English on Everest trail after Doomben 10,000 victory

Report: Australia, Saturday
Doomben: Kirin Doomben 10,000 (Group 1) 6f, turf | 2yo+

Jockey Tim Clark chartered a path that was supposedly a no-go zone to set English on the path to the $13 million The Everest with a win in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

Most jockeys had declared the inside of the Doomben track as the least preferable path, but Clark steered English (10-1) up the inside to beat the fast-finishing Impending by a long head in the $700,000 race.

Le Romain was a half neck back in third place, just in front of the favourite Redzel.

English gave Clark his second Doomben 10,000 after winning on Hot Danish in 2010, while it was Gai Waterhouse and her training partner Adrian Bott's first win in the race.

Waterhouse's father Tommy Smith holds the record for the Doomben 10,000 training wins with six but she wasn't on course to see her first victory in the race.

Bott and Waterhouse have proved a lethal combination in recent years and it was their fourth Group 1 as a partnership which is in its second full season.

It completed a good two days for Waterhouse, Bott and Clark as they combined to win the Scone Cup on Friday with Sedanzer.

Bott said English had proved a strong part of their partnership's success.

"She won the All Aged Stakes for us and right from when she ran in the Golden Slipper she has performed well for us," Bott said.

"We were very confident because she had done so well since her sixth in the TJ Smith in the autumn."

English took her prize-money past $3.4m but Bott is confident there is a lot more to come.

"She is entered for the Group 1 Kingsford Smith, the Stradbroke and the Tatts Tiara," Bott said. "But we are also looking at getting her ready for The Everest in the Sydney spring."

Clark rode English in her first barrier trial three years ago but hadn't been back on her in competition before the Doomben 10,000.

Clark said English had a dynamite turn of foot.

"I was able to get on to Redzel's back and she was really strong at the finish," Clark said.

Impending turned in an outstanding Stradbroke Handicap trial coming from well back.

Kerrin McEvoy said Redzel had run well and was beaten only a half length after being attacked in the lead.

"He gave a good kick in the straight but was beaten by a couple of better horses on the day," McEvoy said.

Also on Saturday

Morphettville: UBET South Australian Derby (Group 1)1m4½f, turf | 3yo

Darren Weir trained his third successive South Australian Derby winner after Leicester outstayed his rivals.

Given a perfect run in fourth spot by Damian Lane, Leicester issued his claim at the 300m mark and kept a narrow advantage to beat the fast-finishing Rezealient.

Runaway took the minor placing after setting the tempo.

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