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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 57682 Were Rapt With Her Clarken Set To Take Boom Sa Filly To Caulfield

‘We're rapt with her': Clarken set to take boom SA filly to Caulfield

‘We're rapt with her': Clarken set to take boom SA filly to Caulfield

Boom South Australian filly Kuroyanagi is on track to compete in Saturday's Group 2 Blue Diamond Prelude, but co-trainer Will Clarken won't hesitate to pull the plug if anything is even slightly off.

The talented two-year-old first came under notice when superstar hoop Jamie Kah made a flying visit home to SA to partner her in a Murray Bridge jumpout last month – winning impressively – before proving a class above on debut at Gawler under Ben Price a fortnight ago.

Kuroyanagi has been the subject of strong support in early betting for the Group 1 Blue Diamond – backed in from $51 to $11 – and she's set to take another step towards that target this weekend.

"She'll be accepted for Morphettville and Caulfield. I'm 90 per cent sure she'll go to Caulfield, Blake Shinn will ride," Clarken, who trains in partnership with Niki O'Shea, said.

"She galloped hard (at Morphettville on Saturday morning), we'll have a look at her and if everything looks all right we'll go over there."

While Kuroyanagi had a relatively easy time of things at her first start – she comfortably handled a field of four – it took her a couple of days to recover.

"All of our horses that ran at Gawler that day felt the track. Although they all ran well, the track was hard," Clarken said.

"She felt the track a little bit but she went to the beach for a few days and her legs were as cold as ice and she's jumping out of her skin."

Clarken has a big opinion of the daughter of Written Tycoon, who cost $390,000 at last year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, but has made no secret of the fact he thinks she'll be even better as a three-year-old.

"She's literally growing and filling out in work, so we're rapt with her, but I look at her and just think about putting her in the paddock," he said.

"There's a lot to come with her, she's not a little horse that's fully matured that you really want to get to now, she's got a big future ahead of her.

"When she puts her hand up and says she wants the paddock, she'll be going out."

The stable is absolutely airborne at the moment with 13 winners from its past 25 runners and currently holds a three-win lead over Richard and Chantelle Jolly in the Adelaide trainers' premiership.

Story from Racenet (Tom Biddington)

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More Murray Bridge joy for Crowther

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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

A week on from claiming Adelaide Cup (Gr 2, 1200m) success with Silent Surrente (Fiorente), Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea secured a win in the sales ring when they went to $240,000 to secure a stunning colt by So You Think (High Chaparral) early on day one of selling at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Catalogued as Lot 25 and offered by Mill Park Stud, the colt is out of winning mare Miss Otto (Elusive Quality), making him a brother to Group 2 winner, and now Twin Hills Stud-based sire, Peltzer (So You Think). Bidding ringside at the Morphetville sales complex, the stable’s racing manager Lachie Weekley was thrilled to snare the colt, who was knocked down to Clarken Bloodstock in partnership with Suman Hedge Bloodstock and prominent South Australian businessman Rob Chapman. “He’s just got a lovely action and a really nice demeanour, beautiful head on him, great eye,” Weekley said. “Very importantly he came off a terrific farm in Mill Park Stud down at Meningie, from Chris Watson and the team, their record is second to none and one of the best in the land.” The partnership, who purchased four lots at this sale last year for a combined total of $285,000, had to stay strong to win the colt, and plan to continue the momentum on the second day. “We were right at [our limit on him]. We wanted to be pretty strong on him, obviously he’s a quality colt so we didn’t want to miss out and there was some good competition as always, with those nice horses. “The clients that we bought him for, they were keen to attempt to try and buy the best horse here and that’s what we saw him as. We did the job early and there’s a couple over the next day or two and that’ll be us.” A close relation to 2019 Adelaide Guineas (Listed, 1600m) winner So We Are (So You Think), Weekley said the colt will be given time to mature and develop. “He’s just a lovely horse and we’ll give him a bit of time. He’d be more that sort of three-year-old type. We’ll just let the ball come on to the bat.” Mill Park finished the first day as the leading vendors by aggregate, having sold 12 yearlings for $1,031,000, the only vendor to break the million barrier.

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Peltzer's brother turns heads

Peltzer's brother will stay in South Australia and be trained by Will Clarken and Niki O'Shea after being bought for $240,000 in the opening session of Monday's Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. Offered as part of leading SA nursery Mill Park Stud's draft, the colt (Lot 25) was on the shortlist of several good judges but was ultimately knocked down to Clarken's Racing Manager Lachie Weekley on behalf of the stable, owner Rob Chapman and bloodstock agent Suman Hedge. As well as leaving multiple Stakes winner and now young stallion Peltzer, who was purchased for $260,000 as a yearling, the colt's dam Miss Otto has also left Stakes-placed filly Madison Kate. Weekley said the stable targeted the colt and was buoyed by the record of Mill Park Stud, the property on SA's Limestone Coast which has bred or raised more than 20 Group 1 winners. "He's a beautiful colt, just a lovely, well-balanced horse," Weekley said. "He has a lovely So You Think head on him and he looks to have a lot of class. "You'd like to think he'd be that sort of miler type O like. "We tend not to rush our young horses, it's cliche to say but we'll give him plenty of time. "Mill Park Stud is such a fantastic nursery, Chris Watson and the team down there do such a good job and the stats are just phenomenal. "They've nearly got the alphabet of Stakes winners, which speaks for itself." Story by James Tzaferis from Racing.com

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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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Surrente stars in Adelaide Cup

Silent Surrente has given star apprentice jockey Rochelle Milnes the biggest win of her career, winning the Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) for local trainers Will Clarken & Niki O'Shea at Morphettville on Monday. Milnes was initially caught wide aboard the $10 chance but kept the six-year-old mare in a good rhythm and eventually took her to the front, finding plenty in the straight to shake off initial leader Newfoundland ($6.50), who held on for second, beaten 1-1/4 lengths with $16 chance Grand Pierro a further length away in third. The 22-year-old apprentice, who was awarded Dux of the Racing SA Apprentice Academy earlier this year, said she was lost for words after her first ride, and win, in a black-type race. "I'm a bit at a loss of words, to be honest," Milnes said. "I'm absolutely run ragged, and for the support, this team has just been incredible with my career. I can't thank them enough. I'm a bit breathless, but I really just don't have the words to describe how thankful I am for this crew to be behind me." "They're amazing people, and this horse has just come into this race so well. I'm so proud of her." It was a first Adelaide cup win for the Clarken & O'Shea yard, and Will Clarken said the credit has to go to his training partner Niki O'Shea for the work he does with Silent Surrente. "Hometown Cup obviously means a lot, doesn't it," Clarken said. "I pride myself on my modesty. My name's in the book, but Niki really trains this horse." "He's just done a wonderful job from the time he got to the stable. He sort of nurtures, he rides all their own work. He's just done a wonderful job, it's obviously a team effort. We work hard together, but full kudos to him. He's a brilliant horseman." Clarken also sang the praises of Milnes, who he quickly identified as a talented jockey on the rise. "I know this sounds silly, but I don't think she was ever going to get beat. She just got in a beautiful rhythm," Clarken said. "I've spruiked her (Milnes) before she had her first race ride, but her skills are silky smooth. She's a really good rider. She works with us really hard, it's just great." Story from RSN

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