Champion jockey Tim Clark is only one win away from bringing up a remarkable 1500 career victories.
On Wednesday, the 36-year-old reached 1499 wins at Warwick Farm when guiding the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Venetian Blue to a good victory in the 2130m Benchmark 64 Handicap.
Clark has a good book of rides at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday and would be short odds to bring up the milestone, and whenever the 1500th win does arrive, he said it would be a particularly special moment in his storied riding career.
“It’s definitely an achievement, and I will be very proud of bringing up 1500 winners,” Clark said.
“I enjoy every winner I ride, and bringing up that milestone will be very satisfying.”
Clark is no stranger to significant moments in racing, with the country product already riding 23 Group One wins on top of his 46 Group Two, 67 Group Three, and 66 Listed victories.
Coincidently, Clark is celebrating 20 years in the saddle this year, with his first winner arriving in 2003 when he guided the Gordon Hulm-trained Tactica to victory Gundagai in the 1180m Class Two Handicap.
“It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago, but so much has happened since that first winner,” Clark reminisced.
“It’s been pretty amazing, and the journey I’ve been on so far has been a bit of a dream, and hopefully, there’s plenty more left to go.”
Clark’s journey to the race track commenced in the Riverina, and his story is a testament to what country kids can achieve if they are willing to work for it.
“I grew up in Tubbul, about 35km from Young, and lived on a sheep and cropping farm of about 1600 to 2000 acres,” Clark said.
“I went to school in Young, and funnily enough, my old man used to train and drive trotters, but that was before I was born, and he gave it away, and none of us kids were really involved in horses or Pony Club when growing up.”
Clark’s introduction to racing came about after his older brother and former country jockey, Brad Clark, kicked off his career with Leeton’s master trainer, Peter Clancy.
“Brad got into it when he was 16 or 17, and he started down that path of doing his apprenticeship, and I followed him into it about six years later,” Clark said.
“Peter and Nerida were fantastic for both Brad and I, and they really took us in and made us part of the family and treated us like we were one of their own.
“They treated us so well, and we were so lucky to have a good grounding; it was a safe and nice environment for us to continue growing up.”
Clark spent his formative years learning his craft around the Leeton racecourse, and things slowly got off the ground in 2003/04, with the youngster riding 12 winners before he made a name for himself, winning 51 races in 2004/05.
Clark trekked to the city in 2006 and was indentured to John O’Shea as he claimed the 2005/06 apprentices title with 89 victories, outriding his metropolitan claim that same year.
The momentum continued as he rode 75 winners in 2006/07, and while it was a whirlwind time in the life of NSW’s hottest young hoop, he explained that it took a lot of hard work and commitment.
“Even at such an inexperienced stage of my career, I had always dreamed of one day making it in the city and riding big race winners,” Clark said.
“It doesn’t always happen, but it’s definitely something I dreamed of, and I really dedicated myself to my career and tried to get the best out of every opportunity.”
Aa Clark continued his upward trajectory in the city’s jockey ranks, he didn’t lose sight of where he was from, and it was fellow country boy and Dunedoo product Hugh Bowman who gave him a sense of confidence and reaffirmed to him that country jockeys could make it in town.
“Everyone has to start somewhere, and like Hugh, who started riding at the amateurs, I started in the country and had to work hard to get to the city,” Clark said.
“He’s not a hell of a lot older than me, but he is someone that I looked up to, knowing that he had a similar country upbringing and that he started his career out in the bush, and it didn’t stop him from achieving everything he did.
“If anything, it gave me something to aspire to and hope and confidence that I could get to that top echelon of the sport.”
Over the years, Clark has ridden winners galore, bringing up 282 wins for Gai Waterhouse, 98 for John O’Shea, and plenty for the likes of Les Bridge, Chis Waller, Joe Pride, Gerald Ryan, and Bjorn Baker.
As such, Clark has jumped aboard many champion gallopers, but he couldn’t single out one moment that stood tall amongst the rest of his riding achievements, although he did touch on a few wins that meant a lot to him.
“I don’t know if there is one moment that sort of sits above the rest, but there is probably a handful that really means a lot to me,” Clark said.
“My first Group One win on Typhoon Zed was very special, and winning the Doncaster on Sacred Choice was also a wonderful feeling after winning such a big race.
“Still, every Group One is special; there’s nothing like it, and it’s hard to explain.”
Early in his career, Clark partnered with superb mare, Hot Danish, winning 14 races, including 12 Stakes events, with their win in the 2010 Group One All Aged Stakes bringing back fond memories.
“Hot Danish; she was a good horse, and I remember her winning that first Group One in the All Age Stakes, and that brought me a hell of a lot of satisfaction,” Clark said.
“She was such a big part of my career, and she helped me get to where I did, and to finally breakthrough in a Group One, that’s definitely one of my best moments.”
In recent times, Clark has shared success with the enigmatic galloper, Alligator Blood, teaming up with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to win four Group One races in 2022, including the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm, $1 million Underwood Stakes at Sandown Lakeside, $3 million Champions Mile at Flemington, and $750,000 Futurity Stakes at Sandown Lakeside.
“There has been that good association with Alligator Blood, and winning the Stradbroke was very special, and then riding my first Melbourne Group One winner ticked off a personal milestone,” Clark said.
“I wanted to ride a Group One winner in Melbourne, as it was the only state left for me, and it just proved to everyone that I was capable.”
With so many feature race wins next to his name, Clark is still driven to succeed, and he admitted that the dream of winning Australia’s premier races, such as the Melbourne Cup and Golden Slipper, helped him to get out of bed in the morning.
“I haven’t had any success in the four majors, and that’s something I’ll strive for,” Clark said.
Image – AAP.
“It’s a bit different these days, and probably a bit harder because the landscape has changed with all these big money races, such as The Everest and Golden Eagle, but a chance to win any of those four majors would be something I’m desperate to achieve.”
While he is one of Australia’s premier jockeys, Clark is a country boy at heart and has some sage career advice for up-and-coming jockeys.
“You’ve got to start your journey somewhere, and it’s not so much where you start but where you get to and where you finish,” Clark said.
“There’s nothing wrong with starting in the bush and cutting your teeth out there because that’s just the beginning of your journey, and if you work hard enough at it and dedicate yourself, this game can take you to great heights, and any part of the world, so you’ve just got to keep focused.”
All eyes will be on Clark at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow, and for fields, click here.
