Grafton Betting Tips for July 5, 2026 - Toyboy's Time Again

Martin Pennington

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Last updated: Fri 03 Jul 2026 06:43

Martin Pennington 2 hours ago

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Grafton Carnival kicks off July 5 with key Prelude races
Top betting picks: My Mum's Toyboy, Red Spector, Brilliant Knight, Russiantothepost
Track rated Soft 6; feature race winners earn ballot-free entries

The XXXX Gold July Racing Carnival begins at Grafton on Sunday. (Getty)

Grafton's XXXX Gold July Racing Carnival begins on Sunday, July 5, featuring the Grafton Cup Prelude, Grafton Guineas Prelude and John Carlton Cup.

Grafton Tips July 5
Mckimms Real Estate Grafton Guineas Prelude 3YO Benchmark 66 Handicap Tips (Race 3)
CJM Lawyers Grafton Cup Prelude Tips (Race 5)
Grafton Sheetmetal John Carlton Cup Tips (Race 6)
Country Mud Here On South Cup Sunday Class 1 Handicap Tips (Race 8)

Winners of the two Prelude races earn ballot-free entry into the Grafton Cup and Grafton Guineas respectively, while the John Carlton Cup winner secures ballot-free entry into the Listed Ramornie Handicap.

The track is currently rated a Soft 6 and, with no rain forecast, conditions could improve before raceday.

For upcoming feature meetings and major race dates from around the country, visit the Group 1 Racing Calendar.

Grafton Tips July 5

Mckimms Real Estate Grafton Guineas Prelude 3YO Benchmark 66 Handicap Tips (Race 3)

Grafton Value Bet - Race 3 No. 5 Russiantothepost

Three starts during her first preparation produced plenty of promise, with Russiantothepost breaking her maiden at Ipswich on her second appearance.

The filly accounted for 14 rivals on that occasion, overcoming the loss of a plate to score narrowly over 1350m on a Good track.

She then made a pleasing first start against winners when stepping up to 1600m at the Sunshine Coast in February.

Beaten less than a length in Class 1 company, the daughter of Russian Revolution also proved she handles wet ground on that Heavy 8 surface.

Tiffani Brooker partnered the filly in a Sunshine Coast trial last month, and she looks capable of resuming with a victory.

CJM Lawyers Grafton Cup Prelude Tips (Race 5)

Grafton Next Best Bet - Race 5 No. 6 Brilliant Knight

Consistency has been a feature of Brilliant Knight's campaign, with the gelding recording top-three finishes in two of his three starts this preparation.

The exception came when finishing midfield in a Rosehill Class 3 after racing wide without cover against stronger metropolitan opposition.

He bounced back with a solid third at Port Macquarie over 1512m, where he was ridden patiently from barrier seven.

Forecast conditions look ideal, while the rise in distance shouldn't trouble a gelding who won over 2100m earlier this season.

Drawn the inside alley, Cassandra Schmidt's representative can make it two wins for the campaign after resuming successfully at Taree in May.

Grafton Sheetmetal John Carlton Cup Tips (Race 6)

Grafton Feature Bet - Race 6 No. 1 My Mum's Toyboy

My Mum's Toyboy boasts an outstanding record at Grafton, winning six of his nine starts at the venue.

The latest of those victories came in a 1200m Benchmark 82 here in November, where he scored by more than a length on a rain-affected track.

He has since added two more victories, the latest a dominant first-up success over 1010m at Port Macquarie on a Soft surface.

That performance saw him return from a spell with a commanding three-and-a-half-length victory.

Barrier six is a positive, and while a track upgrade would hold no fears, Justin Stanley's mount looks capable of conceding weight to record a fifth straight win.

Country Mud Here On South Cup Sunday Class 1 Handicap Tips (Race 8)

Grafton Best Bet - Race 8 No. 4 Red Spector

Lightly raced since breaking his maiden at Coffs Harbour in 2024, Red Spector has shown enough this preparation to suggest another win isn't far away.

Two of his three runs since have come this campaign in Class 1 handicaps at Taree, both on Heavy ground.

He finished a close second in the first of those after racing just behind the speed from a wide barrier over 1250m.

The four-year-old then showed his versatility when finishing fourth after settling off the pace over 1000m.

Ben Looker takes the ride for the first time, and despite another wide draw, Red Spector looks open to further improvement stepping back up in distance.

Verdict

Grafton - July 5

Our Grafton selections for Sunday, July 5 are:

My Mum's Toyboy

To Win

$2.30 - 3 Units

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Red Spector

To Win

$3.80 - 3 Units

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Brilliant Knight

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$6.00 - 2 Units

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Russiantothepost

To Win

$4.80 - 2 Units

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