Career highlight: Andrew Gibbons wins the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton on Jerezana. Picture: Mark Evans
Source: The Daily Telegraph

PETER Snowden’s wish to keep Kerrin McEvoy in Sydney yesterday provided Andrew Gibbons with a career highlight aboard Jerezana in the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

McEvoy is Darley’s number one rider in Australia but Snowden grounded him for duties at Warwick Farm, much to the delight of the Newcastle-based Gibbons, 33.

“They said she has an amazing turn of foot, but it only lasts 200m and you can’t get itchy and go too soon, no matter what happens in the race, just be patient,” he said. “So I did that and the horse ran like they said it would.

“I was concerned they were going steady, but I just had faith in what Peter had told me and also what Josh and Kerrin had said about her.

“I have to thank my manager Wayne Harris for chasing the ride and also Peter Snowden for showing the faith in me to ride the horse in such a good race.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

“I have only had a handful of rides for Peter. I have ridden a little bit on and off for him, but never had a great deal of luck, so hopefully there’s more to come from today.”

Snowden won last year’s Ramornie with Pinwheel, who like Jerezana is by Australia’s Champion Sire in waiting Lonhro.

Jerezana (pictured above) was able to have the last crack before winning by a length from Falco Star, with favourite Motspur third.

Jerezana was coming off a lamentable 13th in the Gai Waterhouse Classic when she was cleared to start after rearing in the barriers.

“If she hadn’t run so bad at Ipswich last start I would have sent her to the paddock and not gone to Grafton at all,” Snowden said.

“I didn’t want to finish on such a bad note so we brought her home and her work was still very strong so we decided to head up to Grafton.

“Once I saw the field I thought there was only four or five genuine chances and if she got luck, which she needs because of the way she races, she would be right in the mix.

“They went hard and she got a lovely run through the field, she was only a couple of lengths off the leaders and hadn’t spent a penny.”

Snowden said a decision would be made on Jerezana’s future in the coming days with the possibility she may be retired.

“She has got black type, she is stakes placed, there is not much more she has to prove,” he said.

Topweight Black Piranha was never a winning hope under the 61kg, but put in his customary late finish to grab fifth.