Ironclad kicks off huge Melbourne Cup carnival for Will Clarken

Will Clarken is taking a giant workforce throughout to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup Carnival and he is hoping to land a blow early with the proficient Ironclad within the Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes on Saturday.

The South Australian coach is anticipating to have runners at three of the 4 iconic conferences with black-type performers Beau Rossa and Ironclad representing the secure on Derby Day.

Clarken stated the latter is his finest probability, the seven-year-old seeking to gather the largest win of his profession, including to the three Listed races already on his CV.

John Allen takes the trip from barrier 10 and the coach is hoping Ironclad can produce the same first-up efficiency to the one which noticed him dash brilliantly to seize the Listed Matrice Stakes at Morphettville in March.

???????????? STAKES WINNER ????????????

IRONCLAD (Dubawi x Warmth Haze) is again!

The proficient import confirmed his tenacity and can to win beneath an ideal @jamieleekah07 trip to win the Matrice Stakes at @SAJockeyClub ????

Incredible stuff by @Clarken_Racing ????

Congratulations to connections ???? pic.twitter.com/yTnsGCdvjq

— Australian Bloodstock Updates (@ausbloodstock2) March 14, 2022

“We have actually taken word of that (win within the Matrice), he is an older horse who’s bought a couple of illnesses and I believe the time to actually strike with him is first-up,” Clarken stated.

“I am actually buoyant about how Ironclad has come up. His coat hasn’t been this good for a very long time and he turned in an exquisite piece of labor on Tuesday morning. He is in a very great way.

“Though it is a Group 2 and it is price some huge cash, he is in a race that I believe he may be aggressive in.”

Punters really feel equally, Ironclad firming from $15 to $12 with the TAB when markets opened.

The secure is much less assured concerning the prospects of Beau Rossa, a $21 probability within the Group 3 Rising Quick Stakes.

Ben Melham can be within the irons and the directions can be very easy.

“We’ll be driving him ultra-conservatively – he bought into some unhealthy habits on the finish of final prep,” Clarken stated.

“So we’ll attempt to hold half the sector in entrance of us and hopefully see him discovering the road and that’ll give us a superb basis for many good races to return.

“His drawback is he is bought that top handicap score, wherever we run him first-up in a handicap, he’ll be huge odds as a result of he wants to hold the burden towards good horses who’re exhausting and match.”

Beau Rossa (left) finishes second to Behemoth in final yr’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes. Image: Vince Caligiuri-Getty Photos

Melbourne Cup day can be a giant one for Clarken’s secure apprentice Ben Worth, who will make his Flemington debut on Second Slip.

The six-year-old was overwhelmed 2.6 lengths when resuming in a Listed race at Caulfield earlier this month and boasts a powerful second-up report with three wins and a 3rd from 5 begins.

“He is come on rather well from his run the opposite day, he is taken lots of health from that,” Clarken stated.

Balaklava Cup and Seymour Cup champion Noname Lane is an opportunity to proceed his sterling preparation within the Listed Furphy Plate on the primary in November.

The six-year-old is coming off a last-start seventh within the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, ending 2¾ lengths behind Tuvalu.

In the meantime, globetrotter He is A Balter will resume on Oaks Day, his first run since having two begins at Meydan over the Dubai World Cup Carnival, for a second and a fourth in a Group 2.

“He is trialled up terrific the opposite day. He is an sincere horse however he is bought a excessive handicap,” Clarken stated.

“He is the hardest horse you may discover.”