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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 56439 Amelias Jewel Form To The Fore In Balaklava Cup

Amelia's Jewel form to the fore in Balaklava Cup

Amelia's Jewel form to the fore in Balaklava Cup

Eleven years after winning the Balaklava Cup at his only previous attempt, Victorian jockey Brad Rawiller completed another successful cross-border raid as Ironclad wound back the clock and took full advantage of the track bias to snare the Listed event on Wednesday.

The Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea-trained veteran defied the topweight of 60kg to lead from barrier to box in the 1600m event, making the most of the track conditions that favoured those horses on pace and near the rail.

While Ironclad's best was clearly better than any of his rivals – none of the others boast a Group 1 second to Amelia's Jewel – he had struggled to rediscover his top form after two big runs in Perth late last year.

In a last-ditch effort, connections turned to Rawiller – the man who was aboard for those efforts in Western Australia – to change things up and it worked wonders with the $14 chance securing his ninth career win and taking his prizemoney haul beyond $800,000.

"I was here for a horse called Bagman (in 2012), he won, and I actually got a limo home, so I was happy enough to come back," Rawiller said.

"As much as he wasn't expected (to win) on his current form, (on) his couple of runs for me in Perth, if be brought any of that form here, he'd be winning.

"We had to work to hold the lead but at the same time when we did get it, he got a nice little sectional and a half mid-run and then his strength was making them chase, so I scooted on him … and he was able to hold on.

"It's great to get the job done and, with the big weight, it was well deserved."

It was a second straight Balaklava Cup success for Clarken, who prevailed last year with Nonamelane, and he was full of praise for stable jockey Todd Pannell, who was on board for Ironclad's first two disappointing runs of the campaign and recommended the jockey switch.

"When he goes bad, he just goes legless," Clarken said.

"In fairness to Todd Pannell, he's got it in his head that the horse doesn't go for him, so he didn't want to ride him today, he said get Brad over to ride him.

"That's what a team is about. We all play out part. Brad knows the horse and obviously everything fell in place.

"We drew the right gate, got the right run and we've won the race."

Story from Racenet (Tom Biddington)

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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Clarken's filly set for Stakes test

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Keeping it in the family

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‘Quality’ So You Think colt heads to Clarken and O’Shea

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Peltzer's brother turns heads

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Surrente stars in Adelaide Cup

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Adelaide Cup Day summary: Milnes rates Silent Surrente to perfection in The Cup

Front running masterclass - gives Silent Surrente success in The Cup A brilliant piece of front-running riding by apprentice Rochelle Milnes enabled Silent Surrente to out-tough her opposition in the 2025 G2 Adelaide Cup for trainers Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea. The daughter of Melbourne Cup-winning Fiorente (Ire) outstayed her rivals as Milnes took control of the race after being caught wide early on. She sustained a strong gallop, kicked away at the top of the straight and the result was never in doubt, claiming a 1.2l victory, with Newfoundland (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Grand Pierro (Pierro) filling the placings behind. “Your hometown cup obviously means a lot doesn't it?,” co-trainer Will Clarken said. “I pride myself on my modesty, my name is in the book but Niki really trains this horse – he's done a wonderful job. From the time she's got to the stable he's nurtured her, rides her all her work, it's obviously a team effort, we work hard together. Full credit to him, he's a brilliant horseman.” Silent Surrente’s dam, Silent Surround (Face Value), was a Group 3 winner on the track and has now produced three individual stakes winners, with Silent Surrente joining Listed winner Silent Command (Commands) and Silent Sovereign (Dalakhani {Ire}). Rochelle Milnes | Image courtesy of Racing SA This win is also great timing for Sledmere Stud, who offer Lot 165, a half-brother by Stay Inside, at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where he is sure to be well-sought after. Silent Surround, since producing the Stay Inside colt heading to the sales, has had a regular date with Stay Inside, leaving a full sister last spring and being served the promising young sire last spring also. Story from TTR AusNZ

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Crowther's G1 chance on Flower

