El Soleado heads back to Flemington races

Veteran jockey Tim Clark continued his Group 1 dominance with a hard-fought win on War Machine in the Stradbroke Handicap, taking his tally of major wins to 26. His journey at the elite level began in 2008, when he piloted Typhoon Zed to victory in The Galaxy.

Now nearly two decades later, Clark is still as competitive and committed as ever, driven by the excitement of big races and high-quality horses.

“There is always something to keep you motivated, whether that’s a horse or a certain race,” Clark said.

“It gets you up, even in these colder months, and a lot of the good horses are coming back into work (now) or will be in the next few weeks.

“It can be a grind at certain times, but generally there is always something around the corner to look forward to.”

Clark’s week-to-week output remains equally impressive. Despite his winter carnival commitments in Brisbane, he sits fourth on the Sydney jockeys’ ladder, notching up 55 wins this season.

“I’ve had really good support throughout and been able to capitalise on a few of those opportunities,” he said.

“It’s nice to be sitting high up on the ladder.

“I’ve spent the majority of the last two months away on Saturdays but that has been very rewarding as well. All in all it has been a top season.”

Back in Sydney this weekend, Clark has a strong book of rides at Randwick, headlined by Bases Loaded in the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m). The gelding is second-up for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, with Clark confident he can improve sharply.

“He has been gelded this prep and he does seem to be coming up well,” Clark said.

“The run under his belt won’t hurt him but I still think he’s going well enough to run a forward race.

“Fortunately, in a big field he has drawn soft. He will race somewhere near the speed but he might be able to have a cosy run just in behind them, conserve a bit of energy and he could surprise fresh.”

Bases Loaded opened at $9.50, while early market favourite Headley Grange holds firm at $3.80.

Other rides for Clark include Shamarkand in The Living Turf Handicap (1800m) and Rotagilla in the QMS Media Handicap (1600m).

To bet on the Civic Stakes or any feature event this weekend, explore the best options for online betting sites, including the latest betting apps and Australian bookmakers.