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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Sam Clipperton is searching for that headline horse, that major race winner, to give his return to the Sydney ranks a real boost and he’s hoping promising youngster Best Of Bordeaux could be such a horse.

Jockey Sam Clipperton (Pic: Bradley Photos)

It’s been a couple of years since he called time on Hong Kong and momentum in the Sydney jockeys room is hard to come by against a cavalcade of star riders, especially when an injury sets you back as it did in the spring.

But with a young family, including six week old daughter Adeline, cheering him on the 28-year-old is riding with supreme confidence and the results are starting to show with 11 winners from his last 40 rides (prior to Canterbury) seeing him sit in the premiership top ten.

“I’ve ridden two Group 1 winners and went to Hong Kong, then spent a fair bit of time trying to re-establish myself in Sydney,’’ he said.

“Hopefully some opportunities come my way in the carnival, I’m riding with confidence and feeling good and getting on the right horses.”

Best Of Bordeaux was certainly the right horse in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) three weeks ago and Clipperton admits he didn’t see the runaway 4-1/2 length win coming.

So he’s curious about what might unfold in the Group 2 $250,000 Fujitsu General Silver Slipper over the same course at Rosehill where on Thursday he was on the third line at $7. In the Golden Slipper picture he's on the fourth line at $15.

“He was very impressive. You can say it was a leader biased track, it wasn’t so much leader biased but towards the inside,’’ Clipperton said.

“I won on a horse the same day that came from last but along the rails.”

If you line up Best Of Bordeaux’s times against that of Widden Stakes winner Queen Of The Ball, who is Silver Slipper favourite, his was just over two lengths inferior.

But Clipperton said what he liked about the win was that as he upped the ante, the Kacy Fogden-trained colt went with him.

“It wasn’t any fluke, he quickened off the running really sharp and every time I asked for another effort he quickened again,’’ he said.

“He didn’t just win on pure speed, he won on good ability and he gave a good feel. Provided he’s kept improving, which from all reports he has, we’ll know more about where we are at with him.

“He faces a tougher task, it’s a quality field and there looks to be a bit of speed. We’ll probably find out about him in terms of his racing style.

“When he trialled he sat in behind them quite well and trialled on the bridle so that gives me a bit of confidence. But he’s a lovely quiet horse, I was quite taken with his attitude for the first time at the races.”

The last time we saw talented three-year-old Mazu he and Clipperton raced away with the Listed Brian Crowley back in October but a bit has changed since then and the jockey is adamant for the better.

Mazu, trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, has his first start as a gelding in the Ned Whisky Handicap (1100m) and it’s a ‘gear change’ the jockey can’t wait to see the benefits of.

“He’s going really well at home, I’m quite impressed with what the gelding operation has done for him,’’ he said.

Best Of Bordeaux wins at Rosehill on January 29

“He’s always been a very talented horse, he’s just been very headstrong and his temperament wasn’t helping his racing. I’ve ridden him a fair bit since he’s been back in work and from what I can tell the gelding has really improved him.”

He’s had just the one trial ahead of his first-up assignment where with 59kg he concedes weight, and fitness, to his rivals.

Fresh in the spring he was beaten three lengths by Paulele and In The Congo over 1100m at Randwick as a $10 chance.

“His trackwork has been good and I’ll go into Saturday pretty confident about his chances,’’ Clipperton said.

“His demeanour is a lot more relaxed and his trial at Rosehill was spot on as well. He has a big weight to carry but he is a quality horse that will be right in the finish.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting