Luck of the Irish as Burning The Clock salutes for Ardmona trainer

By Aydin Payne

Sep 15, 2022

Memorable win: Jockey Neil Farley steers Burning The Clock home in Saturday’s Ashwood Football Trip 2022 0-58 Handicap at Echuca. Picture: Brendan McCarthy/Racing Photos Photo by Brendan McCarthy

Somewhere in Ireland there’s a small pub that has been toasting seven-year-old gelding Burning The Clock for the past six days.

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Hours after the Ivan Lister-trained galloper saluted in race four at Echuca on Saturday, $500 was plonked on the bar for patrons to enjoy.

The gelding’s owner, Irishman Mark Dennehy, was the man who provided free ales for those in the establishment after Burning The Clock ($2.20) was first to pass the post in the Ashwood Football Trip 2022 0-58 Handicap (1000m).

Lister, who lives at Ardmona, said there was no doubt Burning The Clock would be cheered for days to come in the Emerald Isle.

“The owner, Mark, sent $500 of the winnings over to a pub back in Ireland and put it on the bar which I thought was a classic,” the 76-year-old trainer said with a laugh.

“I’m not sure what the name of the pub is, but somewhere in Ireland Echuca is on the map and talk of the town.”

It was certainly luck of the Irish as jockey Neil Farley — an Irishman himself — steered the perfect run for Burning The Clock.

Lister said his stable’s newly-acquired runner was “sort of a speed horse”, but the experienced horseman and his hoop devised a plan in the 0-58 handicap race.

Burning The Clock was second-up at Echuca off the back of an interrupted first-up run where the gelding only beat one runner home.

But a drop in grade and with an unbeatable plan in place, Lister, the two Irishmen and Burning The Clock’s backers were able to fill their pockets.

“Neil knew the horse and has had some success on him before. We worked out that we would drop him back towards the end of the field,” Lister said.

“We knew that he was always going to be hard to beat in that grade. Neil rode him perfectly and as you could see he still had a bit left with 100m to go.”

Although Lister said he could “smell the roses” on his training career, one that spans four decades, he was still hard at work.

It’s been a busy few weeks for Lister and his small stable.

Having been based out of Tatura, before shifting to Benalla, Lister is now heading to Echuca for his horses to do track work.

Battling chronic pain, Lister said the shift to Echuca had been easier for him to continue his passion.

Lister said Burning The Clock had pulled up superbly and would nominate him for Kyneton on Monday and was eyeing off another return to Echuca in a fortnight.

The beer may have run out by his next run, but you can guarantee the pub will still be chanting Burning The Clock’s name for many days to come.