Randwick Inside Mail: Gerald Ryan-trained Grebeni poised for breakthrough in 2025 Civic Stakes
Grebeni can snap a frustrating run of feature race near misses in the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou -trained Grebeni is racing very consistently without winning this preparation with four minor placings from five attempts.
The striking chestnut resumed with a close third to Sandpaper in the Group 3 Newcastle Stakes before a narrow loss to Lavish Empire in the Muswellbrook Cup.
Grebeni had excuses when unplaced behind Punch Lane at Randwick but he then ran a good third to Tavi Time in the Scone Cup before he ran Loch Eagle to less than a length in the Racing To Win Handicap.
Ryan said there was some consideration given to saving Grebeni for a stakes race at Eagle Farm next week before it was decided to give the five-year-old his chance in the Civic Stakes.
'We were originally going to go to Eagle Farm but the way that track is racing we didn't want to risk him,'' Ryan explained.
'So, he will have this run then probably have a breather and we will get him ready for the Little Dance or the Big Dance in the spring.''
. @KPMcEvoy gets Grebeni home to win by half a length after going head to head in the last 200 with Riyazan! pic.twitter.com/JHsczs280Y
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 30, 2023
•
Grebeni, who has drawn well in barrier four, is at $10 in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting behind Civic Stakes favourite Headley Grange at $3.
'There is good speed in the race and Grebeni is coming back to 1400m so I thought he would be off the pace to midfield,'' Ryan added.
Grebeni's stablemate, Green Shadows ($14), gives Ryan and Alexiou dual representation in the Civic Stakes.
Green Shadows, part-owned by popular Sky Thoroughbred Central presenter Gavin Carmody, has also returned to racing this campaign in very good form but has drawn off the track.
He ran a close second to Name Dropper in the Tamworth Cup then was beaten three-quarters of a length by Headley Grange over 1300m at Randwick last start.
'Green Shadows comes in to either 14 or 16 after the scratchings,'' Ryan said. 'He's come back well and if he gets the right run, he can make a race of it.''
.@GRyanRacing make it back-to-back Goulburn Cup wins! �
Green Shadows wins the Goulburn Cup with @RachelK11 on board 🙌 pic.twitter.com/E7LIdR5Q91
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 25, 2024
â– â– â– â– â–
RANDWICK BIG BETS AND MARKET MOVERS
Race 1: Callistemon $6-$4.20, Piraeus $8.50-$4.60
Race 2: Shropshire Lad $5-$4.80, Satin Stiletto $8-$5.50
Race 3: Lunaite $5.50-$4.60, Bengal $21-$12
Race 4: Millie De Lune $4-$3.80, Piggyback $8-$6
Race 5: Hopper $8-$5, Rotagilla $11-$5.50
Race 6: Quantum Cat $4.60-$3.10, Zaphod $5-$3.20
Race 7: Storm The Ramparts $3.80-$3.50, Gitalong $4.80-$4
Race 8: Raikkonen $3.40-$3, Fiddlers Green $11-$7.50
Race 9: Headley Grange $4.60-$3, Grebeni $19-$10
Race 10: Fully Lit $19-$7, Pereille $16-$9.50
MARKET MOVERS: FEATURE RACE FANCY $3 INTO $2.40 @ClintonPayne reveals where the early money is going for Saturday racing right around Australia. ðŸ'‡ https://t.co/9VLEcsY40t
— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 20, 2025
â– â– â– â– â–
EARLY QUADDIE
Race 3: 4,5,10,11
Race 4: 3,5,8,12
Race 5: 2,5,11
Race 6: 1,2,4,10
QUADDIE
Race 7: 1,2,3,6
Race 8: 1,6,12,13
Race 9: 5,6,13,21
Race 10: 1,3,5,19
â– â– â– â– â–
PRICE CHECK
Storm The Ramparts and Gitalong (race 7) fought out the finish of a Randwick 1000m sprint two weeks ago and market moves suggest there might be a repeat on Saturday. Storm The Ramparts has firmed from $3.80 to $3.50 favouritism with Gitalong also coming in from to $4.80 to $4. In the Civic Stakes (race 9), Headley Grange is now a dominant favourite after firming from $4.60 to $3 and there has been support for Grebeni who is $19 into $10.
