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There's No Stopping A Fantastic Clangtastic |
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Mr Clangtastic's sensational front running winning run continued today when he de With regular rider Craig Agnew in the saddle, Mr Clangtastic took up his usual rolling tactics and after controlling the speed throughout he still had a half length to spare in an all Magic Millions finish. A $10,000 bargain buy for leading syndicator Vern Rayner, Mr Clangtastic was purchased from the draft of Bareami Thoroughbreds at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. With another feature victory under his belt, Mr Clangtastic's earnings have rocketed to an ever increasing $429,360. At the post Mr Clangtastic ($7) held a half length margin over Bellagio Wynn ($12) .Indikator ($21), another two lengths behind, wound up in third place. The favourite Voice Coach ($2.90 fav) plugged into sixth place. Mr Clangtastic went into the Colin Stephen Quality after four straight wins including a last start success in the listed Wyong Cup. Winning trainer Marc Conners said he came to the races with a good deal of confidence despite the proven wet tracker striking a firmish track this time around. "I was quietly confident he's get through (the firm track conditions)," Conners said. "It wasn't a rock hard track and that's the thing that played in his favour." "Craig has been a big factor (in his recent outstanding form)," he added. "He rides him so well. The horse has come of age. He's come so far this preparation. Hopefully he can a little bit further." Conners said he would way and see how Mr Clangtastic pulled up and also monitor the weather before deciding whether he would run in next Saturday's Group One The Metropolitan. "It's a 50/50 chance." Agnew said he was confident of success throughout the race. "He loves to bowl along and that is the way to ride him," Agnew said. "It was a dry track today, but he kept going. I thought I had them beat at the half mile," he added. "I quickened up again and then when I straightened up I thought nothing would be catching me today." Mr Clangtastic is a son of Clang, a sire who almost notched a big group race double when his son Black Piranha, another Gold Coast graduate, beat all but roughie Road to Rock in the George Main Stakes. His unraced half sisters Anirevos and Mrs Poole have thrown the respective stakes performers Vitilago and Mr Dexter (Super Traveller in Hong Kong). Mr Clangtastic's dam Soverina, herself a winner at 1500 metres, is a full sister to the Group One Thousand Guineas winner Savoire as well as the dam of stakes winners Garuda and On the Beach. Soverina is also a half sister to Duchesne, the four time winning dam of WA Oaks heroine Matriculate. Picture -Â Sportpix Magic Millions Media Release Published 26/09/09 |
molished his rivals again - this time in the Group
Three Colin Stephen Handicap (2400m) at Randwick.Mr. Clangtastic's triple treat
By Brent Zerafa
MARC Conners was left scratching his head after Mr Clangtastic broke the hearts of his rivals with a bold front-running display to record his third straight metropolitan win at Royal Randwick yesterday.
Mr Clangtastic revived memories of the great Vo Rogue, leading by upwards of six lengths throughout to space his rivals by a whopping 7 lengths
at the finish.
The wet-track wonder's last three winning margins combine to a total of 19 lengths - prompting Conners to question whether Mr Clangtastic is ready to tackle the tougher staying ranks at carnival time. "I don't know where to take him now after watching him do that again. I'm just not sure what the plan will be,'' Conners said.
"He has been dominant once he has been able to get over a trip and we now probably have to look at something tougher. They served it up to him early and all credit to the horse he handled it well. To win three in a row in the city is pretty hard at the best of times so all credit to the horse. He is more than likely ready to take the step up to the next level.''
Mr Clangtastic strolled straight to the front and quickly established his usual position but was not left alone in the lead as Canterdown applied the pressure.
Jockey Craig Agnew kept the tempo genuine and Canterdown dropped off 800m from home leaving Mr Clan-gtastic a sitting duck for his rivals. But the tough stayer continued his surge around the bend and left the field in his wake to record the mammoth win in the same fashion as his previous two starts.
"I thought his effort today was the best he has produced this preparation,'' Agnew said. He was put under a lot more pressure today than he has in his past two wins and was still able to win by a big margin. On the turn I was expecting them to start to creep up to my heels but he just kept kicking and had them all chasing from a long way out. It was a huge performance.''
