Clark’s golden touch
SYDNEY’S form jockey Tim Clark could trump his career-best Golden Rose Day return at the Epsom Handicap meeting at Randwick today.
Clark combined with trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to win three feature races at Rosehill last week, including the Group 1 Golden Rose with In The Congo.
But at Randwick’s Super Saturday raceday, Clark hopes to ride that momentum to claim another big-race treble, this time all in Group 1 races.
Clark joins forces with Waterhouse and Bott when he rides last week’s Colin Stephen Quality winner Entente in the $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) and underrated filly Swift Witness in the $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m).
But then Clark will be in opposition to Tulloch Lodge in the $1.5m The TAB Epsom (1600m) when he rides lightweight Sky Lab against the Waterhouse and Bott-trained duo of Riodini and Discharged.
Entente is pressing for Metropolitan favouritism at $6 behind only Montefilia $5.50 after his runaway win at Rosehill.
Clark is not concerned Entente is backing up for the third Saturday in succession and is confident he can provide Waterhouse with a record ninth win in The Metropolitan.
“Entente is going really well and he ticked that 2400m box the other day,” Clark said.
“I know he has to race three weeks in a row, which is never an easy thing, but he is a big, tough, strong gelding and I expect he will handle it. He’s ready to go again.”
Entente drops 4kg to just 52.5kg for The Metropolitan and should get the
run of the race from barrier four.
“He showed at Rosehill he can sit anywhere and be effective,” Clark said. “It was a brutally run 2400m but he finished off his race very strongly.”
Waterhouse is chasing a 10th win in the Flight Stakes – second only to her legendary father Tommy Smith on 13 wins – with either Swift Witness or Never Been Kissed. Swift Witness is the favoured runner of the stable
duo after a consistent Princess Series that included her win in the Silver Shadow Stakes and a last-start third in the Tea Rose Stake.
Clark dismissed any suggestions Swift Witness might struggle to run a strong 1600m in the Flight Stakes.
“I’m not really concerned about the mile, I’m confident she will run it right out,” Clark said of Swift Witness. “She was great last start after having to do a
fair bit of work in the first 400m but then she relaxed really well.
“It’s just a matter of getting the right run in transit. She’s had a great preparation but this is her ‘grand final’ and this is where you will see her best performance.”
Clark will ride Sky Lab 2kg over his allotted 50.5kg in the Epsom but still feels he is one of the main chances in a typically open feature Randwick mile.