CLANGALANG IS COUNTED

It was hard to know who to cheer for at Seymour on 29 October: the Clangalang 4YO – Clanger Count – that Eliza Park sold at the 2007 Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale on behalf of breeder the late Noel Butler – or the ultra consistent Delzao 3YO Purple Zone?
Clanger Count would continue Clangalang’s winning run however and score over the 2215m journey with Purple Zone fighting on well for second.
Trained by Shannon and Lee Hope, Clanger Count had put in an encouraging third at Wangaratta earlier in the month and there was no denying him at Seymour.
Out of the Seattle Dancer mare, Medium, Clanger Count is a grandson of Group winning British mare, Piney Ridge and hails from the immediate family of Sydney stakes winner Shannon Bank. It’s also the family of successful sires Dignitas and Knightly Manner.
Clangalang had 34 runners in Australia throughout October for seven winners, eight placings and six more money earners, resulting in a cheque to starts ratio of 62%.
But how unlucky is Purple Zone? The John McArdle trained Delzao has now had six starts for four seconds … surely a win isn’t too far around the corner?

Actually, office supremo Glenn Gillan, who largely keeps the cogs turning at Eliza Park, had no problem re whom to cheer for: he owns Medium along with partner Raymond Butler.