Have sulky, will travel - that’s the mantra for the now Queensland-based Connor Clarke after the Victorian switched states earlier this year. But the road less travelled hasn’t been easy for the talented reinsman.
Twenty-two-year-old Connor Clarke acted on the advice of his good mate and now co-worker Luke Sutherland and jumped at the opportunity to work for Josh Davine, who operates under the banner of N40 Racing.
Davine and his great mate and current head trainer Michael ‘Mouse’ Brennan purchased the Biddaddaba property – located in the Gold Coast hinterland area - earlier this year and continue to develop and surge forward within the industry.
They have purchased some amazing young stock and continue to build a great staff to work with the exciting young talent at their disposal.
Clarke outlined the opportunity was unexpected but simply too good to ignore.
“Thanks to Luke, I got a phone call from Josh who outlined what he was hoping to achieve within the game and while I was initially apprehensive and hesitant, I just took a leap of faith and accepted the role,” Clarke said.
The Ballarat-based horseman arrived in the Sunshine State in June this year.
“I’m enjoying the challenge. Moving to Queensland was something foreign let alone adapting to a new driver’s colony and style of racing. It’s completely different to the Victorian style; it’s more speed and peg line dominated while the drivers are very aggressive,” Clarke said.
“I’ve known Luke for some time now. It started via Ben Hope in New Zealand, and we (family) ended up training a talented trotter for him called Suga Daddy, who won six races. It was fortunate that Luke could see this opportunity coming after Korbyn (Newman) returned to New Zealand and he’s made the transition for me a lot easier.
“It’s a good set-up and Mouse is a terrific operator. He’s been very supportive, and the future looks exciting given the high-quality bunch of youngsters on the farm getting ready for next season.”
Clarke was born into harness racing. The son of Stephen and Belinda attended Urquhart Park Primary School before switching to Phoenix P-12 Community College - both schools situated in the Ballarat area.
A regular at the nearby Bray Raceway helping his father and other local trainers, Clarke was heavily involved with the mini trotters and enjoyed excellent success via his pony Pride Of Petite. They combined to win the Victoria Cup at Melton and competed in many other feature events.
Clarke was your typical Australian child. He was surrounded by a very supportive family while loaded with sporting events and schoolwork.
The enthusiastic youngster was driving trackwork by age 11.
And if he wasn’t assisting with the horses, Clarke was regularly playing Aussie Rules Football, basketball and swimming.
But halfway through school in Year 8 as a 14-year-old, Clarke suffered back pain during a game of footy.
Originally, the cause went undetected after a trip to the local hospital, but a follow-up MRI scan located the issue.
Clarke was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), a type of cancer affecting the lymphatic system - a part of the immune system - where lymphocytes (white blood cells) grow uncontrollably to form tumors.
Beyond shocked, Clarke and the family naturally buckled down and underwent immediate treatment at the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital before a stint at the Ronald McDonald house.
At the time, Clarke was blissfully unaware of the seriousness of the situation he faced.
“Obviously I didn’t know at the time, but the doctors weren’t confident that I could be cured as Stage 4 is fairly heavy and it was everywhere in my body,” he said.
“Apparently they gave me a 30 per cent chance of surviving it, but they weren’t going to tell a 14-year-old that.”
Following six months of treatment, Clarke received excellent news.
“I was on the road to recovery and in remission, it was a huge relief and more so for my parents, it turned our world upside down,” he said.
“Maybe it was naivety but all I could think about was the horses and working with them and driving them again.”
Electing to leave school at the end of Year 10 as a 16-year-old, Clarke was determined to make harness racing his future full-time.
He didn’t have to look far for support. His father Stephen prepared a small team near Bray Raceway while the late Norm McVitty (friend of Connor’s grandfather Ray) also played pivotal roles in getting him licenced.
Clarke was a regular at Bray Raceway, helping several local trainers.
Stints with Emma Stewart, Geoff Webster, Marg Lee, Andy Gath and the late Gavin Lang were all part of his education.
Naturally, his maiden victory came via his home track of Ballarat when guiding home, the Emma Stewart trainee Struve to success on April 17, 2020.
Interestingly, Struve was also the same horse that provided Clarke with his maiden metropolitan victory the following year on June 19 at Melton.
“He was a cool horse; to win your first race on the same horse that provides your maiden metro race is rare. I won three races with Struve,” Clarke said.
“Winning any race is a huge thrill and it doesn’t matter if it’s a big stable or a hobbyist, it’s just such a thrill. Winning a Group 1 is the ultimate goal, that would be a dream come true.
“I’d say the better horses I’ve driven include (in no particular order) Miss McGonagall, Cobber, Smoken Ace, Can’t Top This and Elusive. The best I’ve driven up here in Queensland to date is Ultimate Miki. He’s got the size and looks but he’s still learning and keeps improving.”
Like Clarke, Ultimate Miki is a former Ballarat pacer building an impressive record under the care of Brennan.
To date, Clarke boasts over 220 career victories to date with his best efforts to date coming via the 2022 season when he landed 59 winners and 100 placings from 396 starts.
“Guys like the late Gavin Lang and Greg Sugars plus Chris Alford and James Herbertson have been - and are - great role models. [They] all had and have amazing skillsets,” Clarke said.
“Those guys worked extra hard and reaped the rewards and I’m prepared to do the same. I’m always looking for more drives and prepared to go anywhere for them.”
Life is a journey, not a destination. For Clarke, it’s already been a heck of a journey, but the best is still to come.
With good success at Melton and Menangle already, Albion Park is next on the radar.
The young man can drive.
