By David Nagel
75335
YOUNG Devon Meadows based jockey Clayton Douglas continued his recent hot form on the picnic circuit with a win aboard the Paul Kramer trained Cavallo Reigns in the last race at the Pakenham Picnic meeting on Sunday.
Douglas followed up a recent treble at Drouin with an impressive come from behind performance aboard the five-year-old gelding after pre-race plans to hug the rail went awry.
Douglas set his mount alight rounding for home and strode clear in the straight defeating Casablanca by three lengths with La Rouge back in third place.
Douglas celebrates his 17th birthday on Thursday this week and enjoyed the early birthday present.
“He was a bit better than those today, he had a good run in transit and kicked off the corner well,” Douglas said.
“I followed Andrew Gauci’s mount (Out of Dubai) but he fell back in my lap so I tacked onto Adam Bodey (La Rogue) and he took me into the race.
“We peeled off his back and he won well.”
Douglas only had his first race start in April last year and has his sights set on the next in-take of apprentices in June this year.
It’s exciting times for Douglas but he says it won’t be the end of the world if things don’t pan out perfectly.
“I’ll just see how my weight is come June.
“If my weight’s right I’ll have a go but if not I’ll stay at the picnics,” he said.
“I’m riding at 54 kilograms at the moment but it’s all natural weight – I’ll probably get lighter and lose a couple of kilos which would be good.”
Douglas started his involvement at the Devon Meadows stables of Pat and Michael (Mick) Trotter as a 12-year-old, he rode the Trotter pony at that time and has been with the father-son training team ever since. Mick Trotter has been impressed with the youngster’s ability to learn.
“He really has come a long way in a short time, when he joined us he struggled to put on a bridle,” Trotter said.
“He’s just wants to learn and he’s dedicated, when all his mates are down the beach on school holidays he comes here to be around the horses. He just lives and breathes it.”
Trotter is not surprised by Douglas’ recent run of success given the time he puts in to knowing his own mounts strengths and that of his opposition.
“I sit down and do my form and he does the same, he has a great memory of horses and racing patterns. I think he’d be a great apprentice,” he said.
“He only turns 17 this week but I’d leave any of my horses in his care.”
Douglas was equally as impressed with the Trotter clan after Sunday’s race.
“I’ve learnt heaps of Michael and Pat Trotter for sure. They’ve both helped me heaps in so many ways,” he said.
And how has he found his first eight months in the saddle?
“I just love it,” he says with a grin from ear to ear.
