Ramornie Handicap
Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
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 2024 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 6 wins in the race in 2024 as Ka Bling scored to add to his wins, by himself or with Paul, with Pinwheel, Jerezana, Calanda, Signore Fox and Ranges.
The last time the Ramornie Handicap/Grafton Cup double was achieved was in 1976 by jockey Geoff Challen and trainer Roy Hinton.
The 2024 Ramornie Handicap was won by Ka Bling from Bacchanalia and Tashi.
Previous Ramornie Handicap Winners
Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
KA BLING (AUS) 5G CAPITALIST (AUS) - ZINGALING (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS) | ANDREW ADKINS | 56.0 | P & P SNOWDEN | 4 | |
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 |