Grafterburners faces crack field in The Shorts

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Kelly Schweida is hoping for a strong showing from stable star Grafterburners in the Group 2 The Shorts at Randwick on Saturday but fears the weight scale may prove a disadvantage.

Grafterburners will step out for the first time since failing twice during the winter carnival in Brisbane and will be ridden by Jason Collett in the 1100-metre Sydney feature which is run at set weights and penalties.

“It’s a hot race and Joliestar has won $9 million in prizemoney and has only one kilogram more than us,” Schweida said.

“They took him to England where he ran third in the Queen Elizabeth so he’s the logical danger.

“There are a few others in the race which go well including our Horse Of The Year Spicy Martini but I don’t know how we line up against him.

“Grafterburners has run against Ninja before when we beat him in the Pierata Plate at the Gold Coast and he’s another obvious danger.”

Schweida is overlooking Grafterburners’ two winter failures after he returned from his third behind the Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted in the Group 2 The Arrowfield at Randwick in April.

The four-year-old son of Graf, who has won six of his 15 starts, beat two home in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 won by Rothfire before finishing 11th at his last start in the Group 3 Fred Best at Eagle Farm in May.

“He was just tired after he came back from his run in The Arrowfield,” Schweida said.

“He had done two trips to Sydney.”

However, Schweida is pleased with Grafterburners’ progress for his spring campaign in Sydney.

“When he ran in the winter, he had been in work from September without having a break other than one week on the grass and three days on the water walker,” Schweida said.

“He needed a break so I gave him six weeks off and he’s been back in work for some time now.

“He went well when he trialled at Deagon a few weeks ago so hopefully, he’ll run well in Sydney.”

Schweida hopes to target the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick on October 3 and Group 1 Sydney Stakes, also at Randwick, on October 17 with Grafterburners.

“That’s our Plan A so we’ll just wait and see,” he said.

Grafterburners was an impressive winner of the $3 million Sunlight slot race during the Magic Millions carnival at the Gold Coast in January.

The Shorts has attracted a strong field with Grafterburners drawing barrier six while Spicy Martini - a Taylor Marshall mount - drew barrier eight.

Spicy Martini clinched Queensland’s Horse Of The Year title following his last start win in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm in June.