Leading jockey hopes six of the best will deliver victory at Hawkesbury
John Schell
Jockey Tim Clark has a good book of six rides at Hawkesbury on Tuesday and is confident of success.
Clark has been enjoying his usual solid season and sits fifth in the Sydney metropolitan jockey premiership.
He will start the Hawkesbury provincial meeting on the Sara Ryan-trained Galactic Force in the Family Funday 19 July Midway Maiden Plate (1300m). Galactic Force ran his best race when a last-start second at Kembla Grange.
“He’s only had the two starts since joining Sara’s stable, but he’s performed well in each of them,” Clark said. “He was hitting the line well the other day, and if he can run up to that effort, he should be very hard to hold out.”
Clark links with trainer Nathan Doyle for two quality rides, Blessed Express in the Elite Sand & Soil Super Maiden Plate (1500m) and Iron Fury in the St Johns Park Bowling Club Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1100m).
“Blessed Express was having her first start for Nathan the other day at Scone and ran a good race to finish second,” Clark said.
“And Iron Fury is also coming off a Scone run in which he finished fourth. That was his first run back from a spell and he is a second-up winner. He’s got a good record and should run well.”
Clark’s remaining three Hawkesbury rides are all for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
He will steer Stardust Memories in the XXXX Gold 3YO Maiden Handicap (1400m), Ruskana in the Richmond Club Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1800m) and Graphic Sight in the Blakes Marine Benchmark 64 Handicap (1300m).
“Stardust Memories is lightly raced, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she could show the improvement needed to run well,” Clark said.
Ruskana comes into its event on the back of a last-start third at Gosford, which was its best effort yet, while Graphic Sight resumed from a spell with a ninth at Warwick Farm behind Mrs Maree when well in the market after two trials.
