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By Ray Hickson

Testator Silens might have been a late starter to racing but the four-year-old is making up for lost time and after a gutsy Highway win at Randwick trainer Luke Clarke is set to roll the dice in the Newhaven Park South East Country Championships next week.

Trainer Luke Clarke (Pic: Steve Hart)

Clarke, who trains at Braidwood, revealed the gelding spent a year in the paddock, and only made his debut in May last year, as he didn’t like the frantic pace of a racing stable and has thrived since he’s been trained on the farm.

He roared into Country Championships contention, firming from $26 into $15 with TAB for the April 2 Final, when he overcame a wide barrier to deny fellow Country Championships hopefuls Anethole, Golden Point and Participator in the 1200m Highway.

“He’s got raw ability and everyone else would like to be in my boat,’’ Clarke said.

“He was a bit of a handful as a young horse, he had 12 months in the paddock. He doesn’t like the busy environment of stables and that’s why he came to me, I train on a farm.

“He’s good winded, eats well, works well, there’s nothing wrong with him, he’s great to train.”

It’s only eight days until Nowra hosts the South East Country Championships so Testator Silens will need to handle the quick back-up having had his races very spaced to date and go to 1400m for the first time.

But after he sat wide in a big field over the Randwick 1200m Clarke said the latter will certainly be no issue and the former is something he’s wanted to do for a while.

He also feels the fast turnaround will suit the horse who has something of an attitude at times.

“He’s happy in the stable, he can get a bit cranky but he’s still got to have a bit of mongrel about him to do what he does,’’ he said.

“This will take the edge off him, he’s never run over 1400m but he’ll do it on his ear.’’

Jockey Jean Van Overmeire is certainly keen to stick with Testator Silens at Nowra and said he can’t wait to see what the horse can do when he’s given the chance to race on his own terms.

He said being stuck wide was definitely not ideal but it showed what type of class he’s has.

“He’s definitely on the up. He felt very similar to what he did when he won last time at Rosehill,’’ he said.

“I’d just love him to relax a bit, to race a bit more tractably throughout would only mean a great deal for him.

Testator Silens wins at Randwick on February 5

“Once we get him to switch off when we need him to he will go to the next level I think.”

The placegetters Anethole and Golden Point are eligible to contest the Hunter & North West Country Championships at Tamworth on March 6 while beaten favourite Participator is being set for the Southern District Country Championships second-up at Wagga on February 19.

Edit remains $8 favourite for the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 2. The series commences at Coffs Harbour on February 12.

Check out the replays and results from Inglis Millennium day at Royal Randwick