Trots Centre: Miss bliss for Connor's "amazing" Vicbred debut

He may only get a little teasing taste but Connor Clarke can’t wait to launch into his first Alabar Vicbred Super Series, and with no less than a leading chance in tonight’s four-year-old mares' class.

The 17-year-old reinsman’s grabbed every opportunity in his first season in the sulky and he’s hopeful of that rolling into tonight’s third race when he steers favourite Miss McGonagal for trainer/dad Stephen.

“It’s amazing,” Clarke said of his first Vicbred Super Series drive. “It’s just something you always grew up and you watched it, the Vicbred Super Series.

“We’ve had plenty running in it over the years growing up, and it’s extraordinary to think that I’m going to be having a drive in the heats. The sad news is I’m only able to drive in the heats of the Vicbred Super Series because I’m not yet an A grade driver.”

Instead Clarke’s mission will be to ensure both Miss McGonagal and Monsieur Delacour, who he’ll partner in Sunday’s three-year-old colts and geldings’ heat at Shepparton, advance to the December 22 semi-finals at Tabcorp Park.

For Miss McGonagal that’s an easy equation, with all eight heat contestants advancing from tonight's first heat.

“She’s a super mare,” Clarke told Trots Talk. “The family takes a bit of time to grow into themselves, we probably realised after her first winter as a three-year-old she had a bit of ability.

“She had shown that a bit and got to metro grade, then corona came around and those $12,000 races, she really dominated throughout there.

“Just near the end of that she went for a break. She got a bit sick and wasn’t real right. She come back and she still wasn’t 100 per cent first-up from a spell.

“She had a few runs before she broke through for a $20,000 race. She’s come into herself, grown in confidence now and she just keeps on getting better every week.”

And she’ll carry plenty of favour tonight, enlisted a $1.25 favourite with TAB.com.au, aided in part by a favourable gate four draw.

“She’s got a lot of gate speed,” Clarke said. “She likes to lead but she can come off a sit, she’s really versatile.

“I’ll probably go forward, there will be a few horses looking to hand up on the front row and probably looking for my back. I’ll just come out nice and easy and wait for the speed battle to slow down inside of me and take it from there. Probably go to the top and dictate from there.”

His confidence extends all the way through to the mare's chances in the $130,000 December 31 Group 1 final.

“I’m really confident she can match it with the other mares. Probably Kualoa, Two Times Bettor and Our Princess Tiffany are the main dangers, it really just comes down to draws.

“But as you saw last week against some of the better boys in the 80 to 95 rating she outsprinted them with only one quick look at them.”

He also has great admiration for Monsieur Delacour, in no small part because their partnership’s been Clarke’s most successful of his short career.

Five of his 24 wins (from 148 starts) have been on the Village Jolt gelding, who was bred, is owned and trained by dad Stephen.

“He’s a really nice horse, bit of a bread and butter horse,” Clarke said. “He’s been really good to me, he’s done the job for me a lot of times.”

A $16 chance with TAB.com.au, Monsieur Delacour’s drawn gate two, outside favourite Scorcha ($1.80).

“He’s drawn two which probably favours him a bit. A bit worried about the one on the inside, Scorcha can come out a bit quick and I might have to hustle out of the gate a bit.

“We’ll work for a forward position to hand up to one of the better ones on the outside or maybe even hold the front. It depends on what’s happening really. We’ll see, we might even settle in a forward position in the running line.”

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