Trainer Michael Clements was not expecting fireworks from his New Year 2017 kick-off team over the weekend, but was overall still pleased with the results.
The Zimbabwean-born handler had only some fair chances with Born A Fighter and Get Going on Friday and maybe Darci Charmer on Sunday. None of his 10 runners won, but some results were bearers of encouraging signs from a future perspective.
Ridden by replacement jockey Gerald Mosse (after Vlad Duric was stood down), Darci Charmer came from last to run fifth, just a little over three lengths off the winner Storm Troops in the Open Benchmark 89 race over 1200m.
Clements read plenty of merit in the Darci Brahma seven-year-old’s run, but was also given some feedback that brought back memories of a similar run that came under scrutiny two years ago.
“Gerald said he felt something funny with his action, which reminded me of the race he did with (Ivaldo) Santana two years ago,” said Clements.
“Santana thought there was something wrong with him and did not ride him out. He was later suspended for three months for not riding to the satisfaction of the Stewards.
“Yesterday, he ran the fastest closing sectionals. I thought he would run a good race and I was very happy with that run.”
Clements was also pleasantly surprised with the second of his trio of runners in that race, L’Apprenti Sorcier ($702) who showed plenty of cheek when he worked from across a wide gate to lead out the field and still looked a potential winner halfway up the straight for Clements’ new Malaysian apprentice jockey Shafrizal Saleh, until Storm Troops went on by.
Known as Church Boy in Sydney where he racked up the enviable record of five wins and three seconds from only 12 starts for trainer David Vandyke, L’Apprenti Sorcier was swamped late but still managed to run fourth to Storm Troops, just missing his first local place cheque by half-a-length.
“L’Apprenti Sorcier also ran a very good race. He’s finally shown something that reflects his Sydney form a bit better,” said Clements whose third runner Knight Wager ran ninth in the race.
“He’s hard to manage as his form changes very quickly, but let’s hope he has turned the corner.”
Clements, who is sporting a new look with longer hair, does not have any higher hopes for the next two meetings coming up this weekend, where he has six runners split two ways between Friday and Sunday.
“Not a big team going around this week, but I hope to see them run well,” he said.
“Astrostar has had a few runs for me since he’s come from Sonny Yeoh. He resumed after a break and I’m quite happy with the way he has improved.
“I think he should go better this week.”
A six-year-old by Testa Rossa, Astrostar was once one of Yeoh’s better-performed horses, winning five races on Poytrack, up to Kranji Stakes C level before struggling in better company. Having not scored since September 2014, he will try and turn back the clock in Sunday’s $80,000 Polytrack scamper over 1000m, where he will have to tough it out against the likes of Distinctive Darci, Mr Luck and Constant Justice.
Clements also happens to apply the polish to two more “Astro” horses, all raced by the UNI Stable, Astrospeed and Astrojet, both beaten runners on Monday, but again, runs that he could derive some positive spin from.
“Astrojet ran very well yesterday (fourth to I’ve Got A Feeling in the Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m),” said Clements.
“As for Astrospeed, he hasn’t raced for 1 ½ years and he needed the run. He was one of 10 horses who got stuck in Malaysia for one year.
“He could have finished closer (than second-last to Aramco in the other Class 4 race over 1200m) if he had not got checked at the 200m but he wouldn’t have won.”
