CLARRY CONNERS BACK IN THE ROYAL RANDWICK WINNER’S CIRCLE

With only ten or twelve horses in work these days, veteran trainer Clarry Conners doesn’t expect to have a glut of city runners. In fact, just lately he’s been a regular at the provincial tracks, winning his share of races and still enjoying the role that brought him an Australian Racing Hall Of Fame induction in 2023. He does however quickly identify horses capable of competing in town and invariably wins a race or two with them.

Clarry has done exactly that in recent weeks with four year old gelding Iceman, winner of two of his last three races - a midweek BM72 at Warwick Farm on August 20th and Saturday’s 1600m BM72 Midway at Royal Randwick. In between those two wins, Iceman had been badly held up in a BM72 on his home track, finishing fifth just over a length from the winner Island Dream. Rachel King had ridden the horse in both races and was anxious to continue the association on Saturday.

All four feet off the ground! Iceman was airborne at the finish of the Midway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The cool-headed King allowed Iceman to amble out of gate 2, and had the gelding relaxed and in a perfect rhythm in seventh spot on the fence at the 800m. She calmly eased across heels to be in the clear at the 200m about five lengths from the leaders. It was anybody’s race at the 150m where little separated Claim The Crown, Orthie’s Boys, Tenbury Wells, King Ratel and Agita. There was a lot to like about the way Iceman rounded up that wall of leaders before clearing out to win by a rapidly widening length and a quarter. “It was a pretty impressive win and easily his best performance to date,” said Clarry. “At his previous two starts Rachel said he’d been too keen in the early stages, but on Saturday came straight back to her. You saw the difference it made over the last 200m. He’s finally learning to race, and that should enable him to win more races.”

Iceman (Rachel King) was full of running on the line in Saturday's Midway - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The astute Clarry Conners was probably looking for another Peace Officer when he first spotted Iceman at the 2023 Inglis Classic Sale. Two years earlier he’d gone to $90,000 to secure Peace Officer who currently boasts a record of five wins and ten placings for prize money of $360,775. “I quickly syndicated that bloke and we’ve had a lot of fun with him,” said Clarry. “I was surprised to get Iceman for only $30,000 but this time I couldn’t find owners for him. He’s by proven sire Rubick out of a Bel Esprit mare called Ice Girl who’d won three in Victoria including two at Sandown. He was a little immature but a nice enough type and I thought he’d sell quickly. We didn’t get a single phone call. My wife Maree and I decided to race him ourselves, but have subsequently sold a small share to good friend Vicky Matthews.”

Iceman did indeed take some time to get it all together and didn’t win his maiden until start number eight, a Warwick Farm midweeker with Andrew Adkins in the saddle. A degree of talent was always evident, and he actually registered five minor placings before winning his second race also at Warwick Farm. His record now stands at 21 starts for 3 wins, 6 placings and almost $170,000.

Clarry and Maree on either end of the winner's sash after the Midway win. They race Iceman with Vicky Matthews - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Six years have passed since Clarry sold his well known Hope St. stabling complex and moved his small team of horses to son Marc’s nearby training stables. Although not in an official partnership, Marc and Clarry prepare a total of thirty horses between them and enjoy a wonderful association. The sale of his much loved “Victory Lodge” didn’t come without an emotional wrench for Clarry and his wife Maree. The 2860 sqm property had been home to the horses who’d accumulated 39 Gr 1 wins for the popular trainer complemented by another 52 at Gr 2, Gr3 and Listed level collectively.

Clarry first joined the ranks of Gr 1 winning trainers as far back as 1984 when Victory Prince won the AJC Sires Produce Stakes with Tony Marney on board. He put away two budding topliners in Red Anchor and Spirit Of Kingston. As he brushed away the tears during a post race interview with Ch 9’s Ken Callender, Clarry couldn’t have imagined another 38 elite level winners would come his way over the following four decades.

The ill tempered Research will always be remembered as the horse to take the Warwick Farm battler to racing’s biggest stage. Clarry owned a quarter share in the temperamental filly and took her to nine wins and seven placings for $1,880,000 in prize money. Her four Gr 1 victories came in a Flight Stakes, the VRC Oaks followed by the AJC Derby/Oaks double in 1989. The races were only four days apart, but the daughter of Imperial Prince relished the quick backup.

Not only did Research dominate the colts in the 1989 AJC Derby, but she led throughout in doing it! - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

Clarry bounced off the Research era with several nice horses and a flurry of major wins. It’s well documented that he went on to train four Golden Slipper winners while sheer bad luck robbed him of a fifth. He endured weeks of stress after his first Slipper winner Tierce returned a swab positive to a mouth wash called Lignocaine in 1991. It was one very relieved trainer who incurred a $10,000 fine in lieu of a disqualification. The very next year Clarry made it back to back Slippers when tiny filly Burst flew home off a furious pace to grab favourite Clan O’Sullivan in the dying stages. Six years later the trainer notched his third win in the famous race when Prowl sat outside the leader before winning easily. In 2000 he was the trainer of Belle Du Jour who recorded one of the most spectacular Slipper wins in history. Both Tierce and Burst went on to complete the “Grand Slam” with wins in the Sires Produce and Champagne Stakes.

Tierce (Shane Dye) was the first of Clarry's four Golden Slipper wins in 1991 - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

Clarry had a fifth Slipper stolen from under his nose in 1997 when Encounter was beaten under sensational circumstances. When the colt loomed up to tackle leader Guineas at the 100m mark he looked to have the race in the bag. He suddenly veered out several horses, before lunging again to miss by the barest margin. “Jockey Shane Dye maintained Encounter had taken fright when he caught sight of his whip,” said Clarry ruefully. “It took me a long time to get over that one.”

The most bitter disappointment of Clarry’s entire career came in the 1996/1997 season. He was training an exciting three year old called Mouawad who’d won seven out of eight and was going into the Doncaster off a Gr 1 treble. “He was a near certainty at the weights,” said the trainer at the time. “On the Good Friday we discovered a tiny bubble on his off-fore tendon, probably the result of a slight bump in his box. It was almost undetectable and he was completely sound on it, but I knew it was enough to rule him out of the Doncaster. The vets came and immediately ordered his withdrawal. I was completely crushed and so was jockey Grant Cooksley. He was the best horse I’ve trained and I’m sure Grant would still rate him the best he rode in a long career.”

Apart from the horses already profiled, several others have helped establish Clarry’s impressive CV. They include Dear Demi (VRC Oaks), Mirror Mirror (Magic Millions), Rose Archway (AJC Oaks), Apercue and Mossman (J.J Atkins), Viking Ruler (Spring Champion Stakes), Zagalia and Allow (Queensland Oaks), Air Seattle (Queensland Derby), Pins (Australian Guineas), and Only A Lady (Flight Stakes).

Family portrait! Clarry with Maree and Clarry Conners Snr at Rosehill 1991 - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

The chances of the veteran ever finding another Mouawad are indeed slim, but should a budding topliner suddenly appear he’s good and ready to put to good use the myriad of skills he’s accumulated over some fifty five years of training. Iceman will never be in the same league as any of the horses listed above, but you can bet his thoroughly experienced trainer will find the gelding’s optimum capability. That emphatic Randwick win on Saturday was a damn good start.