Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Jockey Jon Grisedale says there’s only one way to ride lightly raced three-year-old Powder Man and he won’t be changing anything when he aims for back-to-back Grafton wins on Monday.

Powder Man reeled off the fastest last 600m of the meeting when he ran 32.89 (Punter’s Intelligence) in breaking though at his fifth race start a month ago, launching down the outside from the tail.

Grisedale said while he’s drawn a kinder gate in the Nuturf Handicap (1181m) the gelding, trained by his wife Donna, produces his best with a patient ride.

“We ride him quiet, he always seems to run his best races when back near the tail of the field,’’ he said.

“Drawn that bad barrier we elected to go right back and he found the line very strong. He runs very fast sectionals when ridden quiet over the last 600m.

“I’ll judge if he can be that little bit closer without doing any work whatsoever and if he can then that will be done.”

The Grisedales, who moved to Coffs Harbour from Kembla Grange four years ago have taken their time with Powder Man and he didn’t race at two but he’s proven competitive in all five starts to date and the jockey says that’s typical of the horse.

Powder Man wins at Grafton on February 10

He concedes it’s never easy to back up a maiden win and take a Class 1 at their next start but the gelding is so untapped it wouldn’t surprise him if he repeated the dose.

“He’s definitely a horse on the way up and he’s definitely got a good chance,’’ he said.

“We don’t know his full potential yet but we’re enjoying waiting to see how far he will go. He’s only a little fellow but I do believe he has potential.

“We’ve built him up to be competitive as a racehorse and he’d sone that but he’s never going to be a huge horse. But he’s got plenty of heart.”

Stablemate Too Much Heaven will also be partnered by Grisedale in the Valley Protective Services Handicap (1706m) and he said the mare is a better horse than her last start would show.

She just battled into fifth placing in a 1600m Class 2 at Coffs Harbour four weeks ago and coming back in class is in her favour.

“I believe she will run well in that race. She’s not a big horse either, she’s done quite well in weaker company,’’ he said.

“There were some excuses but she has to have everything her own way and if she gets that she will run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Monday's Grafton meeting