Gutsy effort helps Clark salute in Hunter to end unlucky streak

Craig Kerry

November 14, 2026 — 6:04pm

After some recent near misses, including a photo-finish defeat to Skyhook on Decorum in the $10 million Golden Eagle, jockey Tim Clark was only hopeful that General Salute had held off She’s An Artist in the $1 million The Hunter at Newcastle.

The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained six-year-old had an epic battle with Ciaron Maher-trained She’s An Artist ($7), an emergency early in the week, late in the 1300m quality before the result went the way of General Salute ($10).

It was a memorable first win on the Hunter day program for the Rosehill stable, which had a career-best victory two weeks earlier in the Golden Eagle at Randwick.

The success also gave Clark a first win in the $1 million Hunter, the premier race at the home of his favourite team.

“It’s been a carnival of near misses so I wasn’t getting too carried away,” Clark said.

“It’s obviously great to win. I’m a Newcastle Knights tragic, so to win a big race up this way is always good.

“I was a halfback back in the day and loved Joey [Andrew Johns], and I’m a Central Coast boy these days, so not far away.

“It’s always been a happy hunting ground and these are the races you try to set yourself up and target, and get on the right horse.

“He’s a horse I’ve really enjoyed riding. He hasn’t won all that often, but he’s never far away.”

Alexiou said another $1 million race in four weeks could be next for General Salute. The success comes after the gelding overcame foot problems as a young horse then bone-chip surgery early this year.

“It’s nice to knock over a big race this time in and the Supernova at Pakenham is actually on the cards as well, so we’ll just see how he gets through today,” Alexiou said.

“He takes a bit of maintenance the horse and the team at home do a great job with him.

“He was actually hard ridden at the 600 today, which is unusual for him, but it’s probably an indication of how quick they are going up front. I was a little bit worried the weight was going to get the better of him late. He was giving quite a bit of weight away to the second horse, but like he normally does, he comes through for everyone.”

Top local trainer Kris Lees missed out with his three runners in the Hunter, and he was a close second with Clark-ridden Bronze Lion to Lucky Lakota in the Max Lees Classic, but he scored a first victory in the $300,000 Beauford (2300m) in the next race with Bestower.

The mare won by three lengths and Lees was thrilled for the local ownership group, which had group 1 success with him and Sense Of Occasion. Lees decided to put her in the rich Newcastle event after considering a benchmark race next week at Kembla.

Tearful Grima wins for beautiful Izzy

Champion Sydney apprentice Siena Grima paid an emotional tribute to a “beautiful” friend lost with the “world at her feet” after taking out the Izzy’s Gift aboard Ertijaaj at Newcastle on Saturday.

Races named Izzy’s Gift were held on Saturday to honour Izzy Neale and her organ donation after the 22-year-old Scone apprentice died following a race fall at Warren on Sunday.

Like Neale, Grima, 24, grew up with a love of horse riding and came from country NSW to test herself against the best on the city and provincial circuits.

Grima gave the Chris Waller-trained Ertijaaj ($8.50) a patient ride midfield on the fence on Saturday before peeling out and finding clear air for a length-and-a-quarter win over Live in the 1400m benchmark 78 handicap for fillies and mares.

After the race, jockeys and others, including Neale’s long-time boss, Dubbo-based trainer Brett Robb, lined up for a tribute and minute’s silence.

“I got teary, I’m getting a bit emotional now,” Grima said immediately after the win.

“It’s so great to win it for Izzy and her family, because she was beautiful and I miss her a lot.

“It’s been a really tough week for us jockeys. I spoke to Izzy on the Saturday at the races and then lost her on the Sunday, so to win this race for her was lovely.

“She was apprenticed in Tamworth for a little while under Cody Morgan, so I got to know her really well. She had the world at her feet, so much talent. It’s just a shame it was cut short.”

The Waller camp were celebrating a double in the next when Katoto ($8.50) powered to a length win in the group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m).

The Wootton Bassett filly, a half-sister to Everest runner Savvy Hallie, came from second last on the turn under Tyler Schiller to take over halfway down the straight and beat Desleigh Forster-trained favourite Kickup Rocky. Jockey Daniel Moor was suspended seven meetings for careless riding on Kickup Rocky, which shifted out at the 150m and caused interference when he dropped a rein.

Waller assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said Katoto came up from Victoria on Wednesday to race from a better draw at Newcastle. Consulate was scratched from a wide draw at Newcastle and stayed in Melbourne to run in the group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m), which the Home Affairs filly won by four and a quarter lengths.

Duckworth said Katoto could be a candidate for the group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes in the autumn if she continued to relax well in her races.

Lucky win special for local owners

Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett said it was a bittersweet but special win to claim his first Max Lees Classic (900m), a race named in honour of the champion Newcastle trainer who was part of his initiation to racing.

Ciaron Maher-trained filly Lucky Lakota, a $100,000 buy for the trainer and the Hunter-based syndication company, lunged late to deny Kris Lees-prepared Bronze Lion in the two-year-old race by a nose in the opener at Newcastle.

Lees won the race named after his father two years ago with Gobi Desert and looked to have pinched it on Saturday before his former apprentice, Dylan Gibbons, drove Lucky Lakota to the thrilling win. Lees-trained, Australian Bloodstock-owned Inside Perfection was fourth.

Lovett, a lifetime friend of Kris, formed Australian Bloodstock with fellow local Luke Murrell in 2009 and they have won two Melbourne Cups. Lovett’s love affair with racing started through his grandfather Merv Lovett snr and Max Lees.

“That was how I first got into it. I used to come and watch his horses that Max trained,” Lovett said.

“It’s a bit bittersweet knocking Fred [Kris] off and Vicki [Lees] giving us the trophy, but I’m delighted to win the race.

“We’ve run second and third before, but I never had anything that I thought could win, so I was delighted with both of ours and Kris’s come second and ran well.”

It was also a first win in the race for Gibbons, who thought his mount had come up short across the line. Dylan’s father, Andrew, rode extensively for 20-time group 1 winner Max, who died in 2003, and continues on with Kris.

“It’s well documented how long dad’s been part of the Lees team, so stemming from that, it’s pretty special,” said Gibbons, who moved from the Hunter to Sydney after his apprenticeship.

Maher assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said the Inglis Nursery could be a next target for Lucky Lakota.

The Maher yard had an early double when Rock Empire dominated the benchmark 88 handicap over 1850m under Nash Rawiller in the next.

Rawiller and top country trainer Matt Dunn then continued their Highway Handicap success with Think Like Paddy won the edition at Newcastle ahead of Santatime and Street Force.

Dunn went to 53 career wins in the weekly Saturday city race for country-trained horses. Rawiller has regularly taken Dunn’s horses to Highway wins, including twice recently with Bluish Hue.

Scott Singleton-trained Street Force, a sentimental $4.60 chance, had to track wide to find clear running in the straight. Izzy Neale worked for Singleton at Scone and Street Force’s jockey, Mikayla Weir, was a friend of the 22-year-old apprentice.

Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley was eyeing the $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange next Saturday with Cuban Cigar, if he makes the field, after he bounced back from a narrow second in the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway to beat Amreekiyah in the 1600m benchmark 78 handicap.

The victory gave jockey Jason Collett a race-to-race double after he won the Midway Handicap on John Sargent-trained Change My Address.

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