⛈� Back-to-back Randwick wins for Storm The Ramparts as @PrideRacing trains the last three winners, and a double to Adam Hyeronimus! 🥳 @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/qBP014nBar
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
â– â– â– â– â–
SECTIONAL STARS
Race 9 No.13 HEADLEY GRANGE was resuming over the Randwick 1300m two weeks ago and was held up for a run from the top of the straight until the 200m when he gained a split and sprinted through for a brilliant first-up win. Headley Grange's final 200m split of 11.59s was the best of the day.
Race 10 No.1 CONTEMPORARY took on stages grade last start and held his own running on for third behind In Flight in the Bob Charley Stakes. Contemporary didn't get a lot of galloping room in the straight but was still able to run his final 600m in 34.11s, one of the best sectionals of the meeting.
A tough win to In Flight in the Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick for @PrideRacing! 🚀 @ProvenTbreds @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/oCxTvB5sNq
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025
•
â– â– â– â– â–
TRIAL POINTERS
Race 7 No.4 SHALL BE is a promising sprinter with a good record of four wins from eight starts and is resuming here off after a close second in a Wyong barrier trial earlier this week. He settled outside leader Royal Bombardier and was keen to go faster but was kept under a tight hold to be beaten less than a half length. Shall Be goes well fresh and looks tuned up for his return.
Race 9 No.1 IKNOWASTAR won the Five Diamond Prelude last spring then resumed off a long spell and disappointed when well beaten behind subsequent Stradbroke Handicap War Machine in the BRC Sprint. Trainer Bjorn Baker sent Iknowastar back to Sydney and he looked more like his old self with a dominant all-the-way Rosehill barrier trial win by more than six lengths two weeks ago.
Back-to-back features for @BBakerRacing! ��
A @Rachelk11 special aboard Iknowastar sees the consistent galloper take the Five Diamonds Prelude at Randwick ðŸ'ŽðŸ'Ž pic.twitter.com/wahyXhOnuQ
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 26, 2024
• 'Young horse with a lot of ability': Baker bullish on Raikkonen
â– â– â– â– â–
BEST BET
Race 3 No.4 BRAVE ONE was a $300,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase who has only had five starts for a debut Randwick win last July and two recent second placings at Canterbury and Rosehill since resuming. Promising three-year-old who didn't shirk his task when second to a smart older horse in Kerguelen last start. Brave One has drawn a little awkwardly but Team Hawkes has found the right race for him and with even luck in running he's going to be very hard to beat.
Brave One races on the speed, travels well under @ZacLloydx, and the son of Exceedance handles the wet track to win on debut for @HawkesRacing � @racing_nsw | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/gRZFlDaPTE
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 6, 2024
• Bengal to claw his way into Kosciuszko contention
â– â– â– â– â–
VALUE
Race 1 No.6 HOOLIGAN TOMMY has returned in good order this campaign with two wins and two placings from five starts. He comes to Randwick off a career-best effort at Kembla Grange where he gapped his rivals, winning by a widening margin of more than three lengths when shouldering 60.5kg in heavy going. Hooligan Tommy drops 2.5kg, gets onto a more suitable firmer track and he's at value odds near $8.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
6 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Super Netball Round 11 results: West Coast Fever 68-63 winners over Adelaide Thunderbirds
West Coast Fever's challenge for the minor premiership continues after crushing the finals hopes of the Adelaide Thunderbirds. The 68-63 match, in front of a voracious Perth crowd, is Fever's ninth win on the trot and has rocketed them up the ladder to second spot. It also equalled the record for winning the most consecutive Super Netball games. Despite the victory, the close scoreline did little to improve Fever's goal percentage which is all that is standing between them and the top spot. The Adelaide Thunderbirds will now need to rely on other results to stoke their dying hopes of limping into fourth position and a third consecutive tilt at the title. As predicted, war was waged at each end of the court as the teams' respective Jamaicans battled for supremacy. For the Fever, goal shoot Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney had near instantaneous impact. Dehaney, who is in career best form, got hand to ball early and had national teammate Romelda Aiken-George looking uncomfortable on the shot. Two early misses, and a few retaliatory elbows signalled the frustration from Aiken-George who eventually steadied her emotions to net 41/47. Speaking about Aiken-George's overall performance, Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst praised her leadership: 'She is such a target for us. Loz [Lauren Frew] is learning so much from her. I think she enjoys