Trainer Matt Dunn marked a personal best season when his speedy sprinter Band Of Brothers demonstrated enduring speed to lead throughout the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton this Wednesday.
Band Of Brothers put behind him a less-than-impressive recent performance and successfully repelled a series of challengers in the home straight to record a popular win.
For Dunn, who leads the trainers’ premiership in the NSW Northern Rivers area, this was his first major win at the Grafton Cup Carnival.
Band Of Brothers’ triumph in the Ramornie Handicap represented his 128th winner for the 2025/26 racing season, elevating him to sixth place in the Australian trainers’ standings.
However, the trainer revealed that the Ramornie Handicap was not initially a planned target for Band Of Brothers.
“To be honest, it (Ramornie) was a bit of an afterthought,” Dunn told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“He went to the Glasshouse Handicap second-up and he was a bit disappointing but he was probably on the wrong part of the track.
“Today, he found himself in front, fought on really hard and they had the opportunity to get to him in the straight but he really dug deep.”
Band Of Brothers, which was heavily backed into $5 favouritism, was expertly rated in front by jockey Dylan Turner to claim the Ramornie by one-and-a-quarter lengths from Pereille ($9), with Givemethebeatboys ($6) a nose further back in third.
Fire Star, starting from a wide gate, was never prominent but ran on respectably to finish fourth, beaten just over a length and a half.
The victory in the Ramornie Handicap was the second stakes success for the rising five-year-old Band Of Brothers, following his win in the Group 3 Vain Stakes during his three-year-old season.
Band Of Brothers has now improved his race record to five wins and eight minor placings from 20 starts, pushing his career earnings close to $630,000.
The talented sprinter is now likely to be targeted towards the $2 million The Kosciuszko (1200m) on Everest Day at Royal Randwick on October 17.
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