He beat second placer Isle Be Ready by 2.3 seconds and Revel in the Chaos by 2.8 seconds. 

Mount Isa trainer Justin Bawden said it was a return to form for Carry Me. 

“He went pretty well,” Bawden said. 

“It was a good run.” 

Carry Me was the only horse that Bawden trained among the horses entering the seven races of the Cloncurry Cup. 

Carry Me’s win came as no surprise to his trainer, who knew that the horse’s fitness was increasing. 

It came second to Revel in the Chaos in Mount Isa on September 26, but before that had not performed strongly since coming first in Richmond in June. 

On September 19 Carry Me came fifth of seven horses in Winton. 

“The track work rider said he was flying,” Bawden said. 

“He said on Wednesday it was the best track ride there.” 

Jockey Justin Esser was described by the trainer as a “very good rider” who previously worked in Cairns. 

Esser had some time off between racing. 

“He has just got to work on getting his fitness back,” Bawden said. 

Esser had already lost weight in the last month, having been 61 kgs in Winton in September. 

In August Carry Me raced in Mount Isa but came seventh of 12 horses in the 1000 metre race. 

Esser noted the horse’s performance at the time as “disappointing” but that Carry Me would be better off racing longer distance. 

In Cloncurry on Saturday Carry Me won with his jockey’s weight of 59.5 kilograms, a heavier weight than second placer’s jockey Keith Ballard, 57.5 kg. 

Carry Me’s lapse in wins in recent months was likely due to the same reason, having lost some of his fitness. 

“I had a bit of time where I did not have a track work rider,” Bawden said. 

“It came down to that. 

“He might have got a bit fat.” 

At the Mount Isa races in late September Carry Me was showing signs of tiredness towards the end of the race when bested by Revel in the Chaos. 

But in Cloncurry running on a harder track had been an advantage for Carry Me. 

Bawden said he was considering entering Carry Me in the 1400 metre sprint in Townsville in a fortnight.

He would be competing for the $13,000 prize.  

“Yeah, if I go to Townsville I think he will be competitive,” Bawden said. “My jockey said he will be competitive, I think it will be worth a shot.” 

Isle Be Ready performed well considering it came sixth out of seven horses in Mount Isa on September 26. 

Jockey Keith Ballard noted that Isle Be Ready lost ground near the 700 metre mark due to resenting kickback.

Isle Be Ready came fifth of 12 in Birdsville.