Grafton previews: Leading jockey Ben Looker has a strong hand to add to his home track record

Country Championship Final winning jockey Ben Looker has two big days in store, one at home, the other in Saturday’s $500,000 The Coast at Gosford.

Ben Looker has two big days ahead startng with a strong book of rides at Grafton. Picture: Getty Images

Country Championship Final winning jockey Ben Looker aims to add the $500,000 The Coast to his resume but not before boosting his extraordinary Grafton tally.

The one-time apprentice to local legend and Kosciuszko winning trainer John Shelton, Looker brought up his 1,300th winner when Point Out won at Quirindi 11 days ago.

Not surprisingly, Grafton is Looker’s most successful track with a current total of 259 wins.

The most recent of those came on April 13 when Looker steered the lightly-raced and promising Olivershare to his first win at career start number two.

“He’s still learning what it is all about but he was really good to win a Maiden from an awkward gate without a lot of luck in the middle stages,” Looker said.

“When he got to the second horse, he got passed it, then just floated a little bit.

Olivershare wins the battle at Grafton to take Race 2! 💪@DavidMccolm2pic.twitter.com/7M8s2mpfM6

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 13, 2025

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

“Going from a Maiden to a 58 is pretty hard to do nowadays with the Benchmark system. “He’s racing horses that have won more than one or two races but he has got a lot of upside and from the one alley he is going to be able to put himself there and he’ll look the winner at some stage.

“He’s a nice enough horse that I’ve got a lot of time for.”

Looker is naturally eager to reacquaint himself with the well-bred Veandechance in the Brett Bellamy Congratulations On 1000 Benchmark 82 Handicap (1435m).

The last time he rode the Colt Prosser-trained relative of Melbourne Cup winner Jezabeel was at her most recent start, winning a slogging mile affair at Taree on March 25.

“She hasn’t raced for a bit over six weeks just with all the wet weather there really hasn’t been any races for her,” Looker explained.

“Whatever she does over the 1400m, I feel that she is going to improve getting back up to a mile and 2000m down the track.

“But Grafton is rain-affected at the moment and she is very dynamic on a wet track.”

Looker’s first chance to win on the day comes in Edwards Irrigation Consulting Maiden (1030m) where he pilots the Showtime two-year-old Ol’ Mate Coop.

“He went around a while ago at Coffs Harbour,” Looker said.

Veandechance takes out the fifth at Taree for the @ColtProsser stable! 👏 pic.twitter.com/rH9qLAAWi9

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 25, 2025

“Obviously Shaggy won the race and won quite well but the second horse has come out and won a race since and my horse ran third.

“Tony Newing’s horses race well at their home track.

“He’s a nice horse with a lot of upside.”

While Looker’s immediate focus centres on Grafton, all roads lead to Gosford on Saturday where the trusty hoop will hop aboard the Dynamic Syndications mare Rapt in a shared quest for the $500,000 The Coast.

“I was meant to ride Overriding in (The Coast) last year but unfortunately Nathan (Doyle) had to scratch,” Looker said.

“Rapt is not a short-price fancy but you can’t really fault her form.

“She has raced well at Gosford in the past, she’s three from three at the distance, and I thought her run was pretty good in the Provincial Championship Final.

“In a race where not a lot made ground from back in the field, I thought she did a good job to make up the ground she did.

“If she gets the luck, I think she’ll beat more home than beat her home.”

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Donna Grisedale has provided an update on her husband/jockey Jon, weeks after a dangerous incident at a set of post-race barrier trials at Grafton.

Grisedale, who has ridden close to 1,350 winners, was dislodged from his mount after it reared and fell on top of him while parading behind the barriers prior to the first of two Heats at Grafton on April 13.

“Jon’s good,” Donna Grisedale said.

“It’s probably halfway through with his broken leg but he is mending well and now it is a just a matter of time, hopefully another three weeks.”

Jon Grisedale will be watching on from home as his wife saddles-up two of the string at Grafton, namely the stable recruit Ostracised together with the speedy Super One son, Super Jaie.

Ostracised was bought, and sold, for a fourth time in his career, when knocked down for $10,000 at the Inglis February Online Sale in 2024.

West Germany ($26) was second-up off a two-year break and led throughout in Race 2 at Grafton for trainer Lisa Sheppard. pic.twitter.com/bsCeXddZXr

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 29, 2024

The one-time Team Hawkes resident has been a model of consistency since his change of address, posting four thirds in his nine starts for Grisedale.

“We haven’t had a jumpout or a trial so he is literally going straight into it pretty much raw but he still should run well, he loves the wet,” the trainer said.

“He’s a good money-spinner. His first-up run is usually his worst and after that, he is very consistent.

“We’ve been trying to find a wet track but they just seem to be getting too wet and washed so hopefully Friday is his day.”

Super Jaie, meanwhile, seems blessed with a favourable alley (two) in the last of the ten races on the marathon card.

“Ideally a Good 4 would be what he is looking for opposed to a Heavy track but we are going four and five weeks between runs with every horse so I am just losing fitness tremendously with too many of them,” said Grisedale.

Grisedale’s gelding’s three wins career have come at distance ranging from 1106m to 1250m.

Super Jaie’s broodmare sires read like a who’s who of Australia’s most recognisable stallions including Snitzel, Century, Vain, Todman and Heroic.

On top of all that, Super Jaie’s ninth dam is the 1945 Melbourne Cup winner, Rainbird.