He’ll be remembered for winning a Golden Slipper and a Magic Millions, but Frank Cleary can’t even recall his last Sydney runner.
“God, I wouldn’t know,” he said.
The Queanbeyan-based trainer’s days of running dual stables are well and truly over, and that’s the way he likes it.
With just six horses in work, Cleary admits he’s relishing the opportunity to spoil his small team with attention.
“I’m what they call a `boutique stable’,” he said.
“I’ve had success, now I’m quite happy just doing my own little half-a-dozen.”
Among that half-dozen is promising three-year-old Rustle Of Silk who will test her metropolitan credentials in the 16 Days To Slipper Handicap at Thursday’s Warwick Farm meeting after three convincing country wins.
While he agrees there’s a huge jump between country and city competition, Cleary is confident Rustle Of Silk has what it takes.
“I’ve always been a realist,” he said.
“But her wins have been really exceptional – at her last one, she got in a lot of trouble and still swamped them.”
Although she’s never raced over 1300m, the Street Boss filly is a strong finisher who shouldn’t have any trouble with the distance, he said.
Formerly trained by Brent Stanley, Cleary said his wife bought the horse with hopes of a major win in the bush.
But with three wins from three starts this year, he’s wondering if Rustle Of Silk could go even further.
“There’s not much of her, but she’s got a lot of courage and has turned around,” he said.