The punters cheered with Mr Clangtastic heavily supported on track, starting $2.10 favourite
Classic Rush wins in a rush
23/07/2009 3:16:24 PM (Local News) 
Promising filly Classic Rush took on older horses and gave them a sound beating in winning the PKP and Associates
Class Two (1000m) at Wyong today. The Marc Conners trained two year old was having her first start from a spell but
Craig Agnew jumped her straight to the lead and she was never headed. She came away in the straight to win by one
and a half lengths with the Robert Davies trained Bletsky (Jessie Whipp) storming home to run a sound second.
Classic Rush won her maiden on debut at Wyong in February then ran fourth in the Silver Slipper before going to
Flemington and running fifth in the Festival Hcp. Conners is away on holidays with his children and it was left to his brother in law and foreman Darren Stepetz to saddle up.
"After Flemington Marc turned her out in the hope she might grow," Stepetz said. "She thickened up a little but did not grow any taller.He wasn't worried about taking on the older horses. She will be three shortly."
By Grahame Timbrell Wyong Racing Club News
Clangtastic makes it just fantastic for trainer Conners
John Schell SMH
July 12, 2009
THIRD-generation horseman Marc Conners went close to securing a winning double yesterday but the dominant performance of wet tracker Mr Clangtastic still ensured the trainer went home happy. The group 1-winning Conners, a son of trainer Clarry Conners, is enjoying his best season, winners wise, since branching out on his own.
With just 18 horses in work, he reckons he has prepared "around 40" winners in NSW over the past 12 months.
"Mr Clangtastic is one of those horses that you love having in your stable," Conners said. "He's a horse that keeps picking up races, especially in the winter months when it's wet. He loves these rain-affected tracks."
Conners combined with Craig Agnew, who does a lot of riding for the stable, to win with Mr Clangtastic in the Ike's Dream Handicap, and the pair almost pulled off a double when form galloper Mossurmi chased home Gergis into second in the Arrowfield Stud Handicap.
"The horses have been very consistent," said Conners.
Mossurmi has won four of its past six starts, while Mr Clangtastic relished the step up to 2400 metres and allayed fears the distance would test him.
"When you have a horse that can still pick up and sprint on a track as heavy as this, you are going to be hard to beat," Agnew said.
Mr Clangtastic made it successive Saturday wins when blitzing his rivals in a bold front-running display. Adopting similar tactics to those employed last weekend at Rosehill when leading rivals a merry chase, Agnew made sure he held a clear advantage out in front on Mr Clangtastic and steadily picked up the tempo approaching the home turn.
"I was never going to lose today. He is the type of horse that once he settles into his rhythm there is no stopping him," Agnew said.
Mr Clangtastic ($3.20) bounded home by 8.3 lengths over the Bart Cummings-trained Zazabeau ($10), with last-start winner With Ice ($5.50) a further 2.8 lengths astern in third.
"I thought he'd run the journey out, he won easy enough over 2000m last weekend," Conners said. "And Craig rides the horse well. He dictated terms out on front perfectly last week and he's backed it up with another good ride today. There's no reason Mr Clangtastic won't continue to hold his form and, with the tracks staying wet, it would be nice to pick up another race with him. This is his time of year."
Mossurmi was solid in betting when starting at $4.40 in its race and it failed to run down Gergis ($7.50) by a half-neck after travelling into the race comfortably around the field into the straight.
However, Gergis, raced by the powerful Darley operation, gained a good run through the field for jockey Josh Parr and managed to repel the finishing burst of Mossurmi.
"He ran great," Agnew said of Mossurmi. "The winner managed to save a bit of ground which in the end proved to be the difference."
Mr Clangtastic is Mr Fantastic
Breednet - Media Release - Saturday, 11 July 2009
Marc Conners announced next year's Brisbane Cup as a long term goal for bold front runner Mr Clangtastic following a thrashing of his rivals in the Ike's Dream Handicap (2400m) at Randwick today.
With Craig Agnew in the saddle, Mr Clangtastic was again able to race clear of the field early and then run his rivals ragged - clearing away for the easiest of wins.
Today's performance followed his equally as impressive previous start win at Rosehill when he romped home by almost four lengths.
"Maybe we can step him up to the next grade now," Conners commented. "He showed he could handle the 2400 metres no problem and this is the first time he's backed up in seven days and he won so well. Hopefully next preparation and the one after he can be a really nice horse. He's a nice, big sound horse and that's the thing in his favour."
"Perhaps next year he could run in a race like the Brisbane Cup," Conners summed up.
