Some clever buying at a Ready To Run Sale has trainer Todd Smart set up for fun times ahead with his promising two-year-old Kelvedon Road, who resumes at Albury on Tuesday.
Bred by the same crew who designed Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, Kelvedon Road is a son of Star Witness out of a mare by another Golden Slipper winner in Flying Spur.
Kelvedon Road had trailed especially well prior to his debut at home in the nation’s capital on February 5 clocking in a creditable fourth to subsequent Black Opal Preview winner, Pretty Woman.
“We bought him at the Ready To Run Sales, quite cheap, I think it was about $17,000,’’ Smart explained.
“He is out of a really nice mare called Bec Said No Credit. I just thought he was a nice style of a horse. He looked a little immature at the time and just had to grow into himself and I think that showed in the price of him.
“He probably wasn’t ready (at his first start) and he was on the wrong part of the track,’’ Smart said.
“Now he has had a good spell and has trialled up well and he is ready to go for this preparation.
“I think he is a massive chance, all he has to do is run up to his trial and then he’ll be hard to beat.’’
Another of Smart’s string headed to Albury on Tuesday with bright prospects is Mr Maharaj who has been given the perfect grounding to see out a strong mile in the Avis Class 1 & Maiden Plate.
“His mother won over 2800m so I am citing on that to say he is going to get the 1600m easy,’’ Smart says.
“It is a bit of a D-Day for him but I think it is the right race. Mitchell Beer’s horse (Sydney Blue) will be hard to beat but Mr Hamaraj won’t be far off it, that’s for sure.’’
Smart’s third runner in the deep south is Underthespotlight, a son of Nature Strips’ sire Nicconi out of a sister to another Galaxy winner in Mistegic.
“He is a horse that just keeps on improving with age,’’ Smart said. ‘’He is a real late maturer who is just starting to come good now.
“He is down in the weights today with Damon Budler riding, I expect him to be on the pace somewhere and he’ll be hard to beat too.
“He got through the wet OK there at Wagga and he was doing his best work late through the line which is what I really liked. That was 1000m and this being 1175m is going to suit. He has run at Albury before and ran second there in a maiden.
“Some horses can’t handle Albury when it’s wet but he does.
“I expect the three of mine to all run really good races,’’ said Smart.
Written by Shayne O’Cass