Last year’s Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) runner-up Malt Time is in firing form ahead of her bid for the title on Saturday, where she will carry apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll in his debut Group One ride.
Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, who train the daughter of Adelaide out of Byerley Park, afforded the same opportunity to Lily Sutherland last December in the Group 1 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham, where the pair finished an impressive third.
Lawson-Carroll has been indentured to the Clotworthy’s since commencing his apprenticeship and has established a strong association with Malt Time, winning three of their four starts, including back-to-back successes at Ruakaka.
The most recent of those came on September 7, where Malt Time came from last on the corner to storm past her rivals with apparent ease, giving the Clotworthy’s confidence to push onto the Group One.
“Her last start was very good against lesser opposition of course, but she’s won very well and seems to like that track at Ruakaka,” he said.
“She raced well at Hastings last year, so she doesn’t seem to mind that track either.
“She’s had a couple of nice bits of work since then, we do a quite a lot of her work out at the beach and I thought she worked particularly well last Friday.”
Malt Time was beaten only by Mustang Valley in the 2023 edition of the Arrowfield while paying $50 with horse racing bookmakers, and come Saturday, she will be among the more-favoured runners on a track better suited to her style than last year’s Heavy 10.
“We’d prefer a Good track, the heavier surface nulls her sprint a little bit so a good track would be ideal,” Clotworthy said.
While describing Lawson-Carroll as a “pretty cool character”, Clotworthy indicated there are plenty of nerves and excitement in the stable this week ahead of the race.
“This is Ace’s first Group One ride so he’s pretty excited, and a bit nervous too, but he doesn’t let things get to him too much,” he said.
“Most of the jockeys are a touch nervous going into a Group One, so I’ll just be telling him to ride it like any other race, he’s making good decisions in races at the moment and going on his instincts, so he’ll handle the occasion I’m sure.
“It’s great to give him this opportunity, he’s been a great kid to get going into racing and he’s had the early part of his riding career with us.
“He’s very loyal to the stable and works really hard, so he deserves this. Everyone has to start somewhere and have their first ride, so I’m pleased for him and happy to have him on our horse.”
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