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Ramornie Handicap

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

THE BIG GOODBYE
THE BIG GOODBYE Picture: Michael McInally/Racing Queensland

Grafton's Ramornie Handicap is an annual feature of the Clarence River Jockey Club's July racing carnival and is one of the most famous country sprint races in Australia.

First run in 1910 as the Newmarket Handicap, the race name was changed to the Ramornie Handicap in 1917, taking its title from the Ramornie Station, a famous property on the banks of the Clarence River.

The Ramornie Handicap has been run over 1200m since its inception and carries Listed Race status. It shares top billing at the Grafton July Racing Carnival with the Grafton Cup.

The 2023 Ramornie Handicap was run for prizemoney of $200,000.

The Ramornie Handicap boasts seven multiple winners with the most famous being Cuban Song, a local sprinter who won the race four times in successive years from 1933 to 1936.

The other multiple winners are Trovatore (1955/56), Develope (1970/71), High Classic (1980/1982), Credit Again (1986/87), The Jackal (2007/08) and Havasay (2018/19).

The Ramornie Handicap has been won by some of Australia's top sprinters, none better than the 8-time Group One winner Takeover Target in 2004.

Other notable Ramornie Handicap winners since 1970 include Swiftly Ann, Mistress Anne, Razor Sharp, Veiled Report, Lightning Bend, Tiny's Finito, Friend's Venture, Lucky Dapper, Cangronde, Kidlat, Sir Breakfast, Battlefield, Pinwheel, Howmuchdoyouloveme, Youthful Jack and Big Money.

The Ramornie Handicap has been won by many leading trainers and jockeys.

Winning Ramornie Handicap trainers since 1960 include Mal Barnes, Arthur Gore, Jim Johnstone, Roy Hinton, Kelso Wood, Colin Jillings, Frank Cleary, Tony Vasil, Keith Swan, John Morrissey, Ron Quinton, Liam Birchley, Peter Snowden, Ross Stitt, Rod Northam, John Sargent and John O'Shea.

Winning Ramornie Handicap jockeys since 1960 include Darby McCarthy, Bill Wade, Bill Burnett, John Wade, Peter Cook, Neil Williams, Larry Olsen, Wayne Harris, Malcolm Johnston, Alan Robinson, Matthew Cahill, Robert Thompson, Danny Nikolic, Brenton Avdulla and Tye Angland.

Robert Thompson, Australia's most successful jockey by wins, has won the Ramornie Handicap four times since 2007 (The Jackal twice, Youthful Jack, Big Money).

Peter Snowden made it five wins in the race in 2022 as Ranges scored to add to his wins, by himself or with Paul, with Pinwheel, Jerezana, Calanda and Signore Fox.

The last time the Ramornie Handicap/Grafton Cup double was achieved was in 1976 by jockey Geoff Challen and trainer Roy Hinton.

The 2023 Ramornie Handicap was won by The Big Goodbye from Far Too Easy and Ranges.


Racing and Sports

Previous Ramornie Handicap Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
THE BIG GOODBYE (AUS) 5G
HOST (CHI) - PENNY OPERA (NZ) DANASINGA (AUS)
M HARLEY 57.0 ROBERT HEATHCOTE 10
RANGES (AUS) 5G
SHOOTING TO WIN (AUS) - I BELIEVE (AUS) OCTAGONAL (NZ)
TOM SHERRY 55.5 P & P SNOWDEN 11
SOUTHERN LAD (AUS) 6G
OCEAN PARK (NZ) - DISTINCTIVE LASS (AUS) ORIENTATE (USA)
C REITH 55.0 JOHN O'SHEA 3
SIGNORE FOX (AUS) 4H
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - SHARP SUSAN (USA) TOUCH GOLD (USA)
J PENZA 56.0 P & P SNOWDEN 2
HAVASAY (AUS) 6G
ROTHESAY (AUS) - SHOWHAMA (AUS) SHOW A HEART (AUS)
MATTHEW MC GILLIVRAY 54.0 TOBY EDMONDS 8
HAVASAY (AUS) 5G
ROTHESAY (AUS) - SHOWHAMA (AUS) SHOW A HEART (AUS)
MATTHEW MC GILLIVRAY 54.0 TOBY EDMONDS 2
CALANDA (AUS) 3G
SNITZEL (AUS) - SPEEDY BELL (AUS) BROCCO (USA)
J BYRNE 54.0 P & P SNOWDEN 3
SMART VOLATILITY (AUS) 7G
DANEWIN (AUS) - SOMETHING FUNNY (AUS) BARYSHNIKOV (AUS)
T ANGLAND 57.5 J G SARGENT 14
ROCK ROYALTY (AUS) 6G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - VYING (NZ) VYNER'S ORB (AUS)
C WHITELEY 55.5 LIAM BIRCHLEY 15
BIG MONEY (AUS) 4G
CHOISIR (AUS) - LYN'S MONEY (AUS) HUMAM (IRE)
R THOMPSON 56.0 RODNEY NORTHAM 1
YOUTHFUL JACK (AUS) 7G
YOUTHFUL LEGS (USA) - FORMATIVE (AUS) WHITE BRIDLE (USA)
R THOMPSON 55.0 ROSS STITT 5
HOWMUCHDOYOULOVEME (AUS) 3G
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - BETULA BELLE (AUS) CELTIC SWING (GB)
B AVDULLA 54.0 CON KARAKATSANIS 1
JEREZANA (AUS) 4M
LONHRO (AUS) - SADDLER'S SILK (AUS) BARATHEA (IRE)
A GIBBONS 53.0 PETER SNOWDEN 6
PINWHEEL (AUS) 4G
LONHRO (AUS) - QUILT (AUS) DANEHILL (USA)
D NIKOLIC 54.5 PETER SNOWDEN 1
BATTLEFIELD (AUS) 3G
CHOISIR (AUS) - CHARMING CHARGE (AUS) RORY'S JESTER (AUS)
D M GANDERTON 55.0 PAUL MESSARA 11
THE JACKAL (AUS) 5G
BITE THE BULLET (USA) - POSITIVE SURPRISE (AUS) BEST WESTERN (AUS)
R THOMPSON 57.0 PAUL ST VINCENT 3
THE JACKAL (AUS) 4G
BITE THE BULLET (USA) - POSITIVE SURPRISE (AUS) BEST WESTERN (AUS)
R THOMPSON 58.0 PAUL ST VINCENT 3
FOR VALOUR (AUS) 6G
BEAUTIFUL CROWN (USA) - QUICK GLANCE (AUS) PALACE MUSI (AUS)
MS L MORRISON 54.5 MITCHELL HUDSON 13
KING REX (AUS) 4G
CARRY THE CROWN (CAN) - VANITY MISS (AUS) TATTENHAM (AUS)
MICHAEL CAHILL 53.5 STEPHEN HOOD 9
TAKEOVER TARGET (AUS) 4G
CELTIC SWING (GB) - SHADY STREAM (AUS) ARCHREGENT (CAN)
J FORD 54.5 J A JANIAK 14
SIR BREAKFAST (AUS) 3G
BREAKFAST CREEK (AUS) - REVIEWED (AUS) DOUBLE CENTURY (AUS)
A ROBINSON 53.0 LIAM BIRCHLEY 4
CITICHY (AUS) 5M
CITIDANCER (IRE) - CHEYENNE ROSE (IRE) COMMANCHE RUN (GB)
K BELL 54.0 NICK FLOUSKOS 15
MOTHER'S GIFT (AUS) 6M
AKAABER (USA) - ARALINGO (AUS) TINGO (GB)
STEPHEN TRAECEY 55.0 JOHN SHELTON 14

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