Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea will part ways as a training team at the conclusion of the current racing season, ending a successful partnership that delivered 131 winners at a strike rate of 15.8 per cent across three seasons.
The duo, who secured three Group race victories including this year’s Group 2 Adelaide Cup with Silent Surrente, confirmed the news to owners via a letter issued on Wednesday.
“I am writing with sadness to inform you that Niki and I are dissolving our training partnership and that we will both be training in our own right next season,” Clarken said in the letter.
“Going into our partnership, Niki and I made a pact that despite the outcome or length of the partnership, we would walk away as friends no matter what and we have achieved this.”
Clarken attributed the decision to structural challenges within the business model, citing that operating sustainably as a dual partnership required more than 60 horses in full training — a number not currently feasible in South Australia given facility constraints.
“Although we have the horse numbers at present, there isn’t a viable option in South Australia to accommodate that number of horses,” he said. “I am extremely fortunate that I can accommodate 40 to 45 horses across my Sellicks and Morphettville facilities, but we can’t stretch it beyond that.”
Despite the split, Clarken confirmed the two will continue to collaborate moving forward.
“Over the two-and-a-half years Niki and I trained together we have had overwhelming success. Like any good partnership, working together over this time has benefited both of us,” he said.
“I’ve learnt a lot from Niki, in particular with horses running over a trip, and I believe I have helped Niki develop his skill set in various ways.
“Niki is currently in Ireland. When he returns and establishes himself, we will be supporting him with pre-trainers and we will be advising clients to send him horses when we have an overflow.”