Sent out the $3.20 favourite with bookmakers, Mr Clangtastic had an eight and a quarter length margin over runner-up Zazabeau ($10) at the line. With Ice ($5.50) was a further two and three quarter lengths back under Glyn Schofield.
Mr Clangtastic is turning into an incredible money spinner for connections considering he cost just $10,000 from the draft of Baerami Thoroughbreds from the latter stages of the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast. With his latest success, the sixth of his career, Mr Clangtastic's earnings were boosted to $219,360.
Mr Clangtastic, a son of former top class sprinter and proven Group One sire Clang,is one of four good winners from his dam, the once winning Sovereign Edition mare Soverina. A sister to the Group One Thousand Guineas winner Savoir, Soverina is the grandam of stakes performers Mr Dexter (Super Traveller in Hong Kong) and Vitilago (Omfami Abjar in Malaysia).
No stopping Mossurmi at Randwick
'By Russell Jackson
Mossurmi, a horse who hates standing still, is poised to continue his brilliant winter run at Randwick and cap off a good week for trainer Marc Conners.
The in-form Warwick Farm horseman is fresh from watching stablemate Mandlikova score a slashing 4-1/4 length win at Randwick on Wednesday. Now it's stable star Mossurmi's chance to shine again with the gelding chasing his fifth win in six starts when he runs in Saturday's Arrowfield Stud Handicap (1600m).
The Randwick surface was rated a heavy nine on Thursday which suits Mossurmi who boasts a record of three wins from five starts on heavy going.
"It's a much stronger race and they can't keep winning you wouldn't think, but he's fit and well and has trained on very nicely and as long as he gets a good run I think he'll go well again," Conners said.
Mossurmi can become fractious when he is in unfamiliar surroundings, as was the case at the scene of his last start victory at Rosehill over 1900 metres on June 27.
"He hates standing still and we had to walk him for a couple of hours before the race and that settled him down," Conners said. "Hopefully he's more relaxed this time, he's been to Randwick before so he should be okay."
Mossurmi's extraordinary run started at Canterbury in early May when he won the first of three races that month. Two days after winning the Nowra Cup (1600m) on May 24 he won at Warwick Farm over the same distance. Craig Agnew has been aboard Mossurmi in his last five starts.
"Hopefully they go at a decent clip and he can get over the top of them," Conners said. "The key is not to be in front at the top of the straight on him but Craig knows that and has done a very good job at saving him up until the last possible minute."
Mandlikova's win in the Queens Park Handicap (1200m) at Randwick was of great significance to Conners who has the leasing rights to her mother My Czech Chick who he also trained.
Conners works a team of around 18 horses at any one time at his stable adjacent to that of his father Clarry.
"We've had such a great year, we've got good staff and sensational owners and it's all paying off for us," Conners said. "We've had 39 winners for the year, that's pretty good for a small team and I could not be happier with things."
Conners will wait a week before making a decision on what Mandlikova does next.
"Most Beautiful Crowns can't handle heavy tracks and here she is absolutely bolting in on one, so we might find another race for her soon," Conners said.
© 2008 AAP
AGNEW TO THE FORE
Rosehill briefs by John Schell Sydney Morning Herald
July 5, 2009
Renowned wet-tracker Mr Clangtastic responded to a bold frontrunning ride by jockey Craig Agnew to win the De Bortoli Wines Handicap.
A close second on the Kensington track two weeks ago, Mr Clangtastic never gave rivals a chance yesterday, with Agnew ensuring the chasers were off the bit a long way from home.
"The horse has been going great," said winning trainer Marc Conners. "He loves it wet, and the form around him has been great."
Conners said Mr Clangtastic would continue to campaign, with more victories hopefully in store. "This is his time of year with the tracks the way they are, being rain-affected," he said. "It would be nice to pick up another win with him."
Mandlikova set to continue Czech dynasty
SYDNEY Jun 29 2009
Mossurmi has given Marc Conners' stable a boost over recent weeks and the trainer is hoping to continue the momentum at Randwick on Tuesday with Mandlikova.
A daughter of My Czech Chick who was trained by Conners, Mandlikova ran an encouraging fourth on debut at Kembla Grange in a race won by Wyong Slipper winner Cortina Gal. Her jockey Craig Agnew, who will be aboard again at Randwick, has formed a profitable partnership with Conners in recent months not least of all due to Mossurmi.
