Jockey Tim Clark is running out of time to make it 100 winners for the season
Top jockey Tim Clark’s hope of riding 100 winners in a season is slowly disappearing as time begins to run out.
Clark needs six more winners to make the coveted ton, which seems less and less likely as meetings continue to be washed out in New South Wales due to the heavy rain.
”It would be nice to be going into the last meeting of the season trying to break the 100 for the first time,” Clark said.
”Unfortunately with the weather, I’m running out of meetings, the weather is not on my side.
“If it happens, if I ride 100 winners, I’ll be rapt – otherwise that is how it is.”
Clark rode 89 winners during the 2006-07 season when there was ample competition amongst the apprentices.
”About 89 is the best I’ve done for a season,” Clark said.
”We all rode over 50 winners in town that year.”
While his chances of riding 100 winners this season are diminishing, he has already ridden 64.5 winners in Sydney this season.
”It has been a big year,” Clark said.
”I’ve ridden 19 black-type winners, they are the ones you’re trying to win, black-type races and Group 1s.”
The young jockey will ride six horses at Warwick Farm tomorrow.
Clark will ride Kevin Moses’ Longlea in tomorrow’s Happy 35th Birthday Mario Tartak Handicap at Warwick Farm, after the mare won her last start.
”Longlea’s first-up win was pretty good,” Clark said.
”Her second-up stats aren’t quite as good but in saying that she has had a bit of time between her first-up and second-up runs.
“She has been kept fresh and won on a rain-affected track at Canterbury, so the weather isn’t going to worry her.”
The jockey will also ride Solitaire Princess in the third race of the day and Noble Edict in the last.
”I don’t know much about Solitaire Princess,” Clark said.
”She won a two-year-old race at Dubbo on debut and is taking on better class horses here.
“I’ve never ridden Oh My Papa but seen her a few times, she has a bit of ability.
“She was unlucky at Scone over the carnival and if she was to strike that type of form, she’d be a definite chance.
“Apparently Noble Edict has been going quite well, worked well on Tuesday morning, so he is a chance.”
Clark will also ride Jason Coyle’s Masterstroke and Marc Conners’ Miss Shamardal.
While Clark believes Warwick Farm’s wet track could be Masterstroke’s undoing, he is confident that the going will suit Miss Shamardal.
‘I trialled Masterstroke before I went away and he has the ability, but whether the wet track is to his advantage I’m not sure,” he said.
”Miss Shamardal could be my best ride if the track gets really heavy.
“I won on her on the Kenso track and it was real heavy.”
Clark is leaving for Hong Kong on August 16, where he will ride trackwork until the new season starts on September 11.
”I’m looking forward to it,” Clark said.