the battle against her fellow Jamaicans and she was a real competitor again tonight for us.' As Fowler-Nembhard continued to dominate, off the back of great ball service from match MVP Alice Teague-Neeld, Thunderbirds's coach Tania Obst constantly rotated her troops in search of a winning formula. Latanya Wilson, who collected eight gains last week, was a menacing presence but could only finish with two gains for her side. Sensing the Thunderbirds were building momentum off the back of Lauren Frew's supershot ability, Fever rang in the changes adding more defence to the middle. It did little to slow the visitors as they won the third 19-15, locking the scores at 51-a-piece heading into the final term. With the Thunderbirds battling to return to the top four, and Fever looking tired after four of their past five matches on the road, both sides fought desperately for every pass in a torrid final quarter battle. As Fever pushed the scoreline out, Frew's earlier hot hand went cold, allowing the home side to run home five goal winners. Back to back Suncorp Super Shots from Lauren Frew keeps the Thunderbirds within touching distance! Watch every game live on Kayo Sports, Foxtel and Binge. — Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) June 20, 2025 Fever coach Dan Ryan said he thought his side was gone heading into the final term. 'It was a battle and a half. They never really let us get into any flow or gear. At times we were our worst nightmare. Then it quickly turned. It was all over the shop,' he said. DOGGED DEFENCE Thunderbirds defender Latanya Wilson is well and truly stepping out of Shamera Sterling-Humphrey's shadow. The Jamaican duo has ruled the defensive stats for a number of years but with Sterling-Humphrey now on maternity leave, Wilson is proving that she is just as formidable on her own. The 188cm defender leads the league in deflections (with 69 - 14 ahead of the second place holder) and intercepts (28 - ahead by 11). Her turnovers are also impressively low (eight) for someone who has played all but three minutes of the season so far. AIRTIME 🦅 Watch every game live on Kayo Sports, Foxtel and Binge. — Suncorp Super Netball (@SuperNetball) June 20, 2025 DIAMONDS WATCH Fever's Alice Teague-Neeld has been in sparkling form this season. The 28-year-old leads the league for goal assists (with 211, four more than Diamonds captain Liz Watson) and is second place, behind Watson, for feeds (331) and centre pass receives (203). She was in similarly great form last season and was an invitee to the end-of-year Diamonds camp. Surely, with two years of consistently reliable form, she would again be on the selectors' radars. A VIEW FOR WOMEN'S SPORT Netball Australia and Whoopi Goldberg's All Women's Sport Network (AWSN) have entered into a multi-year deal to bring Suncorp Super Netball into 900 million homes worldwide. The partnership will see 41 matches (including finals) made available to AWSN audiences through to the end of 2027.
Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL world roasts Geelong Cats T-shirt stunt in Patrick Dangerfield 350th against Brisbane Lion at GMHBA Stadium
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Geelong's unique move to fill the stadium with white T-shirts for the club's big clash with the Brisbane Lions may not have drawn the response the Cats were seeking. Billed as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats covered every seat at GMHBA Stadium with what they described as 'a free collectable T-shirt' for the Friday night blockbuster. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. It's a move that is often used in American sports and can have a strong look when everyone in the crowd is kitted out in the same colour. Both the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder have adopted the move during their clash in the NBA Finals. On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game, the commentators were certainly getting into the spirit. Bailey Smith in one of the white T-shirts handed out to the crowd. Photos: Getty Images 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight down the highway as the local heroes emerge. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids now fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong lore, which grows tonight, game 350 … on a special night in the way that it shapes.' The fans appeared to be enjoying their moment, with many donning the shirts and a number of others waving them in the air on a cold night in Geelong. The Lions added a splash of colour to the occasion. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Nearly all of the OKC Thunder fans followed the memo during the NBA Finals. (Photo by) The Lions may not have got the memo, however, as the premiers made a hot start bidding for a first victory at Kardinia Park since they won five straight from 1998 to 2003. They have lost 13 consecutive games at the ground since then, yet they jumped out of the blocks with the game's first four goals. By halftime they held a 23-point edge and fans on social media were having a field day over the white T-shirt promotion, with many referencing the white flag of surrender. