Switchblade shines in Clarke Memorial

By Jordan Gerrans

Toowoomba trainer Stephen Matthews was optimistic Switchblade would run well in the inaugural running of the Les Clarke Memorial, but he never envisioned the performance his horse would put on.

Warwick held the first edition of the race, named in honour of respected local horseman Clarke, who passed away earlier this year, on Saturday, which coincided with its 2026 Cup program.

Clarke himself was a Cup-winner at Allman Park and was a revered identity in the local racing community.

Matthews, who trains out of Clifford Park, lined Switchblade up in the Class 2 Handicap over 1500 metres in sharp condition and English hoop Aidan Keeley rode the gelding to victory by almost four lengths.

The voice of racing at Warwick, Anthony Collins, noted in his broadcast that the six-year-old gelding put the field to the sword in a devastating display.

“He won really well,” Matthews, who owns a large share in the galloper, said.

“He has been going well and close enough for much of this prep, without winning.

“He was able to get a bit of sting out of the ground and he did well. There was a little bit of rain, so that helped him.

“He's been consistent without winning this prep, with a couple of placings and a couple of fourths. He had been racing down at Ipswich against better horses every week.

“In this race, I was just trying to bring him back to a slightly lower grade in the country.”

The 25-year-old Keeley took Switchblade around the field as they turned for home and the gelding responded nicely to put a fair margin on the chasing pack.

“I didn't think he'd win like that, but I thought he'd put in a good effort,” the trainer said.

“I was telling a few people top three, I thought. That's what I was sort of thinking.

“I didn't think he'd put them to the sword like that. He certainly did.

“He hasn't carried 54.5kg for a long time and they put the speed on for him, so the race was sort of set up for him.

“He was strong through the line, which is good. He pulled up good, so that's all you can ask for.”

Matthews, who trains a team of six while also running a building company on the Darling Downs, has a few options going forward with the gelding.

“I just give him a freshen-up for five days,” he said.

“There is a race at Dalby and Ipswich that I will consider for him soon.”

Members of the Clarke family were on hand to present Matthews and his connections with the trophy for the first running of the Les Clarke Memorial.

“For the Clarke family, it marked the beginning of a race carrying Les’s name, a tribute shared with everyone gathered at the track,” the Warwick club said on social media.

“The first chapter of a race run in remembrance. A special place for Les on Warwick Cup day.”

Clarke passed away in January. He was 85 years of age.

In recent years, Clarke’s name was up in lights after claiming the Warwick Cup with Military Kings in emotional fashion not long after his own son Steve had passed away.

In his heyday, Clarke prepared Untamed, who won 24 races, including a Rockhampton Newmarket, as well as city victories and multiple triumphs at Lismore.

Matthews is only in the infancy of his training tenure and never crossed paths with the late Clarke, but noted that he had only heard positive things about the revered horseman.

“I wish they'd race more at Warwick,” he said.

“It's a good track. They look after it well. It was in good order on Saturday.

“All the facilities are good.”

The 48-year-old Matthews has been training in his own right since early 2024 and has 12 winners to his name.

He is now opening new doors with his training venture.

“I've bought a couple of babies and that takes a bit of time and patience,” he said.

“I haven’t tried a few of them yet, but I have one I like – Russian Bolt.

“He won a jump-out and ran third in a Warwick trial, then he went a bit shin-sore, so we put him in the paddock. He's back now, he goes all right.

“It's going really well. The horses are consistent and running well, which is good.”