Grafterburners backed up his strong form from Sydney, finishing just under two lengths behind Golden Slipper contenders, with a dominant win in the QTIS Jewel for two-year-olds at Gold Coast.

Purchased by Kelly Schweida for $70,000 at the 2024 Inglis Classic Sale, the colt has now earned over six times that amount in prizemoney after just five starts.

Racing four-wide from barrier 15 in the $500,000 1200m event, Grafterburners ($3.80 favourite) settled midfield before powering away to win by a length over Pink Vixen ($8), with Betterlucknexttime ($11) in third.

“It was his first run in five weeks, and he’s pretty casual,” Schweida said. “We knew he’d be strong at the finish, and the form around him has been fantastic.”

Grafterburners’ previous race, the Inglis Millennium (1100m), saw the top two finishers—Rivellino and Within The Law—priced at around $10 for next Saturday’s Golden Slipper.

Jockey Cejay Graham praised the colt’s performance, saying, “This is the best two-year-old I’ve ridden by far.”

Meanwhile, in the Jewel for three-year-olds, Matt Hoysted and Nikita Beriman repeated their success from 2024, with Hearts Are Better ($5.50) winning the half-million-dollar event. The filly, who had been pegged as an 800m horse early in her career, is now set for a Queensland Winter Carnival campaign. Hoysted noted her improvement, adding, “She’s really started to learn her craft and relax better.”