"I've had a lot of luck with Craig and I think we both needed it," Conners said. "He's had some problems with suspensions and injuries while my stable has been going through a rebuilding phase.
"Things are going well now especially with Mossurmi. He has always shown ability but he's jumped out of the ground this winter and is really liking the wet tracks.
"I'm not so sure about Mandlikova. She seemed to handle the slow track at Kembla alright but her mother didn't and her brother Prince Of Prague hated it. I'm hoping she's the exception in the family."
A win by Mandlikova in the Queen's Park Handicap (1200m) would have even greater significance for Conners who has the leasing rights to her mother.
"To breed a winner and train it would be great," he said. "I also have a share in her. In fact I have shares in most of my horses and I think it gives the owners confidence to know that."
Conners works a team of around 18 horses at any one time at his stable adjacent to that of his father Clarry.
"That's a number that's comfortable for me," he said. "It enables me to concentrate on them all."
The two 1300 metre races at the Randwick meeting will start on the course proper instead of the chute because the rail will be out 12 metres creating a bottleneck where the two meet.
The track was rated a heavy (9) on Monday with a possible upgrade to (8) overnight.
By Caryl Williamson
Mossurmi strolls to Rosehill victory
By Russell Jackson AAP Sydney
Saturday 27 June 2009, 1:57pm
Mossurmi likes to have a walk before he races and a two-and-a-half hour stroll prior to jumping at Rosehill on Saturday did the trick as he bolstered his already impressive recent record.
The Marc Conners-trained Mossurmi now has four wins from his last five starts following his comfortable victory in the IGT Pride Of The Turf Handicap (1900m). Conners, who gave all the credit to jockey Craig Agnew for a patient ride, said Mossurmi doesn't like being idle before he races.
"If he stands around he sweats up and goes to pieces, so the strapper walked him for two-and-a-half hours and it relaxed him," Conners said .Agnew had Mossurmi parked in fifth spot near the 400 metres with Slick Sniper showing the way on the heavy track. Mossurmi ($7) came with a strong late run and went on to defeat Sir James ($4 fav) by two lengths with Estancia Rios ($8) 2-1/2 lengths away third
"Craig did a great job, he just held him and held him until the last bit and that's the way you have to ride him," Conners said. "While the tracks remain heavy he'll keep racing every two weeks."
Patience Pays Off
Craig Young Sydney Morning Herald
June 28, 2009
Trainer Marc Conners had nothing but praise for Craig Agnew after the jockey guided Mossurmi to a fourth victory from its past five starts.
"Craig has the key to him," Conners said. "Full credit to him. You've got to sit, sit, sit and wait before you go. "Last time in we sacrificed a lot of races going back on him. He got too far back but it made him for this time in work."
Mossurmi pulls himself together
By Ray Thomas
June 27, 2009 12:00am
MOSSURMI, one of the most improved horses in Sydney racing, used to be his own worst enemy, according to trainer Marc Conners.
"He's always had the ability but he used to pull very hard in his races - he would beat himself," Conners said. "Then last preparation we deliberately rode him right back in the field to teach him to settle. It's made all the difference."
Mossurmi has been a model of consistency this campaign, winning three times and never finishing further back than fifth in seven starts. In fact, Conners maintains the tough chestnut should be going to Rosehill Gardens as the winner of his last four starts.
"He'd won three in a row and I honestly believe he should have won last start (fifth behind Altavilla at Warwick Farm)," he said. "I was disappointed with Craig's (Agnew) ride and told him so but hopefully he can make amends (today)."
Conners has entered Mossurmi for two races at Rosehill - the IGT Pride of the Turf Handicap (1900m) and the Macquarie Hotel and Taren Point Hotel Handicap (1500m) - and was still weighing up his options last night.
"I want to study the opposition for both races and work out which is most suitable for Mossurmi," he said. "He's drawn well in both races and the distances won't matter, so it's not an easy decision. I'll give it the overnight test."
Reformed character ... Mossurmi. Photograph: Gregg Porteous
Murphy's Blu Boy Filly Can Fly
Tara Madgwick - Tuesday, 9 June 2009
First season sires Murphy's Blu Boy and Fomalhaut (USA) provided the winners of the juvenile events contested at Gosford and Sale on Tuesday.
The Marc Conners trained filly Bluzar impressed track watchers with a dazzling five and a half length barrier trial win at her home track of Warwick
Farm on May 22 and proved that was no fluke when she reproduced the effort to win by close to three lengths at Gosford at her first race start.
