The Cleaner and his trainer Mick Burles will have another shot at trying to win the Cox Plate after claiming the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes for the second year in a row.
After defying his rivals in Saturday’s Group Two weight-for-age race at Moonee Valley, The Cleaner returned to scale to the applause of the crowd and the adoration of his trainer.
The Cleaner
“They love him probably as much as I do,” Burles said.
Left behind him was multiple weight-for-age winner Contributer who finished fifth as the $2.20 favourite in his spring return.
The Cleaner was one of racing’s best stories during last year’s spring carnival as he won his way to the Cox Plate.
He finished ninth after a wide run early from a deep barrier, and his win on Saturday carries with it another ballot exemption into this year’s $3 million race.
The eight-year-old gelding’s best mate Burles, who trains The Cleaner at Longford in Tasmania and travels him across Bass Strait on a ferry for each Melbourne start, is convinced the galloper is bigger and stronger than ever.
Jockey Noel Callow worked The Cleaner ($5.50) to the front and later started to click him up from the 600m.
He led by two lengths into the straight and was never challenged in beating Bagman by 1-3/4 lengths with a long neck to Dibayani third.
Contributer settled midfield on the fence before forcing his way into the clear but couldn’t bridge the gap on the winner.
Burles is convinced there’s fitness improvement to come from The Cleaner.
“I didn’t want to rush in case I got in the Cox Plate again, because if he draws a decent barrier in that he’ll finish a lot closer than he did last year,” he said.
Callow praised the gelding’s toughness.
“You’ve got to ride him to break their hearts and that’s what he does. And he keeps doing it,” Callow said.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn, who was riding Contributer for the first time, told stewards the horse didn’t appreciate racing inside horses.
The Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes is named after the Malaysian businessman who has owned many big-race winners in Australia trained by Bart Cummings.
Cummings died last Sunday and jockeys wore black armbands in Saturday’s race in honour of the famous trainer.