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' was one comment on X. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' quipped another. 'I didn't have high expectations for the white T-shirt thing but it's looking pretty average,' declared another. 'Conceded the first 4 of the game, wave the white flag,' said a fifth. 'What's with the white, did Geelong decide to surrender?' asked another watching on. Others were left questioning the decision to use T-shirts as a gift on a Geelong night in late June. One said: 'Yes because people are gonna be in a T-shirt on a 3 degrees night in Geelong.' Another wrote: 'Yeah people are definitely gonna wear them on 5C winters night.' Apart from the T-shirts, Patrick Dangerfield was the man of the moment. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images) A wide number of fans used the word 'cringe' to describe the promotion, while another slammed 'the AFL's desperation to Americanise the game'. Some fans were getting on board, with a Hawthorn fan writing: 'Hate Geelong as much as the next Hawks fan but god damn those white shirts in the crowd look good.' A fan apparently in the crowd also gave an insight into perhaps why not everyone in the crowd was wearing the shirt. 'Late decision to make the trip down, might struggle to fit into my 2x small white out shirt,' they wrote. Dangerfield and the Cats need to lift in the second half or the crowd will indeed be waving the white flag. Originally published as 'Surrender?': AFL world roasts Geelong T-shirt stunt in Danger's 350th
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Surrender?': AFL world roasts Geelong T-shirt stunt in Danger's 350th
Geelong's unique move to fill the stadium with white T-shirts for the club's big clash with the Brisbane Lions may not have drawn the response the Cats were seeking. Billed as 'a sight to behold' and a 'slice of history' on the Geelong website, the Cats covered every seat at GMHBA Stadium with what they described as 'a free collectable T-shirt' for the Friday night blockbuster. It's a move that is often used in American sports and can have a strong look when everyone in the crowd is kitted out in the same colour. Both the Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder have adopted the move during their clash in the NBA Finals. On a night when the club was also celebrating captain Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game, the commentators were certainly getting into the spirit. 'They have kitted out the Cattery with the white T-shirts on every seat, inspiration drawn from the NBA and college football in the US,' Gerard Whateley said on Fox Footy. 'It is quite the sight down the highway as the local heroes emerge. 'Patrick Dangerfield said one of his favourite parts of this would be (his children) Winnie, 'Flip' and George joining him to run through the banner. 'All the kids now fully aware of what they're part of, his place in Geelong lore, which grows tonight, game 350 … on a special night in the way that it shapes.' The fans appeared to be enjoying their moment, with many donning the shirts and a number of others waving them in the air on a cold night in Geelong. The Lions may not have got the memo, however, as the premiers made a hot start bidding for a first victory at Kardinia Park since they won five straight from 1998 to 2003. They have lost 13 consecutive games at the ground since then, yet they jumped out of the blocks with the game's first four goals. By halftime they held a 23-point edge and fans on social media were having a field day over the white T-shirt promotion, with many referencing the white flag of surrender. 'Lol white out is a roaring success so far,' was one comment on X. 'I don't think the white out worked,' said another. 'White out turning into a whitewash,' quipped another. 'I didn't have high expectations for the white T-shirt thing but it's looking pretty average,' declared another. 'Conceded the first 4 of the game, wave the white flag,' said a fifth. 'What's with the white, did Geelong decide to surrender?' asked another watching on. Others were left questioning the decision to use T-shirts as a gift on a Geelong night in late June. One said: 'Yes because people are gonna be in a T-shirt on a 3 degrees night in Geelong.' Another wrote: 'Yeah people are definitely gonna wear them on 5C winters night.' A wide number of fans used the word 'cringe' to describe the promotion, while another slammed 'the AFL's desperation to Americanise the game'. Some fans were getting on board, with a Hawthorn fan writing: 'Hate Geelong as much as the next Hawks fan but god damn those white shirts in the crowd look good.' A fan apparently in the crowd also gave an insight into perhaps why not everyone in the crowd was wearing the shirt. 'Late decision to make the trip down, might struggle to fit into my 2x small white out shirt,' they wrote. Dangerfield and the Cats need to lift in the second half or the crowd will indeed be waving the white flag.