Sent out favourite, Bluzar made light work of a wide gate and never looked in danger of defeat
as she cruised home for leading rider Blake Shinn in the 1000 metre maiden.
A $20,000 purchase from the Baerami draft during Session Eight at the 2008 Magic Millions
Yearling Sale, Bluzar is the first foal of the Shovhog mare Zarsho, a daughter of Group Two placed Zaroyale, a full sister to stakes-winner Verb.
Zarsho has been a regular partner for Murphy's Blu Boy and has a colt and filly by him in the pipeline and was covered by him again last spring.
Bluzar becomes the second winner for former brilliant juvenile Murphy's Blu Boy (pictured above) who stands at Baerami at a fee of $5,500.
Mossurmi wins again at Warwick Farm
AAP - Tuesday, 26 May 2009:
Mossurmi continued his amazing form with a thrilling last-gasp victory at Warwick Farm on Tuesday to give him his second win in just two days.
Trainer Marc Conners was delighted after the four-year-old triumphed but admitted he thought the gelding had just missed out in the Marwin Gold
Handicap (1600m). Mossurmi, who was ridden by Craig Agnew, got rattling late on the heavy track to defeat Future's Dream by a nose, giving the Mossman chestnut his third win this month.
On Sunday, Mossurmi defeated Gunna Happen by a long neck to win the Nowra Cup (1600m).
"I thought he got beaten for sure, even when I saw the replay I thought he got beaten," Conners said of Tuesday's tight finish.
"He's racing super and has really put it together this time in."
Russell Jackson
Mossurmi may back up at Farm
BY CHRIS ROOTS
Illawarra Mercury - 25/05/2009 4:00:00 AM
Warwick Farm trainer Marc Conners is undecided whether to back up Nowra Cup winner Mossurmi on his home track over 1600m tomorrow.The Mossman four-year-old scored a soft win in the Kinghorn Ford-sponsored $30,000 cup yesterday and the next 24 hours will determine if he tries to make it two wins in three days.
"He was supposed to run last Wednesday but had an abscess on his foot," Conners said yesterday. "It burst on Wednesday night and this race really appealed because he had been here before and won, but we left him in at Warwick Farm on Tuesday. He has backed up with a six-day break before and if he comes through that okay I'll say he will run."
Craig Agnew produced a beautiful ride to get Mossurmi ($4.60) home by a long neck from last year's Cup winner Gunna Happen ($3.40), with Don Luigi - who was the 2007 winner - 11/4 lengths away third. Mossurmi used the rails and tracked through the field after being three back on the fence at the last turn. He came to the outside of Gunna Happen at the 200m mark and quickly had him covered.
"It's easy when it happens like that," Agnew said. "The barrier definitely helped and I just had to find the gaps at the right times.
"In the end I didn't have to hit him and it was a bit soft," the rider added.
Gunna Happen's trainer Robert Price said his six-year-old probably went better than when he won the race 12 months ago. "He gave the winner 51/2 kilos and that was the difference," Price said. "When he hit the front he just couldn't let down under the 59kg as quick as usual."
The Cup had to be put back more than 30 minutes after a horse was caught in the barrier stalls in race five and had to be put down. The last race was run just before sunset, with Moorings Royal scoring a last stride win from Lining.
Little fish are sweet for Conners
15th April 2009, 4:38 pm
By Mark Ryan
MELBOURNE, April 15 AAP - Marc Conners dodged Group races in Sydney to target an easier event at Sandown and came away a winner with two-year-old filly Morosi.
The daughter of Grass Wonder had contested races such as the Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m), finishing 11th to Our Joan Of Arc, and last start was eighth toIndian Ocean in the Group Two Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
"In Sydney she had to go into Group races and there were no other races for her so we looked at taking her to Melbourne and found a nice race for her," Conners said.
The well-named Morosi, whose dam is Political Pet, a daughter of Bureaucracy, was backed from $4.60 to start favourite at $3.60.
Damien Oliver had her in the first three throughout in the Bint Marscay Hcp (1400m) and she kicked clear in the straight to score by three lengths from Fearless Babe ($5.50) with Royal Dalton ($4.60) a short head away third.
"I think she's going to be a nice filly next time in. She really didn't know where she was today and Damien had to shake her up," Conners said.
"She's had a trip away now so I'd like to put her away now and bring her back for the spring."
