Drying track good news for honest Grebeni in 2025 Civic Stakes

Grebeni will take his place in Saturday’s Civic Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, with trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou electing to stay local rather than head to Brisbane.

The original plan was to target the Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm, but uncertainty around the Queensland track surface led the stable to pivot toward a Randwick start.

“It wasn’t really the plan to run this Saturday. He was going to go to Eagle Farm (Saturday week) and run in the Tatt’s Mile, but we were just a little bit concerned about how the track there walked and how it raced last week,” Alexiou explained.

“The drying track (at Randwick) is a big tick for him. He raced well the other day but he is certainly better on top of the ground.”

Grebeni has had a productive campaign, securing a Big Dance berth by finishing second in the Muswellbrook Cup and later adding a third in the Scone Cup.

Last time out, the five-year-old ran second to Loch Eagle over the mile at Randwick, and despite dropping back 200 metres this time, confidence remains high.

“Probably his best form is around the mile but he’s well suited Saturday and you can expect another consistent run from him,” said Alexiou.

Drawn in barrier five and partnered with Dylan Gibbons, Grebeni looks well placed to return to the winners list for the first time since December.

“It has been a while, but even this preparation he has won close to $100,000 without winning a race and hopefully another win isn’t far away.”