Tim Clark felt nothing unusual in Taikomochi’s action as he trotted him back to scale after a comprehensive win in Saturday’s Kingston Town Stakes. He was stunned to learn on Monday that the gelding had come out of the race with a pronounced lesion to the near fore suspensory ligament.
The news greatly disappointed Taikomochi’s big team of owners, who were looking forward to seeing him run in races like the ATC Metropolitan.
Tim Clark was having only his second race ride on the gelding when the pair combined to win Saturday’s Group 3 feature. Although many of his rides come from Tulloch Lodge, he hadn’t been on the tough seven year old since November of last year when the pair combined to run fourth in the ATC Cup at Rosehill.
Taikomochi is best known as a front runner but Tim wasn’t perturbed on Saturday when Wu Gok wrested the lead away from him at the 1400m mark. “He’s a bit on the lazy side and rarely gets on the bit in his races,” said the jockey. “He actually travelled more generously behind Wu Gok than he would have had he retained the lead. He was fairly motoring when he charged to the lead on top of the rise and I was confident they wouldn’t get to him.”
Most owners going into a newly acquired yearling realise the chances of finding a Winx or a Black Caviar are remote. They can only hope for a horse capable of giving them some enjoyment while covering the inevitable hefty expenses.
Gai Waterhouse snared the Snitzel-Geisha colt from the Kitchwin Hills Stud draft for $180,000 at the Inglis Easter Sale of 2015. Sons of Snitzel were running hot after Shamus Award’s Cox Plate win and Gai had little difficulty in syndicating the bay colt among a sizeable owner group. There was a slight change to that group just recently when Andrew McClure paid $5000 for a five per cent share in Taikomochi which was offered on the popular Inglis On Line Auction.
Taikomochi didn't look like a horse with a suspensory ligament strain immediately after the Kingston Town Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Somebody in the syndicate knew that a Taikomochi was the male equivalent of a Geisha in the rollicking days of the Japanese feudal lords. If one of the noblemen wanted to impress his friends at a glittering dinner party, he would engage the services of an entertainer - a jester, joke teller or raconteur to amuse his carefully selected guests. Taikomochi was an imaginative choice of name for a colt out of Geisha. The equine Taikomochi has entertained his owners to the tune of $606,000 from seven wins and nine placings so far.
A strong win in the Australia Day Cup at Warwick Farm early this year prompted Gai and Adrian to send him on a mission rarely executed by Sydney trainers - a quick raid on the Tasmanian summer carnival. Adam Hyeronimus went with him and Taikomochi earned worthwhile prize money in finishing fourth in the Hobart Cup and second in the Launceston feature.
Before his breakdown on Saturday the Snitzel gelding had been racing in career best form. He’d posted two wins and two placings from five starts this time in and was in a great mindset. Many horses have been able to return from injuries similar to the one sustained by Taikomochi, leaving connections with high hopes that he’ll be back to fight another day.
As game as they come! Taikomochi makes light of an injury to win the Kingston Town Stakes by a space - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The same applies to Tim Clark who’s one of Sydney’s most reliable jockeys. His weight is constant as is his work ethic. He’s good on a backmarker, but excels on a front runner. Clarky just keeps chipping away, always ready to pounce on an unexpected opportunity.
The 2019/2020 season was a little quiet by his own admission but still netted him 88 NSW winners. The previous one brought him 97 winners, while in 2017/2018 he bagged 110.5. The 2016/2017 season was even better with 115 wins, placing him 5th in the state.
There’s plenty of “bush” in thirty four year old Tim Clark. He’s laid back and seems to take everything in his stride - perhaps a by product of his upbringing on the family farm between Young and Temora, and a very happy apprenticeship with Peter Clancy at Leeton. By the time he transferred to John O’Shea for the final eighteen months of his indentureship, it was obvious he was going to make the grade at the top level. He made an immediate statement by winning the 2005/2006 Sydney apprentice’s premiership.
In sixteen years of race riding he boasts a winner tally of close to 1300 including a very impressive 15 at Gr 1 level. Loyal supporter Les Bridge believes Tim’s temperament is his secret weapon. “The bloke is unflappable,” says the veteran trainer. “He’s the same going into a Group 1 at Randwick or a Maiden at Wyong. He’s the kind of jockey you need when the pressure’s on.”
