Tim Clark has continued his excellent record in Newcastle’s feature spring races taking out his second Gold Cup aboard the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Hush Writer.
The Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) and Cameron Handicap (1500m) have been happy hunting grounds for Clark who teamed with Tulloch Lodge to win the staying showpiece aboard Broadside two years ago and had claimed the past three Cameron Handicaps heading into Friday’s carnival meeting.
While he could not make it a fourth Cameron aboard Savapinski, who was unplaced behind the promising Rock, he helped Hush Writer secure a spot in the Metropolitan Handicap with his fighting Group Three victory.
Clark said the Japanese import appreciated the solid tempo, outpointing Attention Run by half a length to deny Kris Lees an overdue local win, with the runner-up’s stablemate and race favourite Our Candidate another nose away.
“I was confident a long way out,” Clark said.
“He travelled unbelievable for me and credit to the second and third horses, they really put it to him.”
Adrian Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, confirmed Hush Writer would head to the Group One Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) at Randwick on October 5 and was likely to be their only runner in the race, which the stable has won eight times.
If he can perform there, he may head to Melbourne to join barn mate Wolfe who contests Saturday’s Naturalism Stakes ahead of a Caulfield Cup tilt.
“They came over as partners together from Japan and Wolfe is heading to the Caulfield Cup,” Bott said.
“You never know, this horse may end up down there eventually but Metropolitan first.
“It was good to see him strong late today. He might have been out on his feet but he fought them off well and there’s still improvement to come.”
In-form mare Sweet Deal landed her maiden black-type win with a determined victory for Nash Rawiller in the Group Three Tibbie Stakes (1400m), staving off the bids of Notation and Connemara.
Trainer John Thompson credited Rawiller for bringing out the best in the five-year-old, who has won three of her past four starts for the jockey.
“She’s been a mare in great form for a while and she’s got a fantastic rapport with Nash,” Thompson said.
“It was good to get that stakes win. We’ve been trying for a while and she’s had a few stakes placings but a stakes win is a big thing.”
Thompson has Group One placegetter Dreamforce in Saturday’s George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and says the horse is in superb order.
“He’s spot-on, super. We just need that track to dry out a bit.”
