Superbly bred mare Clear Thinking has taken her unbeaten run to four with a gallant victory at Randwick, earning herself a stakes race opportunity.
A daughter of top European sire Dubawi out of Australian Group 1 winner Sweet Idea, Clear Thinking was purchased by Arrowfield Stud supremo John Messara during a dispersal of the late Queen Elizabeth’s racing and breeding stock in 2022.
Only making it to the track late in her four-year-old season, Clear Thinking is already rewarding the patience of connections with a quartet of impressive wins in as many starts, culminating in Saturday’s Highway Handicap (1200m) performance.
“She just finds a way to win. That’s now four from four and she will go up in company and down in weight,” co-trainer Paul Messara said.
“I think the 1200 is still her trip and she will strip fitter for today.
“It was really nice to see her do it again today. It was tricky there for a little bit, they ran along and it was a really good contest.”
In a fast-run race, Clear Thinking ($3.50) was given time to find her feet by Aaron Bullock and did a tremendous job to pick up under her 60kg topweight, surging through the pack to defeat the game Highway Strip ($2.70 fav) by a long neck.
Joiselle ($16) did a good job to fight on for third after leading, another half-neck away.
Bullock said he always had confidence in Clear Thinking, despite having to weave a passage clear in the straight.
“I found a nice rhythm. There was good speed on, but every time I gave her a little click, I had another gear, another gear, another gear and she did the rest,” Bullock said.
“I had to do a little bit of navigating through some of those horses tiring late, but she is a lovely horse.”
Paul Messara confirmed Clear Thinking would have her next start in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 15 before any consideration was given to the Country Championships (1400m) during the Sydney autumn carnival.
“We will go to her next start and see how she goes. The Country Championships is a little while away now so we’ve got time to work that out,” he said.
