Racing
Clubhouse looking for Ipswich change of fortune
Unlucky runner out to find tempo to suit in early week outing.
Bad barrier draws and races that have not been run to suit have plagued Clubhouse's campaign so far but trainer Marcus Wilson is hoping that luck may change for the gelding at Ipswich on Monday.
Clubhouse steps out over 1350-metres this time in a race where a stronger tempo beckons and the combination and experience with jockey Andrew Mallyon could deliver the elusive victory at the five-year-old's fifth start this campaign.
Wilson trains about 30 horses at the expanded Gold Coast training facility but still travels his runners broadly, and that has included the last two starts where the son of talented sprinter Speith finished second at Grafton over 1400-metres and Murwillumbah over 1550-metres over the past month.
"He's been a victim of bad barriers," Wilson said.
"You could make a strong case that he should have won two of his last four starts.
"He went down by a short margin last start but the horse is racing well and Andrew Mallyon knows him well.
"He's not the easiest horse to ride. He can overrace but Andrew has soft hands and get son well with him."
With the scratching of early fancy Sanctuary Cove – trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald – Clubhouse comes in to barrier seven.
"Again he's drawn a sticky draw," Wilson added.
"It makes it tougher to try and slot in to get a position but we'll hope to save something for the finish.
"But Andrew is a big leg-up and hopefully he can have home travelling well and coming home.
"We're quietly confident and the horse has been ticking over and working well, and he races at Ipswich.
"It's not the biggest track, it's not the smallest track but it is a momentum track and hopefully he gets that to suit him."
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