Veteran Gold Coast trainer Harold Norman has won many races but few mean more than Gold Horizon in the South Grafton Cup.

Sporting the famous blue, yellow and purple colours of the late Bede Murray, Gold Horizon ($7) held on to win Sunday's $50,000 race over 1610 metres by a short head from the fast-finishing Sofin($6.50).

Norman and Murray, who died in March, were childhood friends on the NSW South Coast and Gold Horizon stayed with Norman after a Queensland summer campaign.

"It's great to do it for my old mate," Norman told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

"We grew up together. We rode against each and we looked after each other.

"(His wife) Edie and Bede owned this horse."

Norman said Gold Horizon was now likely to return to Murray's trainer-son Paul at Kembla Grange having completed his mission at Grafton.

The annual Grafton carnival moves up a gear this week with the Listed Ramornie Hcp (1200m) on Wednesday and the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) the following day.