Kliese Hits 600 Winners in Conquest of Cluden

The seemingly ageless Graham Kliese hit another magic milestone when he landed his 600th Cluden Park winner on Monday 24 April, a feat few hoops if any have achieved.

Kliese, now in his 50s, brought up win number 600 on Better Not Fuss in the Hygain QTIS 2YO Mdn Hcp (1200m) for Cluden trainer Sarah Accornley.

The no-nonsense jockey has now ridden 1228 winners in his injury interrupted career.

“I wouldn’t think there’d be too many jockeys to win that many at Cluden” Kliese said.

“You can’t eat numbers or pay the bills with stats, but it’s another milestone along the way.

“I reckon I’ve been riding here for 30 years and probably missed about five years through injuries.”

Kliese made special mention of his old master the late Ron Conquest, a Hall of Famer.

“I served my apprenticeship with Ron and went to the northern rivers where my brother (Gary) was before I moved here in the early 1990s,” Kliese said.

“Ron was a hard man but a great man. I always maintained contact. He and I spoke at least once a month until the day he died.

“When you were a kid back then it was so much different for apprentices than it is  today. He was my legal guardian and he shaped me, as simple as that. 

“Those years from 15 until 21 – you were an apprentice until 21 back then – those teenage years when you’re running wild – he was the bloke who had to pull me back into gear.

“Wonderful man, good trainer and only ever did the best for me.”

While Kliese was pretty chuffed, Cluden trainer Alby Molino didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after Coolmeans turned in a slashing first-up win yesterday.

Molino’s joy was short lived after the win when he found Coolmeans had been badly stripped behind during the race by of all horses – his stablemate Listen Listen.

“It’s great to get the win but unfortunately we’ll have to see how his injuries go,” Molino said.

“I thought they’d both run a very good race but Listen Listen was a bit slow away and at the 600m when the field slowed up she went up over-racing and she galloped all over Coolmeans' heels.

“It’s put him back a month, he’s lost skin from the top of his hock all the way down to a puncture hole in his fetlock.

“It makes the win look even better, after he got climbed over at the 600m and was still able to win the race.

“I’ve only had a couple of horses in during the summer and had the good ones out for the winter carnival. We’re just starting to get them back to the races and hopefully we’re in for a good run.

“Coolmeans ran last at his final couple of runs last year, jumping out but not going on with it and it turned out he had an injury in his flank and I sent him for a long spell.

“After a trial the other day it looked like he had come back and today was just a test to see what he could do and he ran a really good race.”

Coolmeans is one of five horses Molino trains for a large group of owners and carries the distinct SJ Racing silks of yellow jacket with the red strawberry.

Molino also prepares Listen Listen, She’s Marvellous and Serenata for SJ Racing as well as the smart Focus which turned in an eye-catching fourth to Hurtle in the last.

Hurtle gave trainer Georgie Holt her 25th Cluden winner for the season and an 11 win lead in the Townsville trainers’ premiership.

The speedy Hurtle also landed the second leg of a winning double for apprentice Isabella Teh who scored earlier on Chilena in the maiden.

Smart filly Don’t Tell Leeanne recorded her third win from her past four starts with a strong display to beat Redavni.

Pictured: Graham Kliese after notching up his 600th win at Cluden Park aboard the Sarah Acornley trained Better Not Fuss in the Hygain QTIS 2YO Mdn Hcp (1200m) on Monday. 

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