Well done Sam Clipperton, for a faultless ride on Monton and your refreshing attitude

MY hero of the weekend was apprentice jockey Sam Clipperton, writes Ken Callander.

Jockey Jay Ford had the ride of the day at Randwick with his effort on Lilliburlero.

EARTHQUAKE was devastating, Fiorente terrific and Appearance A1, but my hero of the weekend was apprentice jockey Sam Clipperton.

Young Sam gave a faultless display to win on Monton at Randwick, but it was his after-race remarks when interviewed on TVN that I loved.

“I am sorry for everyone who backed him last start as I did not ride him well,” said Sam in a refreshing admission in an era where a lot of our top jockeys are sooks and never admit to riding a bad race.

Well done Sam and for the record you are a very good young jockey who will be around racing for a long time.

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Following on from the above I was pleased to hear Paul Snowden say on television on Sunday morning that Hugh Bowman had put his hands up and admitted to not riding a good race on Guelph.

He certainly didn’t and we need to wait until Guelph has another run before passing judgement on this bonny filly who swept all before her in the Spring.

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Nash Rawiller was probably in a different boat on Boban. He did not ride him well, but probably tried to make something happen in what was a muddling pace in the Apollo Stakes.

The tactics backfired and Rawiller looked bad. Boban is not quite showing the zing of last preparation, but I thought he went a bit better on Saturday than he did first-up and all might not be lost yet for this campaign.

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Earthquake’s run in the Blue Diamond was dynamite and, in a year where top two-year-olds are not too thick on the ground, her current Golden Slipper price of $2.80 is not silly.

Unencumbered has done all that has been asked of him, but was the Magic Millions form any good?

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The other two stars who won on Saturday, Appearance and Fiorente, both raced up to expectations.

Appearance is producing acceleration her rivals cannot match and she is going to be hard to roll when she strives for her fourth G1 win in the Chipping Norton Stakes at her home track at Warwick Farm on Saturday week.

Melbourne Cup winners don’t win too often first-up in the Autumn, but Fiorente was great. The only cold water you could pour on his performance was the second horse (beaten a short head) was 150/1.

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Eric “Mo” Conlon turned 84 on Saturday and he did what he has done very Saturday for the past 50 odd years, put up his stand on the rails at Randwick and bet the punters. What an ornament this gentleman has been to the racing industry.

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The poor old ATC stumble from one disaster to another.

On Saturday the course amplifying system broke down before the Blue Diamond Stakes and half the punters on course, if they did not miss the race, did not know where their horses were running.

On top of that the horses went straight onto the track without parading before the main Sydney race, the Apollo Stakes. I thought they spent $16m on the Theatre Of The Horse so that we could look at the horses.

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RIDE OF THE DAY

Jay Ford on Lilliburlero. Overcame a slightly tardy start with a first-rate ride.

RUN OF THE DAY

Not Listenin’tome. Brilliant in his Melbourne win and will now come back to Sydney to take on Zoustar

FORGET IT RAN

Under The Sun. Went at a ridiculously fast pace in the lead before finishing last and I thought the stewards could have asked some questions.