Clayton proves it’s just like riding a bike

By Jordan Gerrans

The old phrase goes that it is "just like riding a bike".

For Queensland horseman Matthew Clayton, there are a few minor differences, but that is mostly how he has approached dipping his toes back into race driving over the last few years. 

The 44-year-old prefers to book the top drivers for his stable’s runners, but he will jump in the sulky every now and again.

Clayton drove his first winner since way back in the 2012-13 season on Sunday afternoon at Redcliffe. 

Clayton didn’t drive in a race for the best part of a decade and he has only taken around 40 engagements on race day since returning to the sulky occasionally in 2023. 

“Racing's changed, the speed of the racing and all that,” Clayton said following the breakthrough triumph. 

“I find it different to what it was all those years ago, but it's just adjusting to the new whip rules and things like that.

“It's easy to go into the old style and forget about those little things.

“It's just like anything, go out there, have a bit of fun and make sure everyone gets around safely for us guys and the horses come back sound. That's all we want.”

Clayton has revitalized his stable over the last couple of years after taking a decade off training.

Partnering with My Ultimate Rudi, who he trains, Clayton was able to wear down leader and race favourite My Ultimate Louie in the concluding stages over 1780 metres on Sunday afternoon. 

After starting from one on the second line, the six-year-old bay gelding scored by a head. 

While Clayton was chuffed to land his first winner in more than a decade, he is unlikely to be taking on many more raceday assignments on the back of the result. 

As a trainer, he is keen to allow the drivers who do it on a day-to-day basis to partner his horses. 

“It is just a matter of going around and the more you go around, obviously, the better you'll get at it,” he said.

“But, for me, it's not like I am going around all the time, anyway.

“For me, it's trying to earn money with the horses we've got and the best chance of that is having the drivers that are going around all the time drive for me. 

“So, for me, I'll just fill in when I need to.”

The horseman says he is loving being back in the sport on a consistent basis as well as still working full-time in the golf industry.

My Ultimate Rudi went through a lean run of form through December and January before being sent to the paddock for a spell. 

The son of Sweet Lou has returned in smart order after running second twice in recent weeks, which led towards Sunday’s victory.

The win was the 12^th of his career. The gelding has been prepared by Clayton since the middle of last year. 

“He was a bit flat at the end of last prep,” Clayton said.

“We ended up giving him a bit of time off and I think he had 12 weeks between runs. 

“He had time off at the Sunshine Coast and he stayed at the place of Adam Whittaker, who is a big supporter of the stable, with his daughter Maya.

“They follow the stable and they come to as many race meetings as they possibly can, so they support the team pretty good.

“Then he came back and it seems to have definitely helped him because his form this time in has been better than what he was going, anyway."

Clayton met Whittaker and his daughter Maya at the Gympie Show last year and they have followed the stable ever since. 

Young Maya has a specific liking of another of Clayton’s stable stars - One Last Roll.

Maya has her eyes on getting involved in the Mini Trotting ranks in the Sunshine State, as well. 

They were at the races on Sunday to celebrate the win alongside Clayton. 

The 13-year-old One Last Roll won his 43^rd career race at Marburg in early May. 

“The team's going good for a small stable, we make it work,” Clayton said. 

My Ultimate Rudi is raced by Keith Overton, who is 101 years of age, alongside his son Jim.