Ironclad won his third race at Stakes level and gave super sire Dubawi another black-type winner when he resumed from a spell in Adelaide on Monday, 14 March to capture the Listed Matrice Stakes over 1,200m at Morphettville.
Jockey Jamie Kah allowed the former UK galloper to travel three-wide in midfield to the home turn before bringing Ironclad with a strong burst.
The six-year-old gelding, winner of the Listed C.S. Hayes Stakes (Morphettville) and the Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo in 2021, held off the fast-finishing Manhattan Times by a neck with Second Slip taking third place another two lengths away.
Ironclad ran the six furlongs in a fast 1min 9.66secs and has now won eight races and been placed twice from just 17 starts.
Dubawi is the sire of an impressive 226 Stakes winners, and concluded 2021 with a world-leading 38 Stakes winners, matching his previous career-best in 2019.
The super sire’s hot year included becoming the first stallion ever to sire three G1 Breeders’ Cup winners in the same year, led by new Darley stallion Space Blues.
