When you have been around the racing scene for as long as Ivan Lister has you end up with a few tricks up your sleeve.
And one of those came at Swan Hill on Sunday in race five, the Swan Hill Demolition Group 0-58 Handicap ($27,000).
The Ardmona-based trainer’s decision to quickly back-up Burning The Clock proved to be a masterstroke as he watched his gelding storm clear to claim a sixth victory.
Burning The Clock jumped in the 1300m contest as a $3.20 favourite and won like an odds-on good sort as the eight-year-old kicked clear to win by more than a length.
It was a lovely steer from jockey Neil Farley as he positioned Burning The Clock three-wide with cover and just off the speed before working the winner out wide down the straight to let the “honest” son of Akeed Mofeed find clear air.
“Chuffed to get that win ... it was a very good trip home from Swan Hill I can tell you that,” Lister said.
“I was pretty confident going into the race, the class of horse that he had been racing against wasn’t in that race. There had been a few smart horses beat him lately.
“Neil knows how to ride him and I just said to him ‘just ride him like you’ve been riding him mate’.
“They got behind a bit of speed, he was always travelling well and then he hit the front pretty early, but Neil had to let him go, there was no stopping him.”
The win comes at a time that the small stable ― comprising three horses ― has been enjoying some recent success.
Lister, who had to endure a near four-year drought before Court Painter’s victory in March 2022, has picked up three wins since the start of 2023.
However, the most recent triumph would not have been possible if it wasn’t for a bit of tactical nous from Lister ― along with the help of a local water walker.
“We had no hesitation to back him up, he pulled up really well from his run at Kyneton last Monday,” Lister said.
“He has great temperament and he doesn’t waste energy.
“We don’t gallop him; we just work him slow at Tatura and then we take him to Brett Bunfield’s place, who has a water walker in Merrigum. We took him to the water walker over at Brett’s on the Tuesday after the race at Kyneton.
“Without him (Brett) we wouldn’t have got this horse to where he is.”
The win at Swan Hill comes in what has been a luckless preparation for Burning The Clock.
Lister said he always had plans to get his sprinter out past six furlongs to let the natural backmarker have more ground to reel his rivals in.
“I was always keen to get to the 1300m or 1400m with him. He’s been finishing off in runs this prep really well,” Lister said.
“I thought he had been running well. First-up at Kilmore they went berserk and they were just too quick for him out in front.
“Second-up, the horse that won that had been in Group races and won again, so we knew he was going all right.
“We like to go back with him and they don’t get much quicker in a 1300m than they do in a 1000m ... but I was very concerned about the track, I worried about the hard track and I had a sleepless Saturday night.
“He doesn’t like it rock hard, which is hard in summer months, but the track was good, you could still get a toe in ... it all worked out in the end.”
Lister revealed he had no plans to spell Burning The Clock and will push the gelding to a fifth start this prep.
Much like the past week, Lister said to expect more trips to the water walker and slow work at the home track.
“I think he could go to 1400m now,” Lister said.
“I might give him a trial before that though, just to top him off, similar to Kyneton and then back him up straight after the trial.”