TOBY’S DELIGHT
RAMORNIE DOUBLE
GOLD Coast trainer Toby Edmonds landed a two-state double within five minutes when Havasay won at Grafton and Churning scored at Doomben yesterday.
Churning ($4.60) lived up to her good recent stakes race form when she held on to beat Red Chase ($5) in a driving finish in Brisbane.
Only minutes earlier Edmonds won the $160,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton with Havasay for the second successive year.
Edmonds only got Havasay in the past week because the gelding’s usual trainer, the Brisbane-based Liam Birchley, is banned from having runners in NSW.
It was the same situation as last year when Edmonds also took over Havasay for the one run.
Havasay completed rare back-to-back victories in the premier NSW country sprint with a thrilling last-stride win.
Star Boy ($9) had dashed clear with what seemed a winning lead halfway down the straight only to be collared right on the line by the fast-finishing Havasay ($13).
Two other Gold Coasttrained horses Freddie Fox Trot ($26) and Instrinsic ($61) were third and fourth.
Havasay, who was ridden by Matthew McGillivray, became the first horse since The Jackal in 2007 and 2008 to win successive Ramornie Handicaps.
Godolphin’s Haunted was heavily backed into $2.80 favouritism but missed the start by nearly two lengths and was never a serious threat, finishing only eighth.
Murwillumbah-trained topweight Care To Think ($13) also disappointed, struggling from the turn and dropping out to run 14th.
Birchley was charged by Victorian stewards over his alleged involvement in the Aquanita doping scandal and disqualified for 12 months.
He has maintained his innocence and is appealing against the decision.
He has been granted permission to continue training in Queensland under a stay of proceedings but Racing NSW stewards have ordered any nominations from the Birchley stable for a NSW race to be rejected.