CON Kelly is heading into this year’s bet365 Swan Hill Cup three days of racing with the best three horses he has in work to snatch a home win to match his away victory at Mildura on May 25.
Where his four-year-old gelding Shal Exceed really did, turning around a photo finish second at Echuca a week earlier, giving Kelly his second win of the season – and his first in Victoria.
Shal Exceed will be joined by Owl Witness and Saint Lazare at the weekend but Kelly said he had taken a shotgun approach to getting them starts for the local racing scene’s biggest event.
“I have nominated the three for a number of races in their grades as those starts are going to be in demand,” Kelly said.
“So long as they get a run I’ll be happy.”
About as happy as he was when Shal Exceed was in its second photo finish in eight days, and the result went the right way, making the trainer immediately set his sights on the gelding going back-to-back on the long weekend.
“When we headed to the track that morning we knew if he could match that Echuca form he had every chance of winning,” Kelly said.
“He just needed a good position during the Mildura race and then give us the same finish as he did in Echuca to win – and that’s exactly what we got.”
Kelly said the horse has been in prime condition – “jumping out of his skin” – and that’s the way he has progressed since both runs.
He has had Shal Exceed since late October last year and in that time has racked up one win and two placings with a horse which has now had 23 career starts and three wins.
Saint Lazare, which Kelly took on earlier this year, has had two starts for his stable but not come close to delivering on its track record of four wins and four placings from 17 previous 17 starts before shifting to Swan Hill.
Owl Witness joined Kelly in April last year and has managed two placings since then.
