Tim Clark was late on the scene but finished the strongest on Scone Cup day with a winning treble taking in victory on Sedanzer in the feature race on Friday.
The Central Coast jockey missed his ride on Belle Of Portugal in the first race because of traffic problems en route to Scone but he quickly made up for it with wins on Bare Naked Lady, Connemara and Sedanzer.
Bare Naked Lady easily took out the Inglis 2YO Challenge (1100m) for trainer Tracey Bartley and Connemara held on to win the Widden Stud Class 1 Handicap (1100m) for Bjorn Baker.
Clark then took $4.60 favourite Sedanzer to a half-length win over defending champion Duca Valentinous in the Cup (1600m).
Sedanzer, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, bounced back from a first-up ninth in the Godolphin Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury two weeks ago.
“I don’t think it was quite long enough the first time she ran,” Waterhouse told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“After Hawkesbury we thought long and hard and we thought maybe the Scone Cup might just suit her.
“The tempo of the race was a bit muddling early, then it picked up after that and it really suited her and really pulled her into the race.”
Clark said the four-year-old mare appreciated the extra room to move at Scone.
“She was I thought plain to say the least at Hawkesbury, but it was just a great effort from Gai and Adrian to turn her around in the space of two weeks,” Clark said.
Of the Hunter contingent, Scone trainer Rod Northam’s After All That ($2.70 favourite) was a popular winner of the last, the Noel Leckie Country Cup.
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees’ Pierina, wearing the colours of his former stable star, Lucia Valentina, was an impressive winner of the opening race, 1000m maiden. The three-year-old New Zealand filly was making her Australian debut.
Newcastle trainer Paul Perry’s Surjin produced a strong front-running effort to win race three, the class 1 handicap. (1600m)
