3 minute read
The barrier draw has had an impact on Wednesday's $165.000 Ramornie Handicap at Grafton with the scratching of early second favourite Bon Amis.
Newcastle trainer Jason Deamer scratched Bon Amis after the gelding drew the extreme outside barrier in a field of 20 that includes four emergencies.
Newcastle jockey Andrew Gibbons was booked to ride Bon Amis but has now picked up the Ramornie ride on Camdus for Randwick trainer John Thompson.
Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan also decided not to make the trip to Grafton with recent Sydney winnerAlbumin despite his favourable draw in gate four.
Their scratchings have given starts to the well-drawn first and second emergencies Viceroy (barrier 2) and Intrinsic (barrier 3).
Bon Amis was challenging the topweight Care To Think (barrier 7) for Ramornie favouritism before the draw.
The connections of several other leading contenders will also be considering their options due to awkward gates including Queensland trainers Toby Edmonds and Chris Munce.
Edmonds has three acceptors but was not impressed after former Victorian Keen Array drew gate 19 and the speedy Whypeeo gate 15. He is also represented by last year's Ramornie winner Havasay (gate 9).
Former champion jockey Chris Munce, who won last year's Grafton Cup with First Crush, is represented by the poorly drawn Smartypy (17) and Snoopy (8).
The pair are raced by prominent Sydney owner Max Whitby, manager of the syndicate that also races First Crush.
Munce rode two Grafton Cup winners (Count Scenario and Stormhill) but missed a Ramornie win as a jockey.
Improving mare Smartypy has won three of her past five starts - all at Ipswich – and was also placed at Listed level at Doomben two starts back.
Snoopy is resuming in the Ramornie but has recorded three wins and three placings when first-up in the past and looked sharp winning a Doomben barrier trial on June 20.
One trainer happy with the draw is Warwick Farm-based Greg Hickman after his last start Rosehill winner Top Striker drew gate five.
Top Striker will be Hickman's first Ramornie runner since Sportsman finished tenth behind Takeover Target in 2004 and will be suited by a certain soft track.
"He's been racing very well this time in, and he handles all track conditions," Hickman said.
"The Ramornie's always been on the agenda for him. He's drawn well but you still need everything to go right in these feature races.
"His work since his Rosehill win has been very good. I'm sure he'll run very well."
Hickman has booked Ben Looker for Top Striker, giving the leading Northern Rivers jockey his fifth Ramornie ride after four previous unplaced efforts.
