TAKE a sit get ready to sprint home - that is how Bathurst trainer Steve Jones wants to see Surfing Clear race and on Wednesday afternoon it was obvious to see why.
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Once Surfing Clear balanced at the top of the straight at the Bathurst Paceway he was able to unleash a sprint which carried him to victory in the Modern Art at Lochend Stud Pace (1,730 metres).
It was an acceleration Jones had expected to see, so even after Surfing Clear went awkwardly at the start, was restrained by driver Justin Reynolds and settled at the rear of the field, the trainer was not concerned.
"He's got a lot of speed, a lot of speed, so it wasn't worrying us him going back because we knew we had a fast horse," Jones said.
"We've purposefully taught him to race like that because that's his best asset, his speed at the end.
"Justin did a good job, that's all he had to do with him, if he's within earshot of them when they start sprinting then he'll run them down."
While Surfing Clear is a five-year-old, Wednesday's race was just the third of his career.
His debut in August last year was nothing to boast about as he finished 90 metres off the pace in seventh, but since then the Surfing Safari x Clearly Invincible gelding has shown more potential.
He notched up a second and a pair of firsts in trials and in his second race start came from one out and two back to finish second.
"Yeah he's got a bit of potential," Jones said.
"The fellah who bred him also raced his sire, that's where the Surfing comes in because he's by Surfing Safari. His name is Greg Harris, he's a solicitor down in Katoomba, and he happens to allow me to train them all, which is real nice.
"We give him one start last year and he just mixed it all up, but he's just learning. We are trying to teach him to race in that pattern because we know he's got a lot of speed at the end."
Surfing Clear was sent out as the $1.55 favourite but was roughly away from barrier seven and Reynolds restrained him and dropped back to the rear.
It was Bettorpickabeach, from the Parkes stable of Brett Hutchings, who used his barrier one draw to take the lead. When the bell for the final lap sounded, Surfing Clear was some 15 metres behind him.
But Reynolds got the favourite moving three wide and by the time he balanced at the top of the straight was third.
From there he did what Jones is training him for, sprinting home to win in a 1:58.9 mile rate. Arma Miss was declared runner-up after a protest.
