2020 Grafton Cup Nominations & Odds Are Frankely Awesome

July 3, 2020

2020 Grafton Cup Nominations & Odds Are Frankely Awesome

Kris Lees’ class Frankel mare Frankely Awesome is tipped to continue her ace return to racing leading pre-field markets on the Grafton Cup 2020 nominations this winter.

Frankely Awesome (Photo: Steve Hart) - Races.com.au

Frankely Awesome is one of the standout early entries for the 2020 Grafton Cup. Photo: Steve Hart.

The always popular Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) offers $200,000 in stakes for 2020 and the quality handicap clash – taking place as the pride of the Clarence River Jockey Club’s two-day Cup Carnival on Thursday July 9 – attracted 23 early entries this week.

It’s a tight top-half of the all-in Grafton Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au with a host of stayers battling for favouritism including four-year-old Frankely Awesome who comes off a win in Rosehill’s Listed W J McKell Cup (2000m) from June 27.

A dual Group 1 placegetter last autumn as a three-year-old filly, things went amiss for Lees’ promising type after her third to Verry Elleegant in the ATC Oaks (2400m).

After a couple of below par autumn runs this year, she looks back to her best following two nice Sydney runs this winter including the McKell Cup win over stablemate Sixties Groove.

Lees’ W J McKell Cup quinella currently share top spot in the markets for the Grafton Cup with Frankely Awesome and last year’s Group 2 Brisbane Cup winner Sixties Groove at $5 each.

Frankely Awesome carried 54kg to victory last start and will be going up to 56kg in the Grafton Cup weights, while Sixties Groove goes up from 60kg to the 61kg topweight for next Thursday’s feature.

Newcastle horseman Lees has two further Grafton Cup nominations this year with veteran eight-year-old Big Duke ($10) – winless since October of 2017 – and in-form Mastercraftsman mare Chilly Cha Cha ($17) also potentially lining-up for the stable.

Occupying the second line of Grafton Cup betting ahead of next Monday’s final acceptances at $6 is the Chris Waller-trained W J McKell Cup third placed Carzoff.

The French-bred Zoffany seven-year-old is out to break a notable drought going back to July last year, but has been competitive in plenty since including his Listed Winter Cup (2400m) second to stablemate Wu Gok in the wet ahead of his McKell Cup placing.

Like Lees, Waller has a total of four horses nominated for the 2020 Grafton Cup as he chases his first win in the winter feature.

Kaonic, The Lord Mayor and Satono Rasen round out the Waller contingent with the first two at single-figure quotes of $8 and $9 respectively to win.

The other horse sitting top of the Grafton Cup ballot along with Frankely Awesome meanwhile is the Edward O’Rourke-trained Nemingah who has won three of his past four starts.

The Kiwi-bred Nom Du Jeu four-year-old is only rated a $26 shot in the early markets however despite his last start win in the Grafton Cup Prelude (2230m) race on June 28.

Other notable entries include Michael Costa’s Group 3 Premier’s Cup runner-up La Pulga ($10) prepared on the Gold Coast in Queensland and the John Thompson-trained Sebring five-year-old Primitivo ($12).

Click here for the current all-in Grafton Cup 2020 betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the final field and barrier draw taking place next Monday.

2020 Grafton Cup Nominations

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight True Weight Penalty Hcp Rating
1 7223x07x61 FRANKELY AWESOME M 4 Kris Lees 1= 56kg 56kg 100
2 336×521131 NEMINGAH (NZ) G 4 Edward O’Rourke 1= 54kg 54kg 64
3 3321x0x972 SIXTIES GROOVE (IRE) G 7 Kris Lees 3 61kg 61kg 106
4 945×024923 CARZOFF (FR) G 7 Chris Waller 4 58kg 58kg 100
5 326x750x90 BIG DUKE (IRE) G 8 Kris Lees 5 57.5kg 57.5kg 99
6 2133×08364 THE LORD MAYOR (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 6 56kg 56kg 96
7 6×54121162 LA PULGA G 4 Michael Costa 7 54.5kg 54.5kg 93
8 x821950x68 PRIMITIVO G 5 John Thompson 8= 54kg 54kg 91
9 9x0225x004 SATONO RASEN (JPN) G 8 Chris Waller 8= 54kg 54kg 91
10 408×066075 KAONIC (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 10= 54kg 54kg 90
11 5756721381 LOTA CREEK GOLD G 5 Harold Norman 10= 54kg 54kg 90
12 251111×168 THE KINGDOM G 4 Les Kelly 12 54kg 54kg 86
13 22215×9681 OCEAN ADDICT (NZ) M 5 Toby & Trent Edmonds 13 54kg 54kg 77
14 669×810004 PIRATE BEN G 8 Damien Lane 14 54kg 54kg 69
15 8971116×00 PARTNERSHIP (NZ) G 4 Ethan Ensby 15 54kg 54kg 67
16 x864444323 CHILLY CHA CHA (NZ) M 5 Kris Lees 16 54kg 54kg 65
17 0406232335 CHAMPAGNE VEGA G 4 Bruce Hill 17= 54kg 54kg 60
18 x445416232 COMMANDER BELL G 4 Brett Partelle 17= 54kg 54kg 60
19 x755650674 I’LL MISS YOU M 8 Julie Pratten 17= 54kg 54kg 60
20 864×802468 WINKLER (NZ) G 6 Ethan Ensby 17= 54kg 54kg 60
21 3×03212459 LADY GRANDE (NZ) M 5 Ethan Ensby 21 54kg 54kg 54
22 8802234733 MISTER MAKER G 7 Catherine Inwood 22 54kg 54kg 49
23 9774575257 KILMARNOCK G 7 Lea Selby 23 54kg 54kg 45

*Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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