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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Tim Clark is confident talented four-year-old Bases Loaded will only get better in his second preparation since a long layoff so goes to Rosehill with a level of expectation he can run into contention for some big spring features.

Jockey Tim Clark (Pic: Steve Hart)

The Group 2 $300,000 Canadian Club Shannon Stakes (1500m) is an opportunity for Bases Loaded to gain exemption into the TAB Epsom, where he has just 52kg, and put his hand up as a contender for the $10m Golden Eagle.

He showed early promise running second to Militarize in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes at two but had 13 months on the sidelines before he returned in the Brisbane winter.

Clark couldn’t have been happier with the entire’s effort in the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) first-up, when narrowly denied by Encap, knowing the upside he has.

“He took a bit of racing to get himself fit after having such a long time off,’’ Clark said.

“Once he got to a mile on a firm track he was really dominant. With the shorter spell this time the fitness level he’s starting with is a better base.

“I was rapt with how he ran first-up, I thought it was an excellent performance and he was open to good improvement going into that run first-up.

“He’s such a big gross horse, he needs a bit of racing to bring him to his peak and he’s continued to work well and come on since that first-up run. So I expect a very good run from him.”

Bases Loaded, $5 with TAB on Thursday and $15 in the Epsom, hasn’t won on a rain affected track but his Group 1 placing was on a soft 7 and Clark feels with a run under his belt the track condition won’t be a factor.

“I think he gets through it, he probably is better on top of the ground but he can handle the soft conditions,’’ he said.

Once again the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained galloper has drawn an outside gate but it’s not something that concerns Clark with a horse that’s a natural on pacer.

In fact, to some degree he’d probably prefer to be drawn out than in at the Rosehill 1500m.

“For him I think it is okay. At that start you do have a good run early, you’ve still got a little bit of work to do from out there but he’s a horse that takes a little while to build into his races,’’ he said.

“Having that wider draw he can work his way forward and get him into a nice rhythm wherever that might be.”

A soft track certainly won’t trouble former Kiwi stayer Campaldino in the Group 3 $250,000 Toyota Forklifts Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) but Clark says the weight scale a small concern.

While the gelding carries 54kg he’s only 4kg below well performed import Changingoftheguard who is rated 33 points, or 16.5kg, higher so he’s not exactly thrown in.

Against that, Clark has learned a lot more about how to ride him after his first ride on the horse when third behind Matusalem at Rosehill two weeks ago.

“The horses in on the limit aren’t in well at the weights,’’ he said.

Bases Loaded runs second at Rosehill on September 14

“He had blinkers first time and I was keen to get him up and running because he’d been a bit lethargic in his first couple of runs.

“It’s important going up in grade to rate him a little better than I did last start. He was very brave and he’s racing well, it’s a step up for him but any rain around would only help him.”

Tim Clark on Anode (race 8): “You know what you’re going to get from him. He’s super consistent, he jumps well and puts himself there. He’s an easy horse to get a read on and I expect a similar performance.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting