Long road trip weaves more magic for Clarke

A last-minute decision to make a 12-hour round trip to southern New South Wales has paid off nicely for Victorian harness racing hobby-trainer Stephen Clarke.

Clarke, his daughter Reagan and father Jim, loaded up with three horses from their Ballarat stable for the 550km trip to the Riverina raceway at Wagga Wagga on Saturday night (Sept 21).

They were rewarded when 3yo gelding Monsieur Flamel (Rock N Roll Heaven) scored his sixth career win, with a narrow victory in the Milbrae Quarries Pace, driven by Victorian reinsman Zac Phillips.

“It’s a very long way there and back in one day!  The horses have all pulled up pretty well, but for us it’ll probably take a bit longer,” Clarke laughed.

“We’ve done a bit of travelling before in 2021 with Miss McGonagall (Modern Art) when we went to the Ladyship Mile at Menangle (she ran second) and to Wagga for the Riverina Championship – but both times we stayed away for a week or so.

“We’d planned to stay a fortnight or so up there this time, too, but we just couldn’t work it out with finding stables for the horses. You never know quite what you’ll get when you go on such a long road trip, but in the end Monsieur Flamel thankfully got the run he needed and came up with the win.”

Clarke said despite the miles involved he was likely to keep his options open about planning another trip into NSW.

“I like Wagga.  It’s a good setup and good facilities.  Conditions-wise, Monsieur Flamel got that good 3yo claim against the older horses, which meant he claimed about eight rating points. That’s a big lift and you’re racing for nearly $10,000, compared to $4500 or maybe $6000 here,” he said.

Clarke is enjoying his most successful season numerically, with 21 wins so far – but stakes-wise his 2020 season was a standout, with more than $167,000 in the bank, thanks primarily to the deeds of Miss McGonagall.

His 21-year-old son Connor is working for respected trainer Geoff Webster and making his way as a freelance reinsman, while 16-year-old daughter Reagan has just entered the junior driving ranks this season and has recorded eight wins.

“We’re working five or six most of the time, and I work full time on a 12-hour night-shift at McCains in Ballarat, so my dad and Reagan, are the backbone at the stable,” Clarke said.

“I have about five or six in work and by the time you get home from nightshift, then work the team, there’s not a lot of hours left for sleeping!  But I do love watching the kids win races, and they’re more the reason I’ve got this many in work,” he said.

“The more their names are in the racebook, the more opportunities they can pick up elsewhere.  The things we do for our children!”

Clarke has had ongoing success with horses named after the Harry Potter series of children’s books by famed author JK Rowling, including Fleur Delacour, Miss McGonagall, Monsieur Flamel, Monsieur Delacour, Isabelle Delacour and Are Weasley.

He purchased Fleur Delacour from trainer Ross Conway when Conway downsized his team in the early 2000s.  The mare went on to win 11 races and set the foundation for the Clarkes’ breeding interests.

“I paid around $3000 for her, but she has given us Isabelle Delacour, who has had four to the races and who have all won, as well as Miss McGonagall.  We’re trying to improve our bloodlines and now that she’s finished racing, she’s in foal to Stay Hungry.

“I’m hoping she’ll prove a better broodmare than Isabelle Delacour.  But we’ll have to think about the naming.  The only time I’ve faltered is when I’ve strayed away from the Harry Potter theme! So hopefully, if I can stick to the wizardry them, we might have some more fun yet.”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink