Few New Zealanders can boast of owning a share in the winner of the world’s richest two-year-old race but Havelock North couple Tony and Michelle Clark can after Guest House took out last Saturday’s A$5million Golden Slipper on the Rosehill track in Sydney.

The couple own a five per cent share in the Home Affairs colt who took his stake earnings to more than NZ$4million when he powered away from a star-studded line up for a 1-1/2 length win in the 1200m feature.

The winning stake in the Golden Slipper was A$2,994,000.

Tony Clark was on course at Rosehill to cheer his horse home and join in the post-race celebrations, although a heart operation prevents him from partaking in alcohol these days.

“It’s the richest two-year-old race in the world and to win it was something else,” Clark said this week.

“It was a big result and a fantastic day and watching James McDonald reach a record number of Group 1 wins made it even better,” he added.

It was not a perfect day for Tony and Michelle Clark however as they also own a share in Reserve Bank, who was down to start in the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m), the race following the Golden Slipper, but was unfortunately a late scratching after he became fractious in the barrier.

It was through their ownership in Reserve Bank that the Clarks became a shareholder in Guest House.

“I took a share in Reserve Bank a few years ago and he has won five out of nine and more than NZ$944,000 in stakes,” Clark said.

“He won the Group 1 Goodwood in Adelaide and has also won a Group 2 race.”

Both Reserve Bank and Guest House are trained by the partnership of Mick Price and Michael Kent junior and Clark said it was the latter who convinced him to take a share in Guest House.

“Michael rang me and said they had bought this colt that looked like he could be special,” Clark said.

By the first season sire Home Affairs, he had been a A$270,000 purchase from the Magic Millions yearling sales.

Clark said the Roll The Dice Syndicate immediately secured 50 per cent ownership of the colt with Mick Price left to sell off the other 50 per cent, which now involves a large group of people.

“Basically we could have taken a 50 percent share then but we decided to just take up five per cent,” Clark added.

Guest House was having only his fourth start when he lined up in the Golden Slipper.

He looked special when winning on debut at Cranbourne last December and then, last month, recorded a second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) and third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) won by the filly Streisand.

The colt was luckless on both occasions but, with leading Sydney rider Zac Lloyd in the saddle this time, Guest House delivered on potential.

Allowed to settle in the second half of the field, Guest House travelled smoothly with a hot tempo up front and, when he found clear running through the field after turning for home, he unleashed a sensational turn of foot.

The colt surged through on the inside to turn the tables on Streisand, who was second, with the only gelding in the field, Music Time, holding on for third.

It was a first Slipper win for Zac Lloyd, who aspires to the lofty heights set by reigning champion jockey James McDonald.

"It was high pressure, but my colt was fantastic,” he said.

“He broke on terms. He's been a bit tricky in his mannerisms, but this time he was very tractable. I got on the back of the best jockey in the world and I thought, 'Here we go, we'll go from here.'

“And I just quickened that well. I was just waiting for a run, but geez, he let down so well.

I'm so pleased for the big ownership and Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr and Ben Elam, who works for them here in Sydney.”

Guest House’s victory was well deserved for Victorian-based Mick Price, who had endured two close minor placings in past Golden Slippers.

“We’ve had a few goes at it but it was a big effort from the horse,” Price said.

“We had to peak him for the Blue Diamond and then peak him again for this.

“We resisted the urge to trial him after his run in the Blue Diamond and we just had Zac Lloyd gallop him a few times to keep him up to the mark.”

Michael Kent Jr and Ben Elam were obviously elated to achieve Slipper success with a valuable colt.

“With the speed on he got to relax. Zac Lloyd, what can I say, he read the pattern, and the horse was so good,” said Michael Kent Jr.

“It’s so right for Mick. I’m so lucky I work with him. He’s had so many close calls in this race.”

