Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes 2015: Burles Thrilled With The Cleaner

Mick Burles will be at Moonee Valley on Saturday when The Cleaner contests the 2015 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes and the colourful trainer could not be happier with his star galloper ahead of the Group 2 event.

The Cleaner has the chance to record back-to-back wins in the 2015 Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Cleaner has the chance to record back-to-back wins in the 2015 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

The Cleaner returned to the races with a gallant second place finish behind Mourinho in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15 despite doing very little work in the lead-up and Burles told Racing Ahead this morning that he has been absolutely delighted with the way that the Savoire Vivre gelding has come out of his first-up run.

“He is really good,” Burles said.

“You wouldn’t know that he went around.

“He licked his bin out on the boat coming home and he hasn’t left an oat since.

“It was a magnificent effort for what he had done.

“I am pleased to be going back there, but there are a couple of good ones in there though.”

The Cleaner was given a fairly quite week coming out of the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, but he was given his final serious piece of trackwork before the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam at Mowbray Racecourse this morning.

Burles asked The Cleaner to work home from the 1000 metre mark and the veteran trainer said that he could not have been happier with the way that eight-year-old responded when he was asked for an extra effort by his regular trackwork rider.

“I was over the moon with him, you couldn’t ask for any better,” Burles said.

“He just did a bit of evens from the 1000 and he let him run home from the 600 in his own comfort zone.

“He just clicked him up at the top of the straight and he just powered away.

“I couldn’t be happier.

“He will come over on Thursday night, like he always does, go over to Pine Lodge for the day and then stay there.”

Due to health reasons Burles was unable to be on course to watch The Cleaner run in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes, but he said that wild horses could not keep him away from Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes Day this weekend.

The Cleaner will join Shorengro (1968, 1969 and 1970), Lawman (1981 and 1982), Lad Of The Manor (2005 and 2006) and Whobetgotyou (2009 and 2010) as the only back-to-back winners in the history of the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes if he is successful on Saturday.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.