Born in Devonshire England in 1895, Cliff Clarke became involved in harness racing in 1923 and had an immediate impact topping both the Perth Reinsman's and Trainer's Premierships in his first full season.
No other trainer/driver has headed the Perth Premierships in their first season.
The first of Clarke's winners came in 1923 at the WACA Ground track with Princess Willow.
He amassed his total of 341 Perth wins as a driver in just 25 years as a heart condition brought a premature end to his career in the sulky.
Cliff Clarke topped the Perth Drivers Premiership four times whilst being runner-up eight times.
He trained 412 Perth winners in 32 years heading the Perth Trainers List six times. He was also runner-up on five occasions and third twice.
Clarke's record as a trainer of quality horses is exceptional and he was the first trainer to qualify three runners for a WA Cup - a feat only repeated a handful of times since.
He trained and drove Belalie to win the 1936 WA Trotting Cup and repeated the success with giant pacer Will O'The Wisp in the 1939 Cup. Will O'The Wisp was a son of Clarke's 1929 WA Derby winner Willowcliffe.
Cliff Clarke and Bill Horn share the Fremantle Cup training record with four wins apiece. Clarke won the race twice as a trainer/driver and twice as a trainer.
The 1947 Fremantle Cup winner Stormy Weather gave Clarke a national profile when he was a brilliant winner of his three heats of the 1947 Perth Inter Dominion with champion reinsman Alec McLean at the reins.
Clarke was also the trainer of Kellett which won a heat of the 1953 Perth Inter Dominion for Fred Kersley. Kellett finished third to Captain Sandy and Ribands in the final that year.