Clarken racing have shares in High Mist, a former New South Wales galloper who has won five races and $290,000 in prizemoney for Australia’s leading trainer Chris Waller up for grabs and the leading Morphettville horseman is poised to target South Australia’s bushfire affected areas including the Kangaroo Island Cup Carnival at Oakbank later in the year.
The all-inclusive package will mean no training fees for six months, 50 per cent off all stake money (and $20,000 upfront from the sale) will make its way to the SA Bushfire Appeal.
“I was trying to think of what that I could help in some way,’’ Clarken said.
“As a horse trainer you are pretty time poor and we thought this was a nice way to try and do something worthwhile for the cause.
“It offers people the chance to get involved in a racehorse, share in all the privileges that come with that experience while we’re hoping to give something back,’’ he said.
Clarken has trained 31 winners across SA this year and shares top spot on the Adelaide Trainer’s Premiership with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy powerhouse.
His ability to turn around tried horses is proven via the deeds of Steel Frost and Parsifal in more recent times while High Mist comes to Adelaide with a different profile.
“He’s an older and we’re realistic in our expectations,’’ Clarken said.
“We have a connections in the Waller stable and they suggested he’d a be an ideal horse here for SA.
“He’s been racing well in Sydney without luck and as a consequence his rating has been dropping to a level where we think he can measure up in the right sort of races we want to target in the country areas.
Clarken said the opening day of the KI Cup Carnival on Thursday February 20 would be the launching pad for High Mist.
“There is a race over 1200m on the Thursday of the KI Cup Carnival, that’s where he’ll kick off,’’ Clarken said.
“Hopefully he’ll over to Port Lincoln and ultimately there should be a race for him at Oakbank over the Easter Carnival as well,’’ he said.
Anyone wishing to get involved can do so via bloodstock@clarkenracing.com.