3 minute read

Gold Coast trainer John Gilmore is hoping a well laid plan comes to fruition in today's $165,000 McMullan Contracting Grafton Cup with his in form 6YO Happy Go Plucky.

Gilmore set his sights on the Grafton Cup with Happy Go Plucky last December and is confident he is ready for the challenge after his last start win at Grafton in the Cup Prelude on June 30.

The Sally Taylor-trained Rednav completed the Prelude-Cup double in 2016 while Chris Munce's First Crush won the Prelude in 2017 and returned to win the Cup a year later.

Gilmore decided to set Happy Go Plucky for the Grafton Cup after he won a Benchmark 75 Handicap over 2200m at Eagle Farm on December 22.

"I originally bought this horse as a yearling for $7300 at the Magic Millions sale and he is raced by my son Corey and some of his mates," said Gilmore.

"Not long after we bought him I went to work over in China, so we sent the horse down to Allan Denham to train. Allan and I have been good mates for 40-odd years and he did a great job with him, winning five races.

"Allan brought him up to Queensland last year for a few races and Corey and the boys thought they'd like to see him race a bit more often, so they decided he'd stay up here and I'd train him.

"After he won in record time over 2200m in that Eagle Farm race last December a few people said to me that they thought I had a pretty handy stayer in the making. I decided then that we'd set him for the Grafton Cup.

"This is a very winnable race for him. I know he has to prove he's up to the better class of stayer but I think he's ready now.

"He was very dominant in the Cup Prelude with 61kg and drops to 54kg, the lightest weight he's had for a long time.

"He's drawn well, he handles all types of tracks and he's thriving in his work.

"I can't have him any fitter and all the indicators are there that he'll run a big race."

Gilmore, 71, has been training at the Gold Coast for more than 30 years but Happy Go Plucky will be his first runner in one of the Grafton features.

He spent several different stints working in the racing industry in China and Macau and returned to the Gold Coast in 2016 after completing a successful training contract in China,

Ryan Plumb rode Happy Go Plucky in the Cup Prelude but couldn't make the 54kg for the Grafton Cup.

Gilmore has booked top Brisbane jockey Jim Byrne, who is yet to win a Grafton Cup.