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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 53823 Ironclad Headlines Clarkens Two State Feature Assault

Ironclad headlines Clarken's two-state feature assault

Ironclad headlines Clarken's two-state feature assault

Ironclad nearly knocked off the darling of Western Australian racing in the Northerly Stakes last month but now finds himself on the other side of the country for a vastly different assignment in the Group 2 Australia Stakes at The Valley.

The South Australian seven-year-old put in a bold run on the pace to finish second to Amelia's Jewel in the 1800m Perth Group 1 but he'll be the hunter in Saturday's 1200m sprint, hitting the line hard off what is expected to be a hot pace.

With a trio of runners contesting the Listed Durbridge Stakes over the same distance at home in Adelaide, trainer Will Clarken has decided to roll the dice with Ironclad as he gives him a tune-up before the Group 3 Carlyon Cup at Sandown in a fortnight.

"The mile race at set weights and penalties on Orr Stakes day just looks a beautiful race for him on paper, that's his goal," Clarken, who trains in partnership with Niki O'Shea, said.

"Originally I was going to give him a gallop in the Durbridge but we put the nomination in (for the Australia Stakes), there's only a small field and good prizemoney and he's drawn a beautiful gate with Jamie (Kah) on so I think it's a no-brainer to have a throw at the stumps.

"They're going to go extremely hard and if he can keep up early, I'm sure he's going to be super strong late."

Ironclad is a versatile horse, a Listed winner over 1200m while also being placed at Group 2 level over 1400m and 2100m this campaign, in addition to his fantastic Group 1 effort in the Northerly.

Clarken is thrilled with how he's come back after his trip west.

"He's better than when he left – he's more worldly, he's had a really hard racing campaign, he's sound as I've ever seen him," he said.

"He's really come of age … I'm sure he's got a really good back-end of summer and autumn in front of him."

While Clarken boasts a three-pronged attack in the Durbridge – Beau Rossa, Parsifal and He's A Balter – he thinks only one is a winning chance.

"The horses are going as good as they can go, it's just the depth of that race is so significant," he said.

"I think the Durbridge is a race in three – Beau Rossa, Kemalpasa and See You In Heaven. Something is going to have to go wrong for one of those three not to win with the weight-for-age conditions.

"I like the trip and I like the track for Beau Rossa – he just hasn't won for a while.

"I don't think there should be as much between him and Kemalpasa in the market but I can understand why See You In Heaven is as short as she is – she's probably the most exciting young horse in the state."

Clarken will also saddle up the best-backed runner at The Valley with the smart Jean Valjean crunched in from $4.40 to $2.60 favouritism with the TAB.

"He maps perfectly in barrier four and Jamie takes the ride, there looks to be good speed – he ticks a lot of boxes," he said.

"His trial was excellent the other day – he went to Strathalbyn to have a soft hitout and he's ended up running the fastest time of the morning hard-held.

"He looks fantastic but he's got one thing he has to overcome which is the travel and for horses doing it the first time it can go either way but I can understand why they've come for him."

Story from Tom Biddington (Race Net)

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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