Galloping to resume on Hastings track

Progress continues to be made on the Hastings racetrack re-cambering project, with a recent site walk confirming the work completed to date is tracking well.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing representatives joined Hawke’s Bay Racing, independent track advisor Liam O’Keeffe and Chief Stipendiary Steward John Oatham onsite, on Friday of last week, to inspect the surface and discuss the next steps in the return to racing process.

The onsite review noted the positive improvements made, including the smoother camber profile and strong grass coverage across the course.

Going Stick readings are also tracking encouragingly, although the most recently laid turf remains slightly firmer and will continue to receive additional irrigation.

The track was verti-drained three weeks ago and was to undergo that process again this week, two weeks ahead of the planned jumpouts. This work helps relieve surface tension and support consistency across the track.

Installation of the new Simtrack inside and outside running rails was also being carried out this week, while general presentation work around the course, including weed control and tidying of surrounding areas is also being done in preparation for the next phase.

The next key step in the return to racing process will be jumpouts on Tuesday, April 7. Subject to those being successful, trials are planned for Tuesday, April 28, followed by a six-race meeting on Thursday, May 21.

Stakes race now planned for Spark

Hastings trainer Guy Lowry is looking forward to testing his homebred filly Spark at stakes level once again following her maiden victory at Tauherenikau last Sunday.

The three-year-old has always shown Guy and training partner Leah Zydenbos plenty, giving them the confidence to cross the Cook Strait to make her debut in last September’s Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton where she finished fourth.

She was runner-up in her two subsequent starts before being freshened and was too good for her rivals over 1000m on Sunday, winning by 1-1/4 lengths over Portrush.

“We have always rated Spark quite highly,” Lowry said. “We took her down to Christchurch without a start and to run fourth in a Canterbury Belle was great. She is just maturing into a nice filly.”

Pleased with her progression, Lowry is now keen to attain black-type with the daughter of Time Test and has circled the Group 3 Windsor Park Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on ANZAC Day as her key target.

“She’ll have another run in a Rating 65 race over 1200 at Wanganui on April 7 and then run in the Breeders’ Stakes,” Lowry said this week.

Lowry is the breeder and owner of Spark, who is out of the No Excuse Needed mare Flare.

“Flare is one of our best broodmares and has left winners in New Zealand and Australia,” Lowry said.

Flare’s first foal was Flaming Torch, a Super Easy gelding who has won four races in Australia. Candle, a full-sister to Flaming Torch, was the second foal and has won five races in New Zealand while Flashlight (by Embellish) won on debut from Lowry’s Hastings stable and has since won again in Australia.

Psyclone goes past $100,000 in stakes

Hastings-trained Psyclone, a bargain buy for her Hawke’s Bay owners Greg and Donna Miller, took her stake earnings to more than $111,000 when she took out a $25,000 Rating 75 race over 2050m at Tauherenikau last Sunday.

The Millers paid just $1600 for the daughter of Rageese from the online auction site Gavelhouse and she now has a record of four wins, four seconds and five thirds from 29 starts out of the Hastings stable of John Bary.

The Millers own Valley d’Vine Restaurant, which is part of Linden Estate Winery in the Esk Valley.

The winery and most of the surrounding buildings were devastated by the widespread flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle three years ago but fortunately the restaurant, which is two stories above ground level, was left high and dry.

At the time of the cyclone the Millers had just purchased a two-year-old filly by Rageese out of the Savabeel mare Sensibility from Gavelhouse and decided to name her Psyclone, being a play on the word cyclone.

Psyclone was taken back to last by jockey Kavish Chodhoory in the early stages of last Sunday’s race and was still one of the tailenders starting the final 600m.

Chowdhoory then started to make a move around the field and Psyclone was the widest runner as the field turned into the home straight.

Rusty Lane looked the likely winner when clear in the lead inside the last 300m but Psyclone quickly joined that runner and the two horses set down to a head to head tussle over the final stages with Psyclone managing to get the bob in on the line to win by a nose.