THE Will Clarken stable will get a good guide to how Darwin Cup runner-up Paghman will measure up down south when he makes his local debut at Morphettville on Saturday.
The horse can be forgiven for feeling a little lost since arriving in Adelaide and has been forced to acclimatise quickly to his new a surrounds, with this week’s weather a far cry from his familiar surrounds in the top end where he’s spent his 22 starts career under the care of Lisa Whittle and Gary Clarke.
Clarken’s racing manager Lachie Weekley said the horse had settled in a well ahead of racing on a grass surface for the time.
“Obviously he’s never gone around on the grass before, so that going to be new to him, but he’s settled in really well and is good shape,” Weekley said.
“He galloped well on Tuesday morning and has had a good week on the track. He’s drawn a nice barrier and he’s there to run, put it that way.”
The stable will get a guide to where Paghman’s future lies with some country cups potential options for the son of Ilovethiscity, who was just a $10,000 yearling sale purchase back in 2017.
“He’s got quite a lot of weight tomorrow and it’s not a bad little race,” Weekley said.
“So it should give us a good guide to where he is at.”
Paghman is marked a $5.50 chance with tab.com.au with Todd Pannell booked for the ride.
Weekley said last weekend’s Katherine Cup winner Handsome Return, who was scratched at the gates before the Darwin Cup, would be back in Adelaide over the weekend.
“He gets back here sometime over the weekend,” Weekley said.
“Will will have a good look over him, but I’d say he was likely to go for a spell.”
And another trip north in 12 months’ time could be an option for the horse, who has taken a liking to the dirt, winning the Port Augusta Cup prior to his Katherine success.
“There is a lot of water to go under the bridge,” Weekley said, “but he could head back that way.”
IMAGE: Paghman (left) finishing second to Itsahymn in this month’s Darwin Cup. PHOTO: Che Chorley, NT News
