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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 55985 In Form Stable Set To Strike With Jean Valjean

In-form stable set to strike with Jean Valjean

In-form stable set to strike with Jean Valjean

The Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea stable has struck form in the past month and is hoping to parlay it into a Flemington victory with the exciting Jean Valjean.

The talented six-year-old made a mess of his rivals first-up at Morphettville Parks, defying the track pattern on the day to storm home from the back and salute in impressive fashion.

The manner of that performance prompted a trip over the border with Jean Valjean looking to go one better than an eye-catching second at The Valley in January in his only other race in Melbourne.

Stable apprentice Ben Price is also set to make his Flemington debut.

Jean Valjean is rated a $5 chance in the opening race with the TAB, the second-elect behind the Peter Moody and Kathryn Coleman-prepared River Noire ($2.80).

"I think he's going well. He went super first-up, I wish there was a bit more give in the ground over there but he's drawn beautifully," Clarken said.

"It looks like (Smile And Wave) will roll along and it's a good chance for Ben to go and have a ride over there.

"I think the straight will really suit him. Big tracks are his go."

It has been a year of evolution for the stable with Clarken and O'Shea officially joining forces in January while this week they moved 30 horses into their brand new Murray Bridge yard – with another 10 to join them next week.

But after snaring five metro winners from the past four meetings, and finishing second, third and fourth in last week's Listed Lightning Stakes, things are looking up.

"It's much better. We flushed out a lot of the older horses that had hit their rating mark and were holding up the show," Clarken said.

Story by Tom Biddington

"We've got a really good team of young horses coming through. We've got a big set of jumpouts at Murray Bridge on Monday and we're getting a bit of a flow on.

"There might be a few teething issues now that we've got Murray Bridge online – we've got to find the lay of the land – but I think the back-end of this season and into the next couple of seasons to come, we should be a force to be reckoned with."

Clarken will saddle up five horses at Murray Bridge on Saturday and suggests the debutant Grint is the best of his chances.

"I think Grint has improved a lot since his trial and I think there might be a couple that are vulnerable in that race and he'll be strong late," he said of the $5 hope.

Meanwhile, stable star Ironclad – who finished second to Amelia's Jewel in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes in December – is set to resume in next weekend's Group 3 Behemoth Stakes.

"He trialled really well (on Friday) morning – I'm really happy with him," Clarken said.

"He'll go to the Behemoth and then the Leon Macdonald Stakes and then there are plenty of options in Melbourne and we may even look taking him for a few runs in Sydney this time in, given he gets through the going."

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Do the Math: This Redelva showdown is a beauty

Will Clarken's stable can't fault hype horse Mathematician ahead of Saturday's Listed Redelva Stakes at Morphettville, a race that will see Adelaide's two most exciting three-year-olds collide. Mathematician quickly roused SA racing fans with dominant back-to-back wins earlier this year in his first two outings, including a comfortable two-length triumph on Adelaide Cup Day. This followed Bassett Babe's two spectacular wins across January and February which announced the Andrew Gluyas-trained filly as a potential star on the rise, en route to a third placing in last month's Group 3 Typhoon Tracy (1200m) at Caulfield. It looms as an exciting showdown, but Saturday's Redelva Stakes (1100m) is far from a two-horse race, with an influx of formidable interstate challengers set to provide a measuring stick for the pair. "We haven't been able to fault him since Adelaide Cup Day," Clarken's racing manager, Lachlan Weekley, said of Mathematician. "He had a couple of quiet days in the paddock after that. "He trialled last Thursday around the Parks track, and trialled really nice there." The son of Lucky Vega galloped well on Tuesday ahead of his first stakes tilt. Mathematician is owned by breeding giant Yulong Investments. "We'll get a good guide to where he sits in the food chain on Saturday," he said. "He's drawn out a bit (12) – which we don't mind – hopefully there will be a bit of pace in the race and on the Morphettville big track, hopefully he's storming late. "He's travels well in a race, he's happy to switch off. "He's still pretty new and learning his craft a little bit but he's certainly got plenty of talent." Weekley acknowledged that a clash between the state's two hype horses was great for racing in SA. "It's certainly good for the state," he said. "Bassett Babe, she's been very impressive, and was down on the wrong part of the track at Caulfield last start. "The race doesn't end there. Tycoon Star is a pretty solid colt, Signature Scent was impressive the other day, Job Done (as well) – there's depth there. "It's going to be a good test for them all. We'll get a real good guide as to where our horse lies beyond Saturday." If it all goes to plan, the next road leads to the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) on Sangster-Oaks Day, while the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) on May 9 remains a possibility. "If he ran really well, that's the natural progression (Tobin Bronze)," he said. "They go two weeks, two weeks and two weeks. So you've just got to go one run at a time. "At the end of the day, it's only his first prep and he's still hopefully got a bit more to come. He'll tell us what to do." Kayla Crowther, who rode Mathematician on debut, will resume her partnership with the gelding in Saturday's Redelva. "He's a real racehorse … he's got a lot of ability," Weekley said. "He might be one of those horses that if they go quick, he can storm over the top of them, or if they go a little bit slow, he's got that good sprint – it leaves you in a pretty good position. "We've got a lot of respect for the opposition on Saturday – it'll be a good test."   Story from Punters.com (Tyler Maund) Photo Makoto Kaneko

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Clarken mare retired, promising stablemate making comeback

Will Clarken has retired stakes-winning mare Prairie Flower, while promising stablemate Cicala is returning to the stable following an injury lay-off.Stakes-winning mare Prairie Flower has been retired after finishing seventh in last Saturday's Hills Railway Stakes (1100m) at Oakbank. The daughter of Star Turn won eight races including the 2025 Durbridge Stakes (1100m) – her final race win. A fast-finishing speedster at her best, the Will Clarken-trained mare finished fifth in last year's Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m), and netted $621,115 in prizemoney across 52 starts. Owned by Bell View Park Stud, the six-year-old mare will be sold at the upcoming National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast in May. "She came through the Railway fine, but she's been retired," Clarken's racing manager, Lachlan Weekley, said. "She'll go up to the National Broodmare Sale and be sold – she's done a wonderful job. "She's a stakes winner, and she would always run pretty solid races. "They are terrific owners of ours Bell View Park." Promising stakes-winning mare Cicala is on the comeback trail from injury. A winner of four from five starts, Cicala turned heads last winter with a hat-trick of impressive wins, including the Lightning Stakes (1050m). The four-year-old Tamasa mare won a Benchmark 82 (1200m) at Morphettville in August, but hasn't been sighted since, due to a suspensory injury. "In that last run, our thought was that she probably put her foot in a hole. The track was pretty ordinary, as it was a wet track that had copped a lot of racing," he said. "We think she might have put her foot in a hole and done some damage to a suspensory ligament. "She's not far off returning to our stable. She's done some rehab at Lee Everson's for her injury. "She looks amazing that mare, and the rehab's going smoothly. "She'll be back in our care in the next couple of weeks. "Lee Everson couldn't be happier with her, he's a master at these scenarios – so hopefully we can get her back." Story from Punters.com (Tyler Maund)

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Tough galloper claims first stakes win at 46th start

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