Cejay Graham equals career best with four winners at Doomben

Young jockey Cejay Graham’s incredible rise stepped up a notch at Doomben with a career-equalling haul of winners on a Saturday metropolitan meeting.

Cejay Graham rides Dream Smart to victory at Doomben, one of her four for the day. Picture: Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

Cejay Graham’s incredible rise as one of the most exciting young jockeys in Australia stepped up a notch at Doomben on Saturday.

Graham, who came to Brisbane looking for career opportunities after several injury-ruined years, snared four winners to equal her best haul on a Saturday metropolitan race day.

Her four victories equalled her previous best feat at the races, riding four winners on the Sunshine Coast when she was an apprentice in January last year.

Going from an apprentice rider to a senior jockey is never easy, but Graham has made the transition with ease.

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She was raised a stone’s throw from Port Macquarie racecourse on the NSW north coast but is now as Queensland as XXXX beer or Bundaberg rum.

Her winners included powering filly Dream Smart to victory in the Jewel Prelude 3YO and producing a miracle ride from last to win on Red Defcon to score her fourth winner.

“To be honest I didn’t think this would be possible. I know anything’s possible but it’s days like this you dream of when you come out of your time,” Graham told Racenet.

“Riding four winners in town, it’s not an easy thing to do and I’m very overwhelmed by the support that I continue to receive.

“When you’re riding in form everything seems to flow better but you’ve got to have the right horses underneath you.”

Red Defcon from nowhere gets up at Doomben and that is four winners to @CejayGraham1 for the day! 😮 🤩@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/KuJUCVV0Qq

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 22, 2025

A minor mishap on a float a fortnight ago couldn’t stop flying filly Dream Smart from powering to an impressive victory in the Jewel Prelude 3YO contest.

Graham praised Sunshine Coast trainer Liam Birchley after the 1110m scamper for getting Dream Smart prepared for Saturday’s assignment after the filly suffered a bruised leg while on a float from the Sunshine Coast two weeks ago.

The heavily backed Dream Smart ($6) burst from the pack from an inside run in the final 100m to surge ahead of Astapor and Hearts Are Better to book her ticket to the rich Jewel Day on the Gold Coast in a fortnight.

“It was a good training effort because she missed a run the other day,” Graham said.

“She got hurt in the float on the way down so Liam’s done a really good job to have her here ready to go today.”

"Four as a senior, I can't believe it!"

Hear from @CejayGraham1 who's ridden 4 winners at Doomben today, after Red Defcon took out Race 9 in exciting fashion 👏@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/1YDydmaR7n

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 22, 2025

Birchley said he would definitely have a crack at the $500,000 3YO QTIS Jewel on March 8 but he voiced his concerns about the Gold Coast track.

“I don’t know if she’s a Gold Coast horse but we’ve got to give it a crack for a half-a-million dollar race,” he said.

“I’m confident in her ability but you never know how the Gold Coast track will play out.

“Who knows what you’re going to get on the day? It could be anything.”

Originally published as Cejay Graham equals career best with four winners at Doomben