By Julieanne Horsman
Supply And Demand justified his intense favouritism with an impressive start-to-finish win in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m).
Jockey Josh Parr stuck to a tried and tested tactic. He took advantage of the gelding’s gate speed and guided him straight across to the front of the field from barrier 15. There he stayed for the entire race, greeting the judge a head before a fast-finishing Get On The Grange.
“It was sheer toughness that got him home today,” Parr said.
“He didn’t travel today like he did on the Sunshine Coast.
“He was out on his feet 500m from home but he found an extra length.
“He’s an absolute beauty.”
Parr celebrated the win with fist pumps and a gallop along the grandstand where he threw his goggles into the cheering crowd.
“This is a really special win for me,” he said.
“Grafton was an annual event for grandfather and I’ve been desperate to get here for a long time.”
It’s the fourth Grafton Cup for Gai Waterhouse and the first in partnership with co-trainer, Adrian Bott. “Gai will be watching this on television and will be very, very pleased,” stable foreman Neil Paine said from Grafton.
“Full credit must go to the co-trainer Adrian Bott though.
“Adrian has been planning this horse’s races over the past six weeks and has placed him beautifully. “Of course Gai is on the phone every day but it’s Adrian who has been putting the horse through his paces while Gai was away.”
Prior to the race, Bott was full of praise for Supply And Demand, declaring him a red hot winning chance.
"He’s been constantly asking us to lift the bar and has responded on each occasion."
Miss the action? Watch a replay of all eight races of the Grafton Cup meeting here.