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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 53050 Beau Rossa On Track For Ascots Gold Rush Despite Winterbottom Failure

Beau Rossa on track for Ascot's Gold Rush despite Winterbottom failure

Beau Rossa on track for Ascot's Gold Rush despite Winterbottom failure

As the great Aussie saying goes, a figurative teaspoon of cement might’ve been all it took to harden up Beau Rossa.

The five-year-old gelding’s trainer Will Clarken has been pleased with both his efforts this preparation ahead of the $1.5 million Gold Rush at Ascot on Saturday.

Beau Rossa has run a competitive fourth and seventh in the Rising Fast Stakes and Winterbottom Stakes, his past two starts respectively at Flemington and Perth.

Going off those two performances, you wouldn’t have thought he was struggling mentally earlier his year.

But a last place – as the $4.40 favourite in the DC McKay Stakes, followed by a 13th in The Goodwood both in May, were disappointing to say the least.

So the hard-working Clarken’s solution was to simply test his star young sprinter a little harder on the track.

The subsequent results have impressed the South Australian conditioner.

“The horse just needed a bit of screwing down and needed to harden up a little bit,” Clarken told HorseBetting.com.au.

“It looked like he might’ve needed the paddock, but it might’ve been the making of him.

“Leading into when he lost his way, he was going okay.

“But he’s definitely come back a better horse this prep.”

Beau Rossa is now a much stronger horse – physically and mentally.

As a result, he will go into Saturday’s Group 3 feature over 1400m as a good-value $15 winning chance, with star South Australian jockey Todd Pannell on his back.

“He looks fantastic. I’ve been happy with his first two runs this preparation,” Clarken said.

“He’s built into his prep well, and he ran a career best third-up over 1400 (a close second to Behemoth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on August 28 last year).

“We’ve targeted him there (for the Gold Rush) and we’re looking forward to it.”

Beau Rossa finished strongly last start in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes on November 26.

The result could have been better had he found an opening on the straight in the 1200m sprint, which saw Paulele salute for James Cummings’ Godolphin stable.

“The horses that got back and wide on the outside just got more momentum, which held him up a little bit,” Clarken said.

“Hopefully he can turn his last excellent effort into a peak run this prep.

“We’re hoping. He’s peaked third-up before in the Memsie.”

Yes, Clarken says he is hopeful of another strong performance from Beau Rossa.

But he also knows – just like when his talented sprinter was struggling – that he has done everything possible to have him challenging the likes of Godolphin stars Kementari and Vilana in the Gold Rush.

“I’d prefer them not to be in there, but it’s an elite race,” Clarken said.

“They’ve got the two gun hoops (Jamie Kah on $7.50 winning chance Kementari and Ben Melham on $4.80 hopeful Vilana) and we’ve got Todd to come up.

“So whatever happens, we’ve done our best. And hopefully the horse can do his best.”

Kissonallforcheeks is the $4.20 favourite for Dan Morton, with the benefit of 57kg on her back.

The five-year-old mare finished runner-up and less than a quarter of a length behind Paulele in the Winterbottom Stakes.

RELEVANT NEWS

Cicala keeps unbeaten streak alive in Lightning Stakes

Just twelve minutes after Bridal Waltz’s Bletchingly Stakes triumph in Melbourne, Cicala (Tamasa) added further depth to the form over in Adelaide when extending her unbeaten record to three in the Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1050m) at Morphettville.  The Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-trained filly, a daughter of the little-known stallion Tamasa (So You Think), burst onto the scene with a brilliant debut win at Gawler on May 28 and then franked that effort with a gritty success over course and distance last time out, defeating subsequent city winner Noetzie (Harry Angel).  Lining up for the third time on Saturday, Cicala was sent out the $4 second-elect behind Fieldelo (Deep Field), who had run fourth to Bridal Waltz in the Creswick Stakes earlier this month.  It wasn’t made easy for the filly and apprentice Rochelle Milnes from barrier 11 as they were forced three-deep without cover behind tearaway leader Sir Now (Sir Prancealot), but the Heavy 10 surface proved no hurdle and Cicala quickened when asked on the bend. She chased down the favourite in the shadows of the post to win by 0.2 lengths. Sir Now finished another 1.5 lengths back in third.  “She’s tough,” Clarken said post-race. “It wasn’t a comfortable run by any means, but she keeps finding and has handled everything we’ve thrown at her so far.” Bred in Victoria by Glenn Davies, who also owns her sire Tamasa, Cicala was offered unreserved by Maddie Raymond via the Inglis Digital 2023 October (Late) Online Sale but failed to attract a single bid. She has now banked over $135,000 in prize-money. She is the first stakes winner for Tamasa, a son of So You Think (High Chaparral) who won five of his first eight starts before placing at Group 3 level. Tamasa stood just two seasons at stud, covering a total of four mares, with Cicala the only named foal from his first crop and now his only winner. Out of the Group 3-winning mare Divertire (Econsul), Cicala hails from the same family as South African Grade 1 winner Rarotonga Treaty (Geiger Counter).  Clarken said no decision had yet been made about the filly’s next target but confirmed the stable was giving serious thought to keeping her in work for another run this winter. “She’s come through each run better than the last,” he said. “We’ll see how she pulls up but she’s earned the chance to chase something bigger again next start.”

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Keeping it in the family

Later in the day, a pair of lots sold for $200,000 respectively to secure their placings as the joint-second-top lots on the second day of trade. Lot 273, the first of the duo to go under the hammer, is a filly by Yulong’s Written Tycoon who sold to Ridgeport Holdings, Clarken Bloodstock, and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA). The filly is out of Blue Morpho (Hussonet) who from 16 starts on the track managed three wins, including landing the 2018 Laelia Stakes (Listed, 1600m).  Clarken and his training partner Niki O’Shea know about the family, with the filly’s brother, the unraced Windrow, and her Alabama Express half-sister, who Clarken bought for $80,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2021, both residents of their Murray Bridge stable.  “The quality always makes money and there have been some really nice types and there’s been no doubt that they have been well received. We were narrowly beaten on the Zoustar filly [Lot 255] earlier today and we were lucky enough to get the Written Tycoon filly a second ago,” Will Clarken told ANZ Bloodstock News. “I’ve got her two relations who have shown great promise and haven’t been to the races yet. Written Tycoon has been a good stallion to the yard and we’ve got Kuroyanagi who was Group 1-placed in the Blue Diamond and it’s going to be for the same ownership group [Ridgeport].” “We’ve got four so far [on the day], we’ve been sent a few and I think there’s a couple more on the list for the rest of the day, but we really came here to buy what we thought was the best filly and the best colt and I think we’ve done that. “Adelaide has been a really happy hunting ground for us. We bought Beau Rossa here and he was narrowly beaten in a Group 1. I bought Galaxy Patch out of here, Prawn Baba and  both of them have run in a Hong Kong Derby [Galaxy Patch second in 2024] and I just know the sale and it’s been really good for us. “Let’s hope the Magic Millions lives on here in South Australia. Obviously there are some changes ahead, but it’s a great asset to have a sale in our backyard.”Story from ANZ Bloodstock News

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