The punters are rallying behind the Daniel Bowman-trained Begood Toya Mother to return to winning form in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2019 at Caulfield Racecourse.
Begood Toya Mother is firming favourite on just 52kg for the Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
There are 15 hopefuls engaged in this year’s Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne, but only three are under double-figures in the latest markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.
Heading betting at a firming $2.70 quote, Myboycharlie five-year-old Begood Toya Mother looks set for a sweet run from barrier three with regular rider Declan Bates continuing associations.
The horse from Warrnambool enjoyed a sixth straight win first-up at Caulfield on August 17 winning the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m).
He was then thrown in the deep end going up notably in weight to 59kg at elite level back at the track a fortnight later for the WFA Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).
Far from disgraced, the up-and-comer ran a terrific race from out wide (13 of 13) and crossed under three lengths back for a midfield sixth behind the winner Scales Of Justice.
This weekend he returns to the same track and distance but is back to handicap conditions dropping right down to a very lightweight of just 52kg in the Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes field.
Begood Toya Mother is out to be the sixth favourite in the past 20 years to salute for the punters in a race Bowman has been targeting for months.
“He won the Regal Roller first-up and got the rating up and then he had a good solid run second-up with three weeks into this,” the trainer told AAP this week.
“It’s his second run at 1400 for the prep, third-up he’s as fit as he’s going to be and just peaking for his grand final.”
Occupying the second line of Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes betting at race sponsor Ladbrokes.com.au is Amphitrite ($7.50) who also looks well-weighted on just 54kg.
The Lindsay Park-trained Sebring mare is out to improve on her first-up sixth in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) and will relish the step-up to 1400m, a distance she is to date undefeated over (2:2-0-0).
She carted 59kg in the Cockram and comes right down in kilos for her second-up run of the spring where she will be out to continue the gun record of four-year-old horses in the race over the past two decades.
The other danger at $9 is the in-form So Si Bon, also representing the Lindsay Park stable in this season’s Ladbroke Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes field.
Third-up on the weekend with the in-form Jamie Kah in the saddle, So You Think six-year-old So Si Bon won Flemington’s Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) first-up before a last start second at big odds in the Memsie Stakes.
Looking in career best form this prep, So Si Bon carries 57kg on Saturday, which historically has been a tough weight in the race.
Of the 59kg horses to have carried 57kg or more in the Sir Rupert Clarke since 1975, just three have won and 44 failed to finish in the money.
The other gallopers with at least 57kg in this year’s event looking to overcome the hoodoo are co-topweights on 58kg Best Of Days ($17) and Black Heart Bart ($61), along with Despatch ($12) and Madison County ($14) who carry 57kg.
Written Tycoon five-year-old Despatch won the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in an upset back in May and comes off a credible fifth in the Memsie Stakes.
Madison County meanwhile is first-up on Saturday, the Kiwi galloper representing Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman in the race.
Debuting as a four-year-old, the son of Pins had a successful Sydney raid over the autumn with three top four runs including a last start second behind Angel Of Truth in the Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m).
The other standout Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes runner in 2019 is the rails-drawn Age Of Chivalry carrying 52kg with Michael Dee aboard the lightly-raced galloper.
After opening at $8.50, the Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra-trained He’s Remarkable four-year-old has won his last two runs at Caulfield this campaign in easier grade.
The latest saw him overcame barrier 12 of 14 in a 140m handicap to beat Qafila and on Saturday Age Of Chivalry comes back two kilos from that win looking to retain his undefeated status at the track.
The 2019 Ladbrokes Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is set to run as Caulfield Race 7 at 4:15pm (AEST) and betting on the race is available now by following the link to Ladbrokes.com.au.
