Nash Rawiller special gets Cranky Harry home at Randwick ahead of Grafton mission

Nash Rawiller was at his brilliant best aboard the well-backed Cranky Harry at Randwick on Saturday as he continues to chase down James McDonald for the Sydney jockeys’ premiership.

Nash Rawiller comes back to scale aboard Cranky Harry after their win at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

Nash Rawiller took his tally of winners for trainer Matthew Dunn to 29 at Royal Randwick yesterday but both are hoping for a 30th on Sunday when last year’s The Big Dance runner-up Cepheus aims to defend his South Grafton Cup title.

If and when Cepheus makes it back to Sydney HQ on the first Tuesday in November, it is highly unlikely he will get away with a 1.40.59s mile much less not one, but two 13-seconds plus 200m sections like Highway winner Cranky Harry managed on Saturday.

Backed almost to the exclusion of all of his New South Wales country rivals, Cranky Harry was taken straight to the front by Rawiller who immediately took hold of the topweight, controlling the race from that point onward.

Given this conservation of energy and despite a not insignificant 59kg on board, Cranky Harry ($1.80) let rip with a sharp burst of acceleration half way up the straight going onto win by upwards of three-lengths.

Cranky Harry breaks away! 💨@nashhot gets one step closer to the Sydney Premiership🏇 pic.twitter.com/5zsjGTH1Ke

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 13, 2024

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“When he got to the front like that and they went as steady as they did, it was always going to be difficult for him to be run down,’’ winning trainer Dunn said.

“I don’t think he’s even been in that spot in a race before in his life but he’s done a good job and was well-ridden.

“He is a quality horse and proved today that he is strong at a mile and he’s got plenty more wins in store for sure.’’

Closest to Cranky Harry at the finish was former South Australian-housed, now Matthew Dale-trained gelding Field The Moment ($8.50), with Scone visitor Behind The Storm a nose away in third.

Cranky Harry was born and raised at Queensland’s Goldmount Lodge, which races the son of the ill-fated Spill Of Beans who died after three incomplete seasons at stud.

Dunn’s four-year-old bay traces back to one of the crack fillies of 1980s racing in Australia; his fourth dam being the Luskin Star daughter Nouvelle Star whose wins included a Linlithgow Stakes and Red Roses Stakes, both at Flemington.

Originally published as Nash Rawiller special gets Cranky Harry home at Randwick ahead of Grafton mission