Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke

Article by Alan Trout

Michael Joseph Clarke had five wins over jumps in the 1990s. His first victory was on Easter Monday 1994 when Charlycia recorded an easy win in the Rase Selling Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen. He had ridden the six-year-old on her three previous starts and had been placed twice. 

Following an unplaced effort at Perth the partnership came good again at Hexham on May 10, when running on to beat Richmond by three and a half lengths in the Oakwood Selling Hurdle. Charlycia was trained by Tim Carr at Saltburn-on-Sea, for whom Michael rode as a conditional jockey. 

The following season he joined up with Dai Williams, who trained at Great Shefford, near Newbury. They had their first success together on the final day of the campaign when the four-year-old Symbol Of Success won the Flagstone Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at Stratford, taking the lead at the second last flight and holding off the challenge of Blair Castle, the mount of AP McCoy. 

It was not until Easter Monday of the following season that Michael had his fourth win when Tosakno proved too good for 15 rivals in the Holiday Selling Novices’ Hurdle at Market Rasen.  

The wait for a final victory was even longer, but it finally came at Plumpton on March 25, 1998, when the 11-year-old Another Deadly, trained by Terry Casey, got up in the last few strides to catch First Instance and take the Philip Hall Memorial Handicap Chase by a head.

According to the comments in ‘Chaseform’, Michael “gets few opportunities”, but he was certainly good enough if the horse was. 

Michael Clarke’s winners were, in chronological order:

1. Charlycia, Market Rasen, April 4, 1994

2. Charlycia, Hexham, May 10, 1994

3. Symbol Of Success, Stratford-on-Avon, June 3, 1995

4. Tosakno, Market Rasen, April 8, 1996

5. Another Deadly, Plumpton, March 25, 1998