Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea have their sights on some black-type races with in-form mare Episodic who made it four wins from her past five starts at Morphettville on Saturday.
The decision to stay in Adelaide in preference to a return to Melbourne justified when the four-year-old powered over the top of rivals with Lachlan Neindorf in the saddle to continue her rapid rise from a maiden back in April.
“She’s been terrific,’’ Clarken said.
“She toughed out a trip to Melbourne, had seven days in the paddock over there and the team at Murray Bridge have done a terrific job with her,’’ he said.
Clarken said they would now try and follow a similar path they took with Agreeable, who was also raced by leading owner Jonathon Munz’s Pinecliff Racing 18 months ago, who campaign in some good SA races running fifth in the Balaklava Cup before winning the Murray Bridge Cup.
“The plan now will be head to the Spring Stakes, the Penny Edition and Balaklava Cup,’’ Clarken added.
“We’ve got our eye on Stakes races in our own backyard.
“We’ll work out whether we go six weeks into the Spring Stakes or give her one (run) going in,’’ he said.
The win giving the stable a two-win buffer at the top of South Australian Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership with just over a month to go in the season.
It was the second leg of a riding double for Neindorf who provided the Phillip Stokes stable with the first leg of a training double when Let’s Get Down was successful before The Mass scored an impressive first-up win in the last race of the day.
It was a memorable day for apprentice Jade Doyle who landed her first city winner aboard Bona Fide Star for bosses Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle, the first leg of a training double when Dixie Whistler was successful.
“Even more special to do it for the boss and the whole team,’’ Doyle said.
“He’s my little favourite, I love him so much, he never really runs a bad race for me and deserved that win,’’ she said.
Tala Hutchinson continued her impressive first season in the saddle with a double at Port Augusta on Sunday, having now ridden 27 winners from 128 rides, while Fair Legacy continued his brilliant form on the Port Augusta circuit for Justin Pickering with his fourth win in succession, while Garret Lynch produced a training treble.