It's the race that's provided the script for a string of jockey fairytales in recent years and Kayla Crowther is hoping Saturday's Oakleigh Plate can deliver her a maiden Group 1 triumph too. The South Australia-based rider will partner rejuvenated mare Prairie Flower in the iconic handicap which has provided breakthrough elite-level wins for Ben Thompson (2023 on Uncommon James), Ben Allen (2022 on Marabi) and Teo Nugent (2021 on Portland Sky) this decade alone. Last year, Harry Coffey also won his first Victorian G1 race aboard Queman in the Oakleigh Plate. Crowther, 26, has ridden in 10 races at the top level and said she is always grateful to connections for trusting her with the ride in such races. "I'm pretty excited," Crowther said. "The only other Victorian Group 1 race I've ridden in was the Oakleigh Plate on Shamino and it was at Sandown that year. "Obviously these opportunities don't come up very often, so to be granted the ride, I'm super grateful. "I'm lucky in this one because the weight limits a few of the options of interstate riders. "Winning on the horse helped as well. "Will (Clarken) has been super loyal and he's given me some really good chances in nice races before - I rode Bella Vella for him in the Sangster a couple of years ago." Crowther has won two races on Prairie Flower, including the Listed Durbridge Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville last month. Jamie Melham steered the daughter of Star Turn into third place in the G2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) but has elected to ride Arabian Summer for Tony and Clavin McEvoy on Saturday. Crowther believes Prairie Flower can run a cheeky race with 52kg in a high-pressure contest. "I think the 1100m is right up her alley," she said. "She appears to be in career-best form and I galloped her this morning at Oakbank - it was a really nice working four-two (800m gallop quickening up the final 400m) and she just feels enormous underneath me at the moment. "I couldn't be happier. "52kg in a fast-run 1100m will suit her down to the ground. "She's going to have to improve a couple of lengths to be in the finish of an Oakleigh Plate, but I don't think she's taken a step backwards, that's for sure." WATCH: Prairie Flower's Durbridge Stakes win Among the horses to beat in the Oakleigh Plate is Sghirripa, who Crowther partnered to an eye-catching win in a barrier trial last week. Strathalbyn-based trainers Shane and Cassie Oxlade are eyeing back-to-back wins in the race after Queman's victory in 2024. Crowther said Sghirripa, who bombed the start and finished unplaced behind his stablemate in last year's Oakleigh Plate, appears to be maturing. "I was really happy with his trial," she said. "He always does trial really well and he goes super in his first- and second-up runs. "He seems like he's maturing as an older horse and he was doing a few things better than he has before - he wasn't laying in as heavily as he can and he didn't over-race as fiercely as he can." Sghirripa is $15 in Sportsbet's Oakleigh Plate market, while Prairie Flower is $51.Story from Racing.com (James Tzaferis)

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Flower blooms for stakes victory in Durbridge

Prairie Flower is a veteran of 37 race starts, but at five years old the mare is just beginning to flourish. In her fourth start for new trainers Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea, the sharp mare surged to victory in Saturday's Listed Durbridge Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville. Purchased for $150,000 in an Inglis Online Sale last year, Prairie Flower has now won back-to-back races for the stable, Saturday's black-type win was a first, after running third at the level in the Without Fear Stakes in 2022 when trained by Henry Dwyer. "She came to us in really good fashion, (she's a) lovely sound mare," Clarken said. "David Jolly had a little bit to do with her when she was racing in South Australia, when she went online he gave me a really good push to get her and he was right. "She went into her first-up run and she was really underdone, and the programming was against us going into her second-up run which was a stakes race (Christmas Handicap) over 1200m – she just blew out." Prairie Flower was guided to the line by gun hoop Kayla Crowther, who has ridden the mare in all four starts this campaign. Clarken and O'Shea had the quinella in the race, with stablemate Extremely Lucky running boldly first-up for second. "I really have to pay homage to Kayla, I had to tinker with her gear a little bit and all of my riders work really well with me but we really gel in getting these sort of horses going," he said. "She does the hard yards, we galloped 15 at Oakbank on Tuesday morning, and she was one of the riders to get there and do the hard yards for us." Clarken now has his sights set on the Adelaide Racing Carnival with Prairie Flower, the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) is one of four SA Group 1s worth $1m in prizemoney – and perhaps it's time to dream large. "I'm actually really excited about her, I've got a race in mind that comes up over our carnival, and we'll most probably ease now and target it," Clarken said. "I don't know if she has the class (for the Sangster), but I've won Proud Miss's (Stakes) and other races with horses with less ability, and I think she can be a really high class mare for us." The afternoon was owned by Clarken, O'Shea and Crowther however, who put an exclamation mark on their success in the last race, combining for a win with Clarence, while stablemate Yasuke also gave them another quinella. The result saw Crowther split riding honours with Neindorf and Holder, who also scored a double on Saturday aboard Gin Spirit and Inaugural. Clarken and O'Shea shared training honours with the Stokes stable on the nine-race card. Story from Racenet

