Prism
Please wait...

Login

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."

RELEVANT NEWS

More Murray Bridge joy for Crowther

Kayla Crowther won her second Murray Bridge Gold Cup in four years when ex-Tasmanian Cartoon Graveyard landed the spoils in Saturday’s Listed feature on one of SA’s biggest spring racedays, which attracted more than 3000 racegoers.  The Will Clarken-trained gelding was well-backed late and produced a sharp turn of speed from midfield to reel in Pudding, who dashed clear at the top of the straight. Pudding stayed on gamely to hold second, while Sir Kingsford finished third in a performance that will lay the foundations for a tilt at some feature races in Melbourne over the coming weeks. Crowther, who won the Gold Cup in 2022 on Agreeable, said the race worked out perfectly for the six-year-old, who was having his third run in SA. “He had a beautiful run, he bounced well, and the tempo was very genuine, which allowed him to relax into a good rhythm,” Crowther said. “He got onto the back of Sir Kingsford, shuffled his way into the clear, and finished it off well. “He was primed for today. “A bit thanks to Will and the team, they’ve done a great job with him.” SA’s first two-year-old race of the season, the Moorundi 2YO Classic, went the way of local trainer Michael Hickmott with exciting filly Inhabit. A $200,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, Inhabit is a daughter of Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside and looks to have inherited at least some of her sire’s precocity.  The filly could now be aimed at the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast in January. It was a day of firsts at Thomas Farms Racecourse, with apprentice Caitlin Munro riding her first city winner, while veteran trainer James Bates saddled up his first metropolitan winner in partnership with Ann Pearson. Munro won the opener, the Andrew Mills Gifford Hill Guineas, on the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained three-year-old Virtual Illusion, while another apprentice, Brooke King, steered Bates’ exciting prospect Cockatoo Rose into the winner’s stall.  The feature sprint, the Reg Nolan Flying, was won by the David Aldridge-trained Chicago Storm, with Rochelle Milnes in the saddle. The talented gelding has now set up a likely trip to Melbourne for a feature race at The Valley.  Milnes and Crowther were also on the board at Morphettville Parks on Friday afternoon, where eight different jockeys and trainers shared the spoils on the twilight card.   Story from RacingSA

Read more

Tasmanian gelding lands Murray Bridge Gold Cup

Tasmanian gelding Cartoon Graveyard delivered Will Clarken and Kayla Crowther a second Murray Bridge Gold Cup win with a commanding victory at Gifford Hill on Saturday. Aided by a gun ride from Crowther, Cartoon Graveyard ($3.20 Sportsbet) settled midfield throughout in the field of nine, shuffling into the clear at the 500m as Crowther pressed go. The son of Turffontein cruised to a two-length win over 1600m ahead of Pudding and Sir Kingsford. It was the 6YO's second start under Clarken, the gelding having crossed to South Australia in September after previously being trained by Tasmanian handler John Keys. "He went really well today," Clarken stable representative Charlotte Sorby said. "He came over from Tassie and stayed after his first run over here. "I think they (owners) just thought this would be a really good race for him. They ended up deciding Will would be a good fit for the horse. "We train him up at the farm, he's fit in really well into our training regime up there – he's really thrived here."Crowther was aboard the Clarken-trained Agreeable when the mare saluted in the 2022 edition of the race and this year's Cup panned out perfectly for the hoop. "He had a beautiful run, bounced well, (the) tempo was really genuine," Crowther said. "He relaxed into a good rhythm on the back of Sir Kingsford, shuffled his way into the clear and he was just primed for today. "A big thanks to Will and the team, they've done a really good job with him." Story from Punters.com (Tyler Maund)

Read more

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.”

Read more

8 Ellis Ave Morphettville SA 5043

bloodstock@clarkenracing.com

Copyright (c) 2021 Clarken Racing. All rights reserved.