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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

DateHorseJockeyWTTrainerBP
THE BIG GOODBYE (AUS) 5G
HOST (CHI) - PENNY OPERA (NZ) DANASINGA (AUS)
M HARLEY57.0ROBERT HEATHCOTE10
RANGES (AUS) 5G
SHOOTING TO WIN (AUS) - I BELIEVE (AUS) OCTAGONAL (NZ)
TOM SHERRY55.5P & P SNOWDEN11
SOUTHERN LAD (AUS) 6G
OCEAN PARK (NZ) - DISTINCTIVE LASS (AUS) ORIENTATE (USA)
C REITH55.0JOHN O'SHEA3
SIGNORE FOX (AUS) 4H
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - SHARP SUSAN (USA) TOUCH GOLD (USA)
J PENZA56.0P & P SNOWDEN2
HAVASAY (AUS) 6G
ROTHESAY (AUS) - SHOWHAMA (AUS) SHOW A HEART (AUS)
MATTHEW MC GILLIVRAY54.0TOBY EDMONDS8
HAVASAY (AUS) 5G
ROTHESAY (AUS) - SHOWHAMA (AUS) SHOW A HEART (AUS)
MATTHEW MC GILLIVRAY54.0TOBY EDMONDS2
CALANDA (AUS) 3G
SNITZEL (AUS) - SPEEDY BELL (AUS) BROCCO (USA)
J BYRNE54.0P & P SNOWDEN3
SMART VOLATILITY (AUS) 7G
DANEWIN (AUS) - SOMETHING FUNNY (AUS) BARYSHNIKOV (AUS)
T ANGLAND57.5J G SARGENT14
ROCK ROYALTY (AUS) 6G
ELUSIVE CITY (USA) - VYING (NZ) VYNER'S ORB (AUS)
C WHITELEY55.5LIAM BIRCHLEY15
BIG MONEY (AUS) 4G
CHOISIR (AUS) - LYN'S MONEY (AUS) HUMAM (IRE)
R THOMPSON56.0RODNEY NORTHAM1
YOUTHFUL JACK (AUS) 7G
YOUTHFUL LEGS (USA) - FORMATIVE (AUS) WHITE BRIDLE (USA)
R THOMPSON55.0ROSS STITT5
HOWMUCHDOYOULOVEME (AUS) 3G
WRITTEN TYCOON (AUS) - BETULA BELLE (AUS) CELTIC SWING (GB)
B AVDULLA54.0CON KARAKATSANIS1
JEREZANA (AUS) 4M
LONHRO (AUS) - SADDLER'S SILK (AUS) BARATHEA (IRE)
A GIBBONS53.0PETER SNOWDEN6
PINWHEEL (AUS) 4G
LONHRO (AUS) - QUILT (AUS) DANEHILL (USA)
D NIKOLIC54.5PETER SNOWDEN1
BATTLEFIELD (AUS) 3G
CHOISIR (AUS) - CHARMING CHARGE (AUS) RORY'S JESTER (AUS)
D M GANDERTON55.0PAUL MESSARA11
THE JACKAL (AUS) 5G
BITE THE BULLET (USA) - POSITIVE SURPRISE (AUS) BEST WESTERN (AUS)
R THOMPSON57.0PAUL ST VINCENT3
THE JACKAL (AUS) 4G
BITE THE BULLET (USA) - POSITIVE SURPRISE (AUS) BEST WESTERN (AUS)
R THOMPSON58.0PAUL ST VINCENT3
FOR VALOUR (AUS) 6G
BEAUTIFUL CROWN (USA) - QUICK GLANCE (AUS) PALACE MUSI (AUS)
MS L MORRISON54.5MITCHELL HUDSON13
KING REX (AUS) 4G
CARRY THE CROWN (CAN) - VANITY MISS (AUS) TATTENHAM (AUS)
MICHAEL CAHILL53.5STEPHEN HOOD9
TAKEOVER TARGET (AUS) 4G
CELTIC SWING (GB) - SHADY STREAM (AUS) ARCHREGENT (CAN)
J FORD54.5J A JANIAK14
SIR BREAKFAST (AUS) 3G
BREAKFAST CREEK (AUS) - REVIEWED (AUS) DOUBLE CENTURY (AUS)
A ROBINSON53.0LIAM BIRCHLEY4
CITICHY (AUS) 5M
CITIDANCER (IRE) - CHEYENNE ROSE (IRE) COMMANCHE RUN (GB)
K BELL54.0NICK FLOUSKOS15
MOTHER'S GIFT (AUS) 6M
AKAABER (USA) - ARALINGO (AUS) TINGO (GB)
STEPHEN TRAECEY55.0JOHN SHELTON14

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