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Episodic regains winning touch to trainer's delight

After two unplaced finishes at stakes level, sharp mare Episodic returned to the winner's stall on Saturday with an impressive win at Murray Bridge. Guided under a gun steer from Todd Pannell, the daughter of Tavistock held off race favourite Let's Get Down in the closing stages to salute in a Benchmark 76 over 1200m. It was Episodic's first run in Benchmark grade following two unplaced runs in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes and Listed Christmas Handicap, either side of a four-and-a-half month spell. Trainer Niki O'Shea was thrilled to have his gun mare back in form, notching the fifth race win of her 18-start career. "(We're) delighted with that; it's a great effort by the team to get her back going," O'Shea, who trains in partnership with Will Clarken, said. "She had a big prep last prep; sometimes those mares don't turn up after a spell; it's great to get her back going. "She's a quality mare, a real stable favourite, (she's) beautiful, so we're delighted to get her to win again." O'Shea was full of praise for Pannell's ride; the hoop settled in the box seat, peeling off the rail at the 400m before winding up strongly. The stable has another stakes tilt on the radar for the Pinecliff Racing-owned Episodic as they chase black-type status. "She's tough as nails and just tries her heart out every time; Todd rode her lovely again today, probably against her usual pattern, she usually gets right back and goes down the outside, but he was clever enough to use his position and he rode her beautifully," he said. "That's the aim (black type). She's racing for good clients, and she's got good pedigree; she deserves some black type – she's been really solid." Story from Racenet

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Former Aussie HK's next superstar?

Synonymous with Golden Sixty’s towering feats, Vincent Ho has anointed Galaxy Patch as Hong Kong’s “next future star” after the gelding’s dominant HK$5.35 million G2 Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) victory at Sha Tin on Sunday. Ho piloted Galaxy Patch (129lb) to an emphatic one and half length win over Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble (135lb) and rising talent Chancheng Glory (115lb) in 1m 33.49s in another confirmation of Galaxy Patch’s extraordinary talent. By Wandjina, Galaxy Patch raced only once in Australia as Gulinga Spirit, winning a Morphettville maiden race over 1100m for Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea before transferring to Hong Kong, where he has now won seven of 13 starts and prizemoney of more than HK$25 million. “He (Galaxy Patch) has got great talent and he will be the next future star, I would say,” said Ho, who partnered Golden Sixty to 26 wins from 31 starts, crowned by a Hong Kong record 10 Group 1 triumphs and world record prizemoney haul of HK$167.17 million. “At the moment, he’s only 70% fit - based on his form last-season, he would have smashed them easier today but it was enough for him to win today by just stretching out by himself.” Settling in second last place in the nine-horse field led by Beauty Eternal (131lb), Galaxy Patch loomed on the home turn before Ho angled into the middle of the track, clocking 22.11s for the final 400m without fully extending. Voyage Bubble was brave in defeat after covering ground, while Chancheng Glory held on well for third as stayer Straight Arron (125lb) charged from the rear for fourth. Ho combined with Golden Sixty to win last December’s LONGINES G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) – the race trainer Pierre Ng hopes to claim this season with Galaxy Patch – and Ho believes Galaxy Patch has the attributes to emulate Golden Sixty. “He (Galaxy Patch) is a horse that (will) probably replace Golden Sixty at the mile. He’s still maturing, of course. Once he relaxed, he can put the race to sleep and he also had a great turn of foot. It’s early-season, the first race for him, and the preparation is (going) very well.” Extending his lead at the top of the trainers’ championship, Ng will aim Galaxy Patch at the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) on 17 November before the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on 8 December. “He's the right horse that every trainer wants to train,” Ng said. “We're very pleased. With four trials, we just wanted him to be settled and he was today. Of course he's not 100 per cent fit, but we just tried to get him fit enough for today and he did very well. “With his stride length, he definitely looks improved from last season. Racing-wise, he's more professional, more relaxed and if he can be more relaxed in the parade ring, I'll be a bit happier. “Definitely he's got the potential - it's how we manage to get him up there. We'll just do it by each race and hopefully he can go further and better.” Story from Racing.com

