Mr Beattie said.
“We had well over 7000 people attend the five days of the carnival. To still get a 50 per cent participation rate in a Covid environment when people from Sydney and surrounds couldn’t attend plus the very real fear factor in the community is outstanding.
“The standard of the stables that supported us was high; pretty much all the usual suspects were here for the main races.
“I think it’s about the fact that Grafton is still seen as a traditional country racing carnival. There’s been so many great stories over the years about people bringing horses to Grafton, and big betting plunges, and it’s a place where people aspire to win a race - even a lot of the sub-feature races - it means something to come and win a race at Grafton.
“I’m really proud to be part of that tradition, but also we’ve really worked hard to try to keep that tradition in people’s minds and I’m sure it’s entrenched for many years to come.”
Meanwhile leading Northern Rivers trainers Matthew Dunn and Stephen Lee finished second and third respectively in the Trainer of the Carnival standings.
Greg Kilner, who landed a Westlawn Day double, edged out John Shelton, who won the Sir James Kirby Handicap with sprinter Jule’s Spirit, as the most successful hometown trainer of the carnival.
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