Exciting colt Swiss Exile looks for extra ground

By Jordan Gerrans

The stable and in-form hoop Sam Clipperton are wondering if exciting colt Swiss Exile will run out a mile as they plot their path through the 2022 TAB Queensland Racing Carnival.

The son of Pariah has done all his racing in the Sunshine State and while he was always highly touted by the leading Annabel Neasham team, he was yet to find a suitable winning race before the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic.

He went under as a red-hot favourite the start before in a Friday afternoon Caloundra maiden handicap.

Breaking his maiden status in a Group race, the stable now have higher honours on their agenda, starting with the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce before a potential tilt at the iconic JJ Atkins.

He rises from 1200 metres in the Spirit Of Boom to 1400 metres in the Sires’ Produce this Saturday with the step up to the mile a question mark going forward.

“It was great for him to break his maiden at Group 2 level,” Neasham said.

“It was fantastic for Sam Clipperton, as well, he is on a real roll at the moment, it is great for the whole team.

“There is a lot of owners in him and I think they are all up here, hopefully he can get 1400 metres.”

In the stable’s new Gold Coast satellite operation, the promising two-year-old colt has been looked after by assistant trainer Todd Pollard in recent weeks, alongside star galloper Zaaki.

Kiwi Pollard was always optimistic the $95,000 Adelaide yearling sale buy had a bright future, despite taking five attempts to break through for the first time.

“He is a lovely colt and we have always known that he is better than what he had shown before he won,” the assistant trainer said.

“He got beat on the Sunshine Coast the start before as a short favourite that day.

“He has come through the Spirit Of Boom Classic run remarkably well; he has got into his feed and is doing better than he did before the run.

“He seems to have settled into the Queensland lifestyle and he is going really well.”

After leading over 1200 metres in the soggy Eagle Farm conditions earlier this month, Pollard is hopeful Swiss Exile can run out the extra distances planned his program for the remainder of the winter period.

“He has a great constitution, he is a nice, big and solid horse and he just going to keep furnishing,” Pollard said.

“It is great to see him now doing on the track what he has always shown us at home.

“The future is ahead of him, we are pretty excited to see him go on with it, hopefully he has a bit of confidence under his belt.”

Swiss Exile is rated a $15 chance by the TAB for the Group 1 JJ Atkins next month and while Pollard is keen for his colt to head to the show-piece race for juveniles, he has questions around if he will run out the mile.

“With the 1600 metres, whether that finds him out, he probably has the size and scope to get a mile,” Pollard said.

“It is all good signs going forward but whether he will or not, I do not know.

“How he won the other day, we will see how he handles 1400 metres when he gets to that, but that will also tell us where he goes to next season as a three-year-old, if we keep him to sprinting trips or if he is a Guineas horse.”

Doomben 10,000 winning rider Clipperton piloted Swiss Exile for the first time on race day in the Spirit Of Boom Classic and thinks he might get a mile.

“I think he’ll get seven furlong, no dramas,” Clipperton said.

“Maybe even a mile.

“He just needs to settle a bit better but I think that was a good confidence boosting win and now he can go on with it.”

The Neasham-trained colt is the second favourite for this Saturday’s Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce at $7, behind Resonator.