By Ray Hickson
It’s been a while between wins for flying mare Passeggiata but the Bjorn Baker stable is pinning its hopes on a return to her comfort zone at Warwick Farm on Wednesday to bring about a change of fortune.
Passeggiata has to turn around a last-start failure, beaten eight lengths by Eye Of The Fire almost three weeks ago, but Baker’s assistant trainer Luke Hilton said the All Too Hard @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1000m) is her most suitable assignment for some time.
Passeggiata won three of her first four starts but has been winless since June last year.Credit: Getty Images
“She’s a fast filly and she gets over the top of the ground so a heavy track the other day didn’t play well with her,” Hilton said.
“Back on top of the ground and back to the 1000m, hopefully that’s more her go.
“The run before it was full of merit, we felt she was getting somewhere back near her best.
“Now she’s able to get back to midweek grade we’d like to build a bit of confidence with her.”
She won three of her first four starts but has been winless since June last year, with four seconds from her nine subsequent starts.
The five-year-old, $5.50 with TAB on Tuesday, was run down by Confess Our Dreams over 1100m carrying 59kg in a Benchmark 78 at her previous start.
With the 3kg claim for Braith Nock she’ll carry 57kg in a Benchmark 72, so Hilton said she appears well-placed.
He expects the instructions for Nock will be simple, to make use of her speed and an inside barrier.
“Braith rode a good winner on Friday night where he rolled to the front, I watched that with interest to see how he handled that horse and he looked to do it well,” he said.
“A small field makes a difference and drawing a good gate does too.”
Hilton said a decision to wait a few more days will give lightly raced mare Slinky a chance to notch a city win in the James Squire Handicap (1200m).
The four-year-old was initially going to run on Friday night but the stable felt the better option was to line up on her home track.
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Freedman races in honour of late mate Kavanagh
Craig Kerry
Trainer Will Freedman will run Cold Brew in the race named in memory of his close friend Sam Kavanagh at Newcastle on Thursday.
Race three on the transferred Gosford program was changed to the Vale Sam Kavanagh 1200m maiden after talks between the clubs.
Kavanagh, who trained out of 20 boxes at Newcastle Racecourse for the past three years, died at age 38 last Saturday morning after a battle with cancer.
Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Richard, won that day at Randwick with Zoubaby and dedicated the victory to Kavanagh.
Cold Brew was nominated for Newcastle and for Friday at Canterbury but Freedman said he would now go to Kavanagh’s race.
“Hopefully there’s some divine intervention,” Freedman said.
“He’s going the right way that horse, and hopefully he lines up. But it’s not about me, it’s all about Sam.”
Everest-winning jockey retires at 30
Craig Kerry
Jockey Sam Clipperton has retired at age 30, just 14 months after winning the richest race on turf, the $20 The Everest, aboard Think About it.
Clipperton’s surprise announcement came via Instagram on Monday night.
“After 15 years of race riding, the time is now to pursue other goals and I am excited for what is in store for the future,” Clipperton said. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me along my journey.”
Clipperton had his first race ride in 2010 and won the coveted NSW metropolitan apprentices’ title in 2012-13 and 2013-14, with 27 winners each time.
He won five group 1s before his career highlight with Think About It, but he had been riding mostly on the provincial circuit in recent times. His last ride was on last-placed Scorching Legend on December 7 at Rosehill. He finished with 672 career winners and had 15 from 91 rides, at a strong strike-rate of 16.5 per cent, this season.
