Two-horse truck driving trainer Craig Cousins earns Stradbroke Handicap ticket after upset win in The Gateway with The Inflictor

A truck driver with only two horses in work qualified one of them for the Stradbroke Handicap after an astonishing upset in The Gateway at Eagle Farm.

The Inflictor wins The Gateway at Eagle Farm to collect a golden ticket into the 2025 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Craig Cousins drives trucks to supplement his income and only has two horses in work, but provided a racing fairytale when he qualified one of them for the 2025 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.

The low-profile trainer, who once trained cult horse The Great Boombino, was shaking with excitement after he provided a mighty upset over some of the biggest names in racing.

The Inflictor was unfancied in betting as a $21 chance in the $300,000 The Gateway, which offers the winner a golden ticket into next year’s Stradbroke.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

But the racing gods were with Cousins and jockey Cejay Graham as The Inflictor fended off all rivals to land a knockout punch.

Tony Gollan-trained favourite Transatlantic ($2.20) finished a disappointing sixth after jockey Angela Jones elected to stay on the inside in the Eagle Farm straight.

But there was no taking away from the win of The Inflictor.

Cousins is a realist and knows his horse may not be a winning chance in the Stradbroke, but there is now also the option for connections to trade the horse for another in a Stradbroke slot deal.

An upset in The Gateway! The Inflictor has earned a ticket into the Stradbroke after a tough on-pace victory under @Cejaygraham1 for trainer Craig Cousins 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/rca54BB6Ly

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 7, 2024

Regardless, it was Cousins’ moment to shine at Eagle Farm in Saturday and the result was a win for small-time trainers.

“I’ve only got two horses in work at the moment,” Cousins said.

“Dad just always had horses and his father had horses and one day, when I was 16, Dad said we were going to move from Tasmania to Hendra.

“Dad trained horses as a hobby and he was a truck driver and, ironically, I drive a truck during the day now too.

“I can’t survive (financially) on training two horses, but I enjoy doing it.

“I have told people that I don’t want any more than three horses.

“I know this horse is in the Stradbroke now, I’m a realist though, but it’s a good problem to have.”

Jockey Cejay Graham and trainer Craig Cousins after the win of The Inflictor. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

In the Listed Tails Stakes (1500m), Arts Object again showed her happy habit of providing a blowout result when she won at $41 for trainer Kurt Goldman and jockey Jones.

In January, Arts Object won the $250,000 The Wave on the Gold Coast when paying $51.

Arts Object is part-owned by popular Sky Racing presenter Paul Joice who admitted he didn’t have a cent on the mare at big odds at Eagle Farm.

Another earlier race at Eagle Farm featured a double protest, with initial runner-up Pocket Full ($18) promoted to winner in the BM85 Handicap (1200m).

Arts Object wins the Listed Tails Stakes with our own @PaulJoice1 in the ownership! She continues her reputation as a giant killer after winning The TAB Wave earlier this year 💥

Well done to jockey Ange Jones and trainer @KurtGoldman2 👏 pic.twitter.com/paAd9gZluH

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 7, 2024

Connections of Stuart Kendrick-trained Pocket Full and third-placed Mark Currie-trained runner Trinity Square ($2.80) both fired in protests against first-past-the-post Ned’s Gully ($6.50) trained by Paul Wallace.

Apprentice jockey Cody Collis had shifted out and hampered Trinity Square which also caused interference to the fast-finishing Pocket Full.

Stewards upheld the third versus first protest, meaning there was no need to deliberate on second versus first protest given that Pocket Full was declared the new winner.

Originally published as Two-horse truck driving trainer Craig Cousins earns Stradbroke Handicap ticket after upset win in The Gateway with The Inflictor