Jockey Tim Clark is brimming with confidence ahead of the 2019 George Main Stakes at Randwick this Saturday where he will continue his association with the Winx Stakes – Chelsmford Stakes double winner Samadoubt.
Samadoubt is after a WFA spring hat-trick in Saturday’s George Main Stakes 2019. Photo: Steve Hart.
The spring revelation from the stables of Bjorn Baker jumped at a juicy odds for his two first-up wins and will be out to complete a rare treble of weight-for-age victories in the Group 1 $500,000 George Main Stakes (1600m).
First-up the six-year-old son of Not A Single Doubt was a $31 roughie when defeating Happy Clapper by a half-length in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m).
Franking that form next time out, Samadoubt blitzed his rivals with a front-running annihilation by over three lengths in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).
Clark was aboard for both wins, as well as the horse’s only other stakes success in the Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) back in March.
“Samadoubt is flying at the moment, he’s really in the zone,” Clark told The Daily Telegraph this week.
“He’s been a late developer and I feel having a tough preparation last time has helped him become a weight-for-age horse.
“It is not an easy progression to make but he is going terrific.
“There was actually a bit of confidence in the horse going into the Group 1 (Winx Stakes), as silly as that may sound.
“Samadoubt was entered for two races that day but the decision was made to run him in the Winx Stakes as we felt it might be an easier race.
“In the other race (the Chelmsford), he was going to be up against Deprive and Trope at 1200m and they were going to be too sharp for him to be honest.
“Bjorn had Samadoubt really forward going into the Winx Stakes as we were hoping to try and catch a few of the others on the hop because they were first-up and had bigger fish to fry later in the spring.
“We felt they wouldn’t be fully wound up but Bjorn had Samadoubt ready to go.”
This weekend Clark is in the saddle again as Samadoubt looks to complete the Winx – Chelmsford – George Main treble Winx (2017) saluted in two years ago.
Along with the champion mare, the only other horse to win all three races this century was Lonhro (2003).
Before him, Kingston Town (1981) and Purple Patch (1976) also completed the task last century that Samadoubt looks to repeat on the weekend.
“Samadoubt has a great racing style, that’s one good thing about him, he makes his own luck,” Clark said.
“Plus he’s very tough and durable.”
Clark also takes confidence in the slick time Samadoubt won the Winx Stakes in (1:21.05), a faster time over the 1400m than the greats Kingston Town, Lonhro and even Winx won the same race in.
“It wasn’t like he got an easy lead and dashed home 600m, out-sprinting some old stayers, he ran proper time to win that race,” the hoop said.
“He ran them along at a good genuine tempo then quickened off that and was too tough.
“But the ease of his second win was more a surprise than his first-up win.
“He was able to control the race a little better over the 1600m in the Chelmsford.
“He then showed a great turn of foot from the turn.
“It is hard to knock either of his wins, that’s for sure.”
The latest George Main Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by Godolphin’s Chelmsford Stakes runner-up Avilius ($3.10) who is a gun on Heavy-rated tracks.
Samadoubt also has solid form in the wet and is at $7 to continue his winning streak from out in barrier 10 of 11 over what Clark believes is an ideal distance for his mount.
“I definitely think 1600m to 2000m is somewhere in his sweet spot,” he said.
“Being a horse that has won over 2000m you can make better use of him.
“The George Main will be a completely different race but he will make his own luck up on speed and on what we have seen in his two runs back he is going to be hard to run down again.”
To back Samadoubt to win the George Main Stakes 2019 at the best spring racing odds, follow the link to Ladbrokes.com.au.
