Considered the consolation final for those that weren’t selected for the TAB Everest, Kelly Schweida’s Queensland visitor Grafterburners came up trumps on Saturday, securing his first group victory by winning the $2m G2 ATC Sydney Stakes (1200m).
In the large field of 16 runners, the $3m Sunlight winner Grafterburners started on the second line of betting just ahead of dual G1 winner Marhoona, while another of the favoured runners Overpass jumped from the outside gate before going forward to settle in second on the outside of Gansta Granny.
Three back on the rail getting a lovely trail after jumping from barrier 2, jockey Nash Rawiller had Grafterburners travelling sweetly and once the field rounded for home, there was plenty of room for the son of Graff to make his move.
With Overpass still in the lead as the field passed the 200m mark, multiple G1-winning I Am Invincible mare Charm Stone looked as if she would challenge down the outside while Marhoona was coming even wider to make her run.
Hitting the lead with 100m to run, Grafterburners charged away to record success, winning by a length and a quarter from Marhoona with Overpass producing a gallant effort to finishing in second.
Grafterburners turns it ON and blasts through in the Sydney Stakes! ?? @nashhot @schweidaracing @aus_turf_club @RaceQLD https://t.co/iFnFAVlOYh
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 17, 2026
The second consecutive year that a Queensland based runner has won the race after Rothfire last year, trainer Kelly Schweida was over the moon with the win.
“He was good today,” said Schweida. “He got a good ride form Nash. It’s great. I said to Nash, ‘whatever you do, don’t lead. You just do your own thing. He’ll only do what you make him do.’ Really pleased for the owners and my special thanks to (fellow trainer) David Payne.”
“He’s been a long-time friend of mine, and we know what it’s like when you’re travelling and with staff, my grandson came and stayed down here for three weeks. It’s a good bunch of owners and they deserved that win.”
“He’s been down here for three weeks.”
“We paid $70,000 for him at Inglis, so it keeps the dream alive. Just watching the replay, he was pretty strong through the line. I don’t know what time they ran… really good effort and if he pulls up all right, I wouldn’t mind having a crack at that race in Melbourne in a few weeks.”
Asked if he may head to the G1 Champions Sprint at Flemington, Schweida didn’t rule it out.
“He needs a Group One, being a colt. That race last year was The Galaxy and he had a little hissy-fit (when scratched at the barriers). That was his Group One that we thought got away from us. He definitely needs to try to win one. Whether he’s good enough, a lot of the Everest horses will go there, but it was good to get a win.”
“It was disappointing (G1 Galaxy scratching), especially when you come a long way and put a lot of effort in. It buggered his whole carnival up because we had to go home and trial and then come back and run into Tempted.”
“He would have had a break after the Galaxy and got ready for our carnival, but it buggered his whole prep up. He got too deep in there. He was a tired horse last time. We had him in the stables from the first of September to the first of June with a little week here and a bit there.”
“But he showed today what he’s capable of doing, and they were pretty good horses there today and he was strong through the line.”
Partnering him for the first time, jockey Nash Rawiller highlighted what a top horse Grafterburners is.
“He is all class, a little bit too much arrogance<” said Rawiller. “What a beautiful horse.”
“He got into a nice rhythm today. Felt like he had the race in his keeping. He got to show what he is made of. We were curled up there and let go with one run. He was awesome really.
“Just a really high-class animal. It has taken a long time for him to get his head right and that might stop him being one of our next Jimmysstars. A good horse on his day like that.”
While Grafterburners is now a G2 winner, it is worth noting that second through to fifth were all G1 winners, suggesting the winner is capable of securing his own elite level victory, which could go a long way to securing a home at stud for the 4yo – then take a little look at who beat him last time out…. (Tempted).
Having now recorded seven wins and four placed efforts from 18 starts with earnings of $3,353,350, the stallion prospect was a $70,000 purchase by his trainer from the Inglis Classic yearling sale draft of breeders Canning Downs Stud.
The best of four winners from six to the races out of Coralina, an unraced half-sister by Dylan Thomas (IRE) to Golden Slipper winner Overreach, the dam of Swettenham Stud's young Group winning sire Lofty Strike.
Unfortunately, Coralina has not had a living foal since Grafterburners.
After standing for five seasons at Kitchwin Hills, Grafterburners’ sire Graff is standing his first season at Queensland’s Eureka Stud for a fee of $9,900 (inc. GST).
