Tim Clark expects the 7 Stakes meeting at Randwick to prove a decisive one for a trio of his feature race mounts, including two exciting imports bidding to consolidate their respective positions in Sydney’s carnival ranks.
The go-to jockey for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Clark will link with Tulloch Lodge in three of the five black-type races on Saturday, partnering Royal Patronage in the 7 Stakes (1600m), Elyiss in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) and Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot in The Shorts (1100m).
The globetrotting Royal Patronage made an outstanding Australian debut to claim the scalp of classy mare Amelia’s Jewel in the Tramway Stakes (1400m), backing up the promise he had shown on the trial and training tracks.
His next challenge is making the transition from handicap to weight-for-age racing on Saturday when he will take on the likes of established star Fangirl in a key match-up.
“It will be a good test for him to see where he sits,” Clark said.
“We’re going to find out a lot more about him on Saturday, whether he is that weight-for-age kind of horse, or whether he is more of a handicapper.
“It’s a strong race. Zougotcha, Fangirl, Hinged, they’ve all been competitive at this elite level for a long time.”
Former French galloper Eliyass has been faultless in his two local starts and Clark is excited by how much the horse has improved since his first-up win in the Premier’s Cup (2000m) last month.
While he heads into Saturday with a four-week gap between races, Clark doesn’t expect him to be lacking on the score of fitness.
“This was always the plan with Eliyass, to go four weeks between runs,” he said.
“He had that tick-over trial where he was race-fit, but he trialled better than he’s ever trialled, then it’s two weeks to the Metropolitan from Saturday.
“It seems like a perfect program for him and he’s thriving, the horse. He couldn’t be going any better.”
Lady Of Camelot returns to Sydney after resuming with a solid third in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley and while she isn’t as well suited under Saturday’s weight scale, Clark says she is in great shape.
“She was going well leading into that race and it doesn’t seem to have taken anything out of her,” Clark said.
“It’s a test up against the older horses again and she doesn’t get the weight advantages she did in Melbourne, but if she can be right around the mark here, when she gets back to weight-for-age she’s going to get that weight drop.
“We will learn where she sits but I couldn’t be happier with how she is going.”
Clark’s Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) mount Declichy Boulevard has been scratched to run in Melbourne, while he will team-up with Hawkes Racing’s Airman in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).