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Rising Hong Kong Superstar for Wandjina

Larneuk Stud in Victoria is home to value sire Wandjina, whose talented son Galaxy Patch has been acclaimed as the next rising superstar in Hong Kong racing following his dominant return in the Group II Sha Tin Trophy (1600m) on Sunday. Trained by Pierre Ng and ridden by Vincent Ho, Galaxy Patch was second in the Hong Kong Derby back in March and then finished his season with a pair of Group wins in June. Tuned up with a series of recent trials, Galaxy Patch was fit and ready to fire first up over a mile and powered clear of Group I winner Voyage Bubble to win by a length and a half. “He (Galaxy Patch) has got great talent and he will be the next future star, I would say,” said Vincent Ho, who partnered Champion Miler Golden Sixty to 26 wins from 31 starts. “At the moment, he’s only 70% fit – based on his form last-season, he would have smashed them easier today, but it was enough for him to win today by just stretching out by himself.” Settling in second last place in the nine-horse field led by Beauty Eternal (131lb), Galaxy Patch loomed on the home turn before Ho angled into the middle of the track, clocking 22.11s for the final 400m without fully extending. The LONGINES G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in December is the target race Pierre Ng hopes to claim this season with Galaxy Patch and Ho believes Galaxy Patch has the attributes needed to emulate Golden Sixty. “He (Galaxy Patch) is a horse that (will) probably replace Golden Sixty at the mile. He’s still maturing, of course. Once he relaxed, he can put the race to sleep and he also had a great turn of foot. It’s early-season, the first race for him, and the preparation is (going) very well,” Ho added. Ng will aim Galaxy Patch at the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) on 17 November as a stepping stone to the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile on 8 December. “He’s the right horse that every trainer wants to train,” Ng said. “We’re very pleased. With four trials, we just wanted him to be settled and he was today. Of course he’s not 100 per cent fit, but we just tried to get him fit enough for today and he did very well. “With his stride length, he definitely looks improved from last season. Racing-wise, he’s more professional, more relaxed and if he can be more relaxed in the parade ring, I’ll be a bit happier. “Definitely he’s got the potential – it’s how we manage to get him up there. We’ll just do it by each race and hopefully he can go further and better.” Galaxy Patch was a $50,000 Magic Millions Adelaide purchase for Will Clarken/Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA)/David Jolly from the Summerset Park Stud and won his debut in Adelaide before his sale to Hong Kong. He now has the overall record of nine wins from 15 starts. Bred and sold by Summerset Park, Galaxy Patch is a half-brother to stakes-placed Comearoundsundown and Creativity being the best of eight winners from unraced More Than Ready (USA) mare Voltara, who died last year.Galaxy Patch is one of seven stakes-winners for Wandjina, who stands at Larneuk Stud this spring at a fee of $6,600. Story from Breednet

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