2 days ago
Deepwater Artist to create an impression at Albury
CANBERRA trainer Matthew Kelley could well be heading north and not south in the near future with his lightly-raced Kiwi-bred gelding Deepwater Artist which fronts up at Albury on Tuesday for the second time inside just three starts.
The son of Widden Stud's resident four-time Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist created a lasting first impression when he won his debut on July 18 in an Albury 1175m Maiden.
Deepwater Artist resurfaced at Wagga (Riverside) on August 4 where it took a TAB Highway winner, Salute Again, to deny him his unbeaten tag.
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'He is very unassuming,'' Kelley said.
'He showed me a little bit early days but he has probably exceeded my expectations.
'I didn't think he was as good as what he is.
'He was originally getting prepared for the Ready To Run Sale to be sold when he was over in New Zealand.
'He actually trialled up pretty good at the Ready To Runs, I went back and watched his video.
'They paid $120,000 for him and then he went to Brett Cavanough and he was being trained there and they had a pretty low opinion of him from all the reports I got from them.
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'He has just excelled this preparation. Everything he is doing, he is doing it with authority.
'On his first two runs, he has definitely got to be a midweek grade animal I think.'
Deepwater Artist will have company on the 660km round-trip from stablemate Getty which was born and raised at Corumbene Stud, the same as Golden Slipper winners Sebring and Overreach.
Getty has his own Golden Slipper connection being a near replica son of 2016 race winner, Capitalist.
Like him, Getty was originally trained by Peter and Paul Snowden and although he never won for the then father and son training duo, he was placed five times including behind the likes of Estriella, In Flight, Spring Lee and Rush Hour in the $500,000 Debut at the Gold Coast.
Getty has won three times for Kelley and chases a fourth career victory on Tuesday after a brave second at Wagga under a crushing 61 kgs steadier.
'He is getting better as he gets older,'' Kelley said.
'He has been an extremely late-maturer, mentally, and he is still probably not completely matured yet.
'I think we are starting to get on top of him this preparation and it is showing.
'I think later on down the track, he'll be an Open company sprinter for sure.'
