WHILE the rain would've affected a number of starters at Kennerson Park on Monday evening, the wet and cooler weather was the only reason the winner of the first could actually compete.
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Left Turn Clyde ($6.50), who drew the wide eight box for the Santa Here Tonight Maiden (307 metres) has a condition where he's unable to compete in hot weather according to Limekilns trainer Sarah Hopkins.
And as the temperature was fairly pleasant on Monday afternoon, the two-year-old blue fawn was able to compete and claim his first career win, after leading from basically start to finish.
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"I'm very happy because he has a condition where it stops him from racing in the heat," Hopkins said after the race.
"He spasms when he urinates and we can't race him on the medication. We only put him in because they were low on numbers and it was going to be cool.
"We got given him and we just took him and ran with him and kept him going as much as we can.
"He's a beautiful dog. We love him. We's a lovely kennel dog, he doesn't bark. He's very well behaved, a really impressive dog."
The two-year-old finished ahead of White Boots ($10) and Gem Dealer ($4.80) in second and third respectively.
Left Turn Clyde has come close in recent starts, with two thirds in Bathurst back in October, which was followed by two fifths in his last two starts at Lithgow and Kennerson Park.
"We are really pleased with him because he's only a baby, only just turning two," he said.
"I think he's got a lot in him, so he'll keep him and going and see how he goes."
Left Turn Clyde gets his name from Clyde, a pet orangutan of Philo Beddoe, a character portrayed by actor Clint Eastwood from the 1978 American action comedy film Every Which Way but Loose.
"Kevin named him, he's not allowed to name anymore dogs," she said.
"He named it after an ape. Apparently it was a Clint Eastwood movie, where he had one next to him and when he got pulled over by the cops, he'd say, 'Left turn Clyde' and he punched the cop."