GRAFTON GUINEAS: Reus wins 3YO after trouble at gates

REUS was touch and go to be scratched at the gates before the start of the July Carnival’s $80,000 three-year-old feature.

After some early trouble in the barriers before the race started, Michael Costa trained Reus stormed home late to take out the $80,000 Tursa Grafton Guineas (1600m).

REUS was touch and go to be scratched at the gates before the start of the $80,000 Tursa Grafton Guineas.

But despite misbehaving behind the stalls including knocking down a barrier attendant, the Michael Costa trained gelding was able to eclipse a competitive field in the July Carnival's three-year-old feature.

Reus ($4, Andrew Gibbons) came from deep on the outside channel to win by almost half a length over John Sargent trained Foxborough ($3.50, Rachel King) and John O'Shea trained Fashchanel ($3.70fav, Glen Boss).

2020 Grafton Guineas won by Reus

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Reus's pre-race ruse was quite the initiation for Gibbons' first ride on the Star Witness out of M'Indigo gelding, in place of usual mount Robbie Fradd who was among the Queenslanders not allowed to cross the border to participate due to coronavirus restrictions.

"Obviously I've never rode the horse before. I was only going by what Robbie told me, and he said ear muffs on and just to go a bit quiet with him, he can be different in the gates," Gibbons said.

"But he really turned it on. He was over excited and he really played up badly and knocked one of the guys at the gates down.

"The way he was playing up, I thought it could go one way or the other. He could settle down and go with them, or he could go against them and he wouldn't have got in, so I'm glad the barrier attendants done a really good job.

"So he was a bit of a handful there. But we got him in the gates and from there, after we opened, he done everything right for me.

"It was just a matter of getting off that inside and I was lucky enough I had a horse outside me that was not going good and I got straight to the outside and he done the rest."

Day to remember for 2011 Ramornie winner

Hunter Valley jockey Gibbons also won the Fillies and Mares Class 2 Handicap (1100m) on Illecebrous for Newcastle's Kris Lees, and third on Jonker for David Atkins in the $200,000 Ramornie Handicap won by Peter and Paul Snowden's Signore Fox.

After some early trouble in the barriers before the race started, Michael Costa trained Reus stormed home late to take out the $80,000 Tursa Grafton Guineas (1600m).

The successful day out harked back to 2011 when his biggest career win came in the Ramornie Handicap aboard Jerezana.

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"It's always a great carnival, I love this carnival," Gibbons said.

"I've always had a soft spot for this carnival. I won my first Listed race here, it was the first time I ever won a black type race.

"I always manage to jag one here and there, but it's great to run a double on a feature day, definitely."

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