HORSE RACING
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He's been given the all clear to wrap up a rare second straight Sydney apprentices premiership but jockey Sam Clipperton isn't banking on his name being etched in the record books just yet.
The young rider - who was on hand at Kembla Grange on Tuesday - had a two-week extension approved for his apprenticeship on Monday and is in the box seat to become the first rider in just on two decades to secure back-to-back Sydney apprentice titles.
As the season closes, Clipperton holds a six-win break over Serg Lisnyy and needs just five winners to out-ride his claim.
But Clipperton wasn't planning on taking his foot off the accelerator despite his own slice of history beckoning.
"I'll be giving it my best shot ... I am not going to go the early crow," he said.
"It is just two weeks to ride to the end of the season as an apprentice then go on from there as a [fully-fledged] jockey."
Clipperton's apprenticeship was due to finish on July 16 and his extension is until end of this racing season.
Most punters had singled out All Salsa and the Waterhouse-runner Mileyva in race two - a Maiden Plate over 1200m - and Clipperton found the box-seat behind the Mileyva ($2.40fav) on All Salsa.
Using the patience gained through his apprenticeship, the young rider waited for a split in the straight and punched the filly through to take control 100m out and race away to score by 2½ lengths.
"It was just a matter of getting clear running from the gate but I was always confident I had plenty of horse under me.
"Once I got the little gap she shot through it and went on to win well," Clipperton said.
"That is racing. They are not going to help you out there but I was fortunate enough that there was a small gap and she went on to win impressively."
All Salsa was placed behind Listed winner Shamalia and to Saturday grade winner All Cerise in two runs last time in.
"She has taken a while to win a race but hopefully she can gain a bit of confidence and go on to better things," Clipperton said.
"Off that run she can definitely progress through to the mid-weeks and if she performs well there, there is an off-season Saturday race there for sure."
Clipperton added his second win with a front-running ride on Sancha
A $3.10 second elect, Sancha landed in the lead from barrier two and, after being a clear four lengths clear of her rivals in the middle stages, held on well to score by a little less than two lengths.
Earlier, the David Payne-trained two-year old The Big Rig impressively cruised to victory in race one.
He's certainly a horse to follow.