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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 58872 Kuros Low Key Return

Kuro's low-key return

Kuro's low-key return

A home-state, black-type win is the immediate aim for South Australia's most-exciting young horse Kuroyanagi, but Will Clarken admits it's hard not to dream about spring features in both Melbourne and Sydney.

The Blue Diamond placegetter made a low-key return to the track in a 600-metre jump out at Thomas Farms Racecourse Murray Bridge on Thursday, pleasing both her trainer and jockey Ben Price.

Clarken said the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville later this month shapes as the perfect kick-off race and a suitable chance for the filly to secure a Stakes win, after her Group 1 and Group 2 placings over summer.

"All being well, we'll get a good trial into her at Balaklava in seven days' time and then a nice gallop on some Good ground, we'll look to kick her off in the Lightning," Clarken said.

"It'll come down to her first-up performance but races in both Melbourne and Sydney are definitely there as options.

"It was such a vintage year of juveniles, so we'll just have to pick our way through and dodge a few of them.

"We just want to get a black-type win next to her name, so we'll just chase little fish to start and build into it.

"But we cant hide our excitement about her."

During her first racing campaign, Clarken maintained that the daughter of Written Tycoon was far from the finished product and he said he's satisfied with the physical development she's made since the Blue Diamond.

And while her early targets are likely to be in the 1000-1200-metre range, he's excited at the prospect of stretching her out in trip.

"She's got a lot stronger in her time off," he said.

"We did the right thing by stopping after the Diamond, so she got a really good spell into her.

"Skeletally, everything has settled down because she was just feeling her shins off and on last prep.

"I'd love to see her rolling over seven furlongs because I just think she's got this amazing action.

"Brenton (Avdulla) gave us some amazing feedback that she felt like a horse that would get further after he rode her in the Diamond."

Story from Racing.com (James Tzaferis)

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More Murray Bridge joy for Crowther

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Tasmanian gelding lands Murray Bridge Gold Cup

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Cicala keeps unbeaten streak alive in Lightning Stakes

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Clarken's filly set for Stakes test

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Keeping it in the family

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Peltzer's brother turns heads

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

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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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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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