Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea added their names to an impressive honour roll securing their first South Australian Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership at Morphettville on the weekend.
Heading into the final city meeting of the 2023-24 season locked on 43 wins with the Richard and Chantelle Jolly stable, Clarken and O’Shea secured the Premiership early in the day when Sachem was successful via a brilliant ride from superstar jockey Jamie Kah.
The former Victorian was sent out a short-priced favourite despite being labelled a “money muncher” by Clarken going in, but Kah rode the horse perfectly before the pair opened up to score a dominant 6.2 length win.
“I just wanted to make sure he was genuine, hopefully that was a nice confidence booster,’’ Kah said.
“I was nervous when I appeared at the top of the straight with a lap full of horse, he liked it in the end, he had fun,’’ she said.
One of the stable’s most consistent horses Second To Nun giving them a second win for the day when she produced a brilliant finishing burst to nail Kalasec in an open handicap loaded with talent.
Clarken said the mare went into the race over the odds despite a solid trial.
“She trialled like an absolute jet,’’ Clarken said.
“She’s a terrific mare.
“She’s been great for the stable and this is why we’ve had such a great season,’’ he said.
The battle for the Premiership slightly overshadowed the day’s feature with promising filly Lingani upstaging her high-profile rivals in the Listed Lightning Stakes for the Peter and Belinda Blanch stable.
The race wasn’t without it’s share of drama when the heavily backed favourite Arabian Summer broke through the barriers pre-race and was scratched at the gates leaving Kuroyanagi to run favourite before Lingani flashed late to score a last-stride victory with Dom Tourneur in the saddle.
“She just needed to get a run at the top of the straight, it closed, she went back to the inside. She’s got the will to pick herself up, it was magic,’’ Peter Blanch said.
“We’ll see where her rating lands, let the dust settle.
“Do we raise the bar now? I’m really happy for this group of owners,’’ he said.
Tourneur took that form to Gawler on Sunday winning the opening race of the day before leading apprentice Rochelle Milnes continued her outstanding season taking riding honours with a treble.
Milnes was successful aboard D’Isles who came from a mile back to win in the staying race, Inordinate bouncing back to wining form for bosses John Dunn and Krystal Bishop before Pretentious Lass justified favouritism taking out the last race of the day.
