Tim Clark cleans up in Newcastle features

Broadside ridden by Tim Clark has won the Newcastle Gold Cup for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Tim Clark rated himself a chance to ride two winners at Newcastle, he just didn’t expect them to be in the feature races.

Clark took out two of the four stakes races on the program including the Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m) aboard the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Broadside.

It followed his Cameron Handicap victory on the locally-trained Got Unders, both winners starting at double figure odds.

“I thought I could win two races, the first two rides I had,” Clark said.

“That’s how good a judge I am.”

Clark did manage a minor placing in his first two rides on the program and said he had expected an improved performance from Broadside after his last-start disappointment in the Premier’s Cup.

“It was a bit of a surprise with Got Unders but I thought Broadside had a chance,” Clark said.

“It didn’t look to be an overly strong Cup and although he was coming off a disappointing run he had plenty of excuses and off a freshen-up he was always going to improve.”

Broadside gave Tulloch Lodge its fourth Newcastle Cup win and Bott confirmed the lightly raced gelding would press on to The Metropolitan Handicap on September 30.

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The horse is also entered for the major staying races in Melbourne.

“This has been a race we have targeted over the years successfully en route to the Metropolitan and we’d like to do that with him,” Bott said.

Broadside ($17) had a neck to spare over the rejuvenated Auvray ($9) who will get his chance to exact revenge after trainer Richard Freedman confirmed the runner-up would also head to the Group One staying feature at Randwick.

Local trainer Kris Lees had to settle for third with Admiral Jello ($10) in his quest for a first Newcastle Cup win.

Clark almost made it a treble of feature wins at the meeting when he finished second aboard Perfect Rhyme in the Tibbie Stakes.

The race was won by class mare Zanbagh who will also be given her chance to shine during the Sydney spring carnival.

“She has been a good mare year after year,” trainer John Thompson said.

“She was going to the Epsom. We will play it by ear but she will probably still go to that.”

Premier Victorian trainer Darren Weir had his first runner at Newcastle when Pacodali contested the Cup.

However, he left disappointed with the stayer looming up on the home turn only to tire and finish out of the placings.