Tim Clark in the Darby Racing colours after Samadoubt's win in the 2019 Winx Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim’s favourite Group 1 win is his Doncaster triumph on Sacred Choice for Joe Pride in 2011. “She was a great mud runner and got a very heavy track in the Doncaster,” recalled Tim. “After a perfect run she put them away pretty quickly. I only had two other rides on her for placings in a Chipping Norton and a Queen Elizabeth Stakes. She was a good mare for me.”
It will take a very special horse to depose Hot Danish as Tim’s all time favourite. He rode the brilliant mare in fourteen of her sixteen wins including a well deserved Group 1 double - an All Aged Stakes and a Doomben $10,000. “She was a lovely, big strong mare with a perfect temperament and a sweet action,” said the jockey. “The only time her action changed was on a rain affected track. She just couldn’t let down on a wet surface. On top of the ground her turn of foot was amazing.”
It was a bitter blow for all concerned when Hot Danish succumbed to a massive hind leg infection in 2011 and had to be put down. “The vets tried everything possible to beat the infection but couldn’t get on top of it,” said Tim. “With no Hot Danish in my life I decided to accept a Hong Kong offer and finished up staying for two years.”
Tim in one of 14 wins on his all time favourite Hot Danish - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim rode fifty eight winners in two seasons against some of the world’s best jockeys including a Group 1. “Douglas Whyte was still in great form, Zac Purton was making a name for himself and Darren Beadman was going great guns,” he said. “There’s no doubt I was better for the experience. I felt much sharper in races when I returned to Sydney.”
Tim needed a Group 1 win as quickly as possible and nailed one on Global Glamour in the 2016 Flight Stakes. “That win not only regenerated my career in Sydney, but helped forge an association with Gai and Adrian which continues to this day,” he said.
The popular jockey doesn’t expect to replicate his deeds of this year’s Autumn Carnival, but he’s hoping for a taste of black type success. Clark was in rare form during the Slipper Carnival and the Championships, posting a spectacular sequence of stakes wins.
He won The Gr 1 Galaxy on I Am Excited, the Gr 1 Coolmore Classic on Con De Partiro, the Gr 1 Coolmore Legacy Stakes on Con De Partiro, the Gr 2 Emancipation Stakes on Positive Peace, the Gr 3 Carbine Club Stakes on Entente and the Gr 3 Epona Stakes on Missybeel. News broke this week that Con De Partiro will shortly be on her way back to the USA, where she’ll be catalogued at the Keeneland Broodmare Sale in November.
A deceptive angle at the finish of the 2020 Galaxy. I Am Excited won by only half a head from Miss Leonidas who's not in the picture - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Tim’s hoping his experience under the “pressure cooker” conditions of The Everest might help to bring him under notice if a ride becomes available before October 17th. He’s been around in all three so far, with two of his rides collecting handsome prize money. He rode Nature Strip from the extreme outside gate in 2017, finishing fourth after doing a power of work to lead. Shoals was well in contention in 2018 but struggled on a heavy track to beat one home. Last year he gave $51.00 “pop” Tulip a perfect ride before finishing fifth.
Tim finds it hard to believe almost seventeen years have rocketed by since the exciting occasion of his first winning ride on Tactica at Gundagai on 23/11/2003. “It was Snake Gully Cup day and pouring rain when I went out to ride Tactica for Peter Clancy,” he recalled. “I would have gone around in a tornado. Peter is still one of the first to ring if I happen to win an important race in Sydney.”
Tim Clark’s transition from a Riverina apprenticeship to the ranks of Sydney’s leading jockeys has been an exciting journey. He’s at the age when top jockeys blossom, he has no weight problems and is on the short list for most of Sydney’s major stables.
The bold “TC” initials emblazoned on both legs of his silks, have earned him the nickname “Top Cat” from fellow jockeys - after the legendary animated TV cartoon character. When it comes to his current standing in the Sydney riding ranks, “Top Class” might be more appropriate.
Samadoubt and Tim Clark on their way to a win in the Chelmsford Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Tim Clark was having only his second race ride on Taikomochi in Saturday's Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)