About us
Our StoryMeet The TeamOur LocationsRehomingCareers
Ownership
Ownership OpportunitiesOwnership GuideTerms and Conditions
Honour Roll
News
Contact

Login

Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 61146 Crowthers G 1 Chance On Flower

Crowther's G1 chance on Flower

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)

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

Clarken's filly set for Stakes test

Unbeaten filly Cicala will be thrown into the deep end at start number three, set to contest the Listed Lightning Stakes at Morphettville at the end of July. The race, for two- and three-year-old gallopers, has been won by subsequent Group 1 winners Nature Strip and Viddora in previous years and Cicala's co-trainer Will Clarken has won two of the past four editions of the race. The daughter of Tamasa backed up her impressive debut win at Gawler by winning in equally as eye-catching fashion over 1100m in town last Saturday. "She's a very unassuming little filly," said Clarken, who trains in partnership with Niki O'Shea. "I saw her about a month ago and she looked a bit light, so we dropped her back to the farm and she's really strengthened. "Rochelle (Milnes, winning rider) galloped her last Tuesday and basically declared her, I wasn't as confident! But she rode her like that." The Lightning is run over 1050m and Clarken says the prospect of a wet track in the depths of winter will pose no issues for his emerging sprinting talent. "I think we'll go five weeks between runs," Clarken said. "She's a three-year-old filly and she gets through the mucky going, all you can do is win. "Ligthly raced, we know she gets through the ground, why not?" Story from Racing.com (Tim Yeatman)

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

About

Ownership

News

Login

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