Roy rises again for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

The eight-year-old is among the entries for this Saturday’s $1 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, which is the final Group 1 race of the elongated Spring Carnival.

Gentleman Roy completed a winning hat-trick when he won the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes on August 17 , which was followed by a third placing in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes, also a 1400m event run at Caulfield.

Hayes and his training partners, brother Will and JD, gave Gentleman Roy a let-up after the Memsie Stakes turned their attention to the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, which was last year run in November for the first time.

“That was always the plan, he raced through winter and he had a freshen, he raced competitively again and ended up running third in the Group 1 behind Mr Brightside and Pinstriped, then we freshened again,” Hayes said.

“He’s an older horse now, if you put them in the paddock they get too fat, and just he’s just so consistent, so I’m sure he’ll be competitive again.”

Gentleman Roy’s only start since the Memsie Stakes was in a frantically-run Group 3 Moonga Stakes over the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes course, in which he knocked up late to finish sixth, beaten 3-1/2 lengths.

“His run the other day wasn’t bad as at all, he peaked after a little freshen, but he’s come through it well,” Hayes said.

The appearance of Group 1 winners Southport Tycoon (58kg), Private Eye (57.5kg), Pinstriped and Tuvalu (both 57kg), has helped Gentleman Roy get in lighter at the weights than Hayes anticipated with the son of So You Think to carry 55.5kg.