Stakes Double to Emerging Adelaide Trainers
- Wednesday, 18 December 2002 00:00
Bill Papazaharoudakis landed his first stakes success with Ikaros in the Listed Ule Oil Stakes, while Daniel Clarken notch his first black-type winner with the thrilling victory of Fox Helios in the Listed Winning Margin Stakes.
According to both trainers, their charges have pulled up well since Saturday's successes and each will be aiming at the two Group 3 races on offer at the same track on Boxing Day.
"Ikaros has pulled up really well and I think he'll run in the Christmas
Handicap," Papazaharoudakis said. "It was a great thrill to win my first stakes
but I was just happy for the horse. He has been underrated and did a great job to win,
given he did so poorly in Melbourne."
Ikaros had two starts in Melbourne where he ran below par, but turned that all around last Saturday with a short-half-head win over Agalia and Oh So Discreet.
"He will be fitter for the run and I'm confident he'll run out the 1450m of the Christmas Handicap. He'll have that run and then go out for another spell."
Papazaharoudakis could also have a second runner in the race - last start city winner Devil In Disguise.
"She has done really well too, and may start in the Christmas Handicap but there also looks a nice restricted race for her on the same day," Papazaharoudakis said. "I'll see how she does in the next week or so before making a decision."
Daniel Clarken was over the moon with his first stakes success, given how
it came about. Fox Helios, one of the outsiders in the field, set up a huge early lead
with Darren Holland in the saddle and fell in to win the 2260m lead-up to the Port Cup.
"Darren was at least 20 lengths in front for most of the trip, but just kept going at the one bat," Clarken said. "It's taken a while to work this horse out but you just have to let him bowl along. If you try to take hold of him, he will pull his head off. So Darren's instructions were to just let him roll along, but we never imagined he would be so far in front."
Despite weakening over the final stages, Fox Helios held off the late charges of Moongara and Frenzel Rhomb to win by a half-length. He, too, has pulled up well and will now go into the Group 3 Port Adelaide Cup (2400m) on Boxing Day.
"He's just jumping out of his skin," Clarken said. "He's fairly lightly raced but we've always felt he'd make a stayer, and he's just starting to put it all together. He'll certainly make the Port Cup interesting and it will be a true staying test."
Clarken is likely to also have a second runner in the event - last start winner Magical Spirit.
"He has done exceptionally well since winning at Victoria Park last start and he's been aimed at this race all along."
Clarken, who used to be studmaster at Toorak Thoroughbreds, decided to become a full-time trainer and horsebreaker recently which has already paid dividends. He currently prepares more than 20 horses for major stable client Tony Pappalardo, and has many more untried horses waiting in the wings.
"Between us we've got a lot of horses behind us, and we are slowly but surely weeding out the chaff from the hay," Clarken said. "Tony has been a great supporter and the move to concentrate on training seems to be going well. We've planned for the future and hope to improve the quality of the stable over the next few seasons."
Clarken, in his first serious season as a trainer, is currently equal seventh on the metropolitan trainers' premiership.
Media Release - Jason Hickson (TRSA)
