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Clarken Racing | Clarken Racing News 53100 Doncaster Dream For Ironclad

Doncaster dream for Ironclad

Doncaster dream for Ironclad

Will Clarken will attempt to sneak a run in the Doncaster Mile on Saturday week with talented import Ironclad, who will step up his preparation with a serious gallop between races at Strathalbyn on Wednesday.

The Morphettville-based trainer has been rapt with the six-year-old's progress since a first-up win in the Listed Matrice Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide.

Ironclad will travel to Victoria on the weekend and have another gallop - possibly with star jockey Jamie Kah to take the reins - before connections decide whether to head north to Sydney or stay to defend his crown in the Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo.

"He's pulled up enormous," Clarken said.

"Safe to say I've got him going as good as I can.

"He's going to have a gallop between races on Wednesday and Strathalbyn and then over the weekend, whether it be Friday night or Saturday night, he'll go to one of the Maher and Eustace stables at Cranbourne or Ballarat to have another gallop there on Tuesday.

"Jamie (Kah) could gallop him and we could get her read on him before the Doncaster.

"We'll accept for the Golden Mile (at Bendigo) and the Doncaster and he'll definitely be running somewhere that weekend."

With 50kg and a rating of 100, Ironclad sits equal 47th in the ballot for the Doncaster, although Clarken remains optimistic a high attrition rate above him can pave the way for the horse to gain a start in the $3 million feature.

If he does, Clarken will need to find a new jockey, with Kah already committed to $5 Sportsbet favourite Forbidden Love.

Ironclad is rated $101 in the all-in market for the Doncaster.

"If he drew the right gate in the Doncaster and it looked like it wasn't going to be a complete gut-buster, we'd give it serious consideration," he said.

"There is a little concern that he might not make the field but we're hoping he can just scrape in.

"There was the option of taking him up there to run this weekend (in the Doncaster Prelude) and then back him up but I thought that was too much for the horse this early in his preparation."

Clarken said the G1 Memsie Stakes and G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes could be options for the Australian Bloodstock-owned import during the spring.

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Keeping it in the family

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‘Quality’ So You Think colt heads to Clarken and O’Shea

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Peltzer's brother turns heads

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