AN EXTRA SPECIAL TERRITORY HORSE
Versatile sprinter warms up nicely for Carnival
SAVATOXL capped off a highly successful day for the stable of champion trainer Gary Clarke with a big first-up win in the feature race-seven $25,000 TAB ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) at Fannie Bay yesterday.
The tough four-year-old is one of the Territory’s most promising young runners and proved that once again with an almost five-length win over a strong field.
With jockey Kim Gladwin aboard, the stayer showed his toughness and strong cruise speed as he leaped to the line, beating out Phil Cole’s Smuggling.
“His high cruise speed and his mental toughness are big assets that get him over the line and they showed out there,” Clarke said.
“It’s great to see that he’s come back as a four-year-old as he was one of the best threeyear-olds I have seen in the Territory.
“The ROANT Cup is a race you always like to see your horses run well in and a good kick-off for the Cup Carnival. It’s not the biggest indicator of what’s to come but it’s good to see your horses run well here.”
Angela Forster’s Alice Springs Cup winner Lotion took out third place, with Clarke’s second runner Java taking fourth.
It was overall a big day for the Clarke stable and in particular hoop Gladwin, the pair getting four wins throughout the day with Belmont Day, I’m Too Hot and Trebla all winning as well.
“He (Gladwin) has had a great day and has always been a really good jockey for myself, someone I would always give a ride to even before he became a stable jockey,” Clarke said.
“It’s just one of those days where everything went right for him.”
Other winners at Fannie Bay yesterday were: Prince Planet (trainer Kelvin Hickmott, jockey Paul Denton), Total Faith (Jason Manning, Vanessa Arnott) and Husslin Humph (David Bates, Lorelle Crow).