| Bookmakers in
the Grafton ring are again beaming after the second feature race there over the Cup
carnival ended roughly for punters. The Sydney
galloper Master Pom led throughout to score a gutsy half head win in the this afternoon's
$178,250 Tooheys New Grafton Cup (2400m) to produce the second rough result in as many
days.
Yesterday it was the grey mare Citichy, an 80/1 pop, who
scored a narrow win in the city's other feature event, the Ramornie Handicap.
Master Pom (50/1) gave former apprentice Nathan Cumberland
the perfect start to his career as a senior jockey. Cumberland only ended his
apprenticeship after riding on Sunday and today was his first day to ride without being
indentured.
In a fighting performance the Stephen Quintano trained and
Bob Ruttley owned gelding held on gamely to beat the Melbourne galloper Paestum (11/2),
while Asia (14/1) was only inches away in third place.
The six-year-old got home in a bobbing finish where the
officials margins were a half head by a short head.
There was plenty of drama in the race when 13/2 chance
Victory Smile, a last start stakes winner in Queensland, parted company with it's rider
Stathi Katsidis near the 1800 metre mark.
Katsidis was taken the Grafton Hosptial with x-rays
complaining of a hip injury.
He was the second rider to be taken to hospital for
observations. Greg Snowden had suspected shoulder injuries after he fell from Remember Tom
in the preceding race.
Inquiries into both falls by stewards are expected to
continue in the ensuing days. |
