Prism
Please wait...

Login

Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 57546 Exciting Filly Scores On Debut As Clarken Oshea Weigh Up Blue Diamond Tilt

Exciting filly scores on debut as Clarken-O'Shea weigh up Blue Diamond tilt

Exciting filly scores on debut as Clarken-O'Shea weigh up Blue Diamond tilt

Hype filly Kuroyanagi was all the rage heading into the opening race at Gawler on Saturday, and the Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea-trained youngster made light work of her rivals, cruising to an easy debut win and keeping a Blue Diamond assault under consideration.

The two-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon – who was a $390,000 purchase at last year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale – was a heavily-backed $1.35 favourite off the back of impressive trial form in recent weeks, and it was clear to see why when she loomed up to take the lead on the home turn with jockey Ben Price almost unmoved in the saddle.

The filly cruised to a comfortable 2.7 length win over her rivals and has been nominated for the Group 1 Blue Diamond (1200m) at Flemington next month, but metro premiership leading trainers Clarken and O'Shea are yet to determine what they will do with their promising filly – who is now an $11 fancy (TAB) in the early Blue Diamond betting markets.

"We'll see how she pulls up, whether she goes to the paddock or goes on," Clarken said.

"I'm more excited about training her into the three-year-old season, she's really raw and if you asked me six or eight weeks ago I'd say she wouldn't have gotten to the races.

"She's really come on in leaps and bounds in the last month, she came through my system, she was broken in at the farm and she was really backwards.

"She's just kept improving and kept improving, it's a little bit of a feat for one to come through the whole system."

Price was confident in the filly winning a long way from the line, but he also believes she has a lot more to learn.

"I was the winner a long way out, (she's) just a beautiful filly," Price said.

"She's going to need to switch on a little bit more when the company gets a bit better but she won well today knowing that she's got a stack of improvement to come.

"She's a racehorse that's going to learn a lot more after today. The way she cruised up, I thought I was going to put 4, 5, 6 (lengths) on them but you will be able to see in the replay her ears were pricked the whole way from the moment she got to the front.

"In time if they can run her a long a little bit and she can get a couple of pairs back she's going to chase really well – she's a lovely filly going forward."

Kuroyanagi was the first of two winners for the Clarken and O'Shea's stable on Saturday, with in-form mare Second To Nun saluting for her third consecutive victory with an impressive on-speed display with Rochelle Milnes aboard.

Story from Racenet (Tyler Maund)

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.”

Read more

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

Read more

8 Ellis Ave Morphettville SA 5043

bloodstock@clarkenracing.com

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