Wagga preview: Getty is picture perfect on back-up

Trainer Matthew Kelley heads to Friday’s meeting at Wagga in hopes of a change of fortune with handy gallopers Getty and Invertational.

A clean start is all trainer Matthew Kelley is hoping for two of his gallopers that are headed to Wagga on Friday.

Four-year-old gelding Getty nearly touched the turf with his nose last week at Queanbeyan when he dipped shortly after jumping while talented mare Invertational missed the start last time out and could never get in the hunt.

The Canberra-based conditioner thinks if both can get it right at the start, they will prove hard to beat in their respective races.

Invertational, the more proven of the two, returned as a winner first-up before struggling to make ground at Canberra last start.

Late splits give Kelley optimism that she comes to Friday’s Stan Sadleir Stakes (1400m) in good form.

“She was good first-up and then in her second-up run she missed the kick and as a result just got squeezed right out the back,” Kelley said.

“That didn’t play into her hands at all because the first three skipped away on the turn and put a couple of lengths on the rest on the field and from there it was just impossible to run them down.

“But the times she produced for the last 600m was actually quite smart so I thought she still went pretty well.”

The trip out to Wagga also suits the five-year-old daughter of Invader with three of her five trips to the riverina resulting in wins.

“She goes good at Wagga and I’ve had this race pencilled in for her as soon as she ran at Canberra last start,” Kelley said.

“It was the most logical move, especially third-up into her preparation.”

Meanwhile, despite nearly hitting the deck seven days ago at Queanbeyan, Getty has pulled up well and with even luck, can be right in the finish.

“He’s pulled up fine,” Kelley said.

“Obviously everything went against him there so you can basically put a line through the run.

“He cost himself about three or four lengths by doing it and he was only beaten two lengths so you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out he probably should have finished closer.”

Trainer Matthew Kelley (right) celebrates after winning a Highway with I’ve Bean Tryin’. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

The former Peter and Paul Snowden galloper had barrier one last week but steps from 14 in the 1200m contest.

While it looks like a negative on paper, Kelley is putting the barrier to use in hopes of teaching Getty a thing or two.

“It is a tricky gate but I am trying to teach the horse to be ridden quieter and finish off so it’s probably not such a bad thing,” Kelley said.

“He does have good natural early speed so hopefully he can slot in somewhere.”

The final event on the eight race contest will see Prophet’s Pride return of an eight week let up and reports from the stable suggest she’s tracking well ahead of her return.

“She’s going well and I’ve been very happy with her gallops,” Kelley said.

“Her gallops have been with Invertational and both have been extremely well so I’m happy with how she’s going ahead of this race.

“I’ve kept her fresh and sharp and while most of her form is over further, she’s won at the trip and does go well first-up so she’s in with a good hope.”

Prophet’s Pride will be looking to spoil the party of Highway winner Iron Will, who returned off a long lay-off as a winner at Canberra earlier this month.

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Happy hunting ground to suit Prosser’s pair

Trainer Colt Prosser is hoping a happy hunting ground can see two of his gallopers break through for a win on Friday.

Both Poita and Calamity Fox are winners at the track and Prosser hopes the duo can continue the trend when they hop in the float and head west for their latest assignment.

Poita, a seven-year-old gelding, comes through a hot form race on Port Macquarie Cup day when he ran into interference on the home bend.

The son of Headwater has won three of his five starts at Moree and reports from the stable suggest he’s bounced through his last start effort in good order.

“He went all right, he tried to zip up the inside and ran into a couple of bums,” Prosser said.

“Port (Macquarie) just seems to be running a bit leader biased at the moment but hopefully it evens out after it has a bit of time to settle down.

“It was a good race too. There’s good form out of the race and he comes into this race in good shape.

“I think he’s done super since that run too. He’s back to his normal self now and he seems good.

“He loves Moree too and this race looks suitable for him.”

A win in the 950m scamper would see Poita’s prizemoney balance rise closer to the $200,000 mark at his 51st start.

Meanwhile, Calamity Fox isn’t a prolific winner but he’s one for one at Moree.

The Wauchope-based conditioner is keen to get the gelding back out west where he expects a strong tempo to aid his chances of getting home over the top of them, as it did earlier in the year.

The five-year-old son of Foxwedge comes out of a Taree contest on a Heavy 8 track but is likely to get a firm racing service in the final race at Moree.

“He just had a horse on his bum dragging him down a bit at that last start at Taree,” Prosser said.

“I don’t think he was that comfortable on the heavy track either.

“So we’ll go back to Moree and that’s where he won and we will look for a similar result.

“He seems to like the speed of the western races.

“More often than not they go a bit quicker and he can stay out of trouble and hopefully get home over the top of them late.”

Originally published as Wagga preview: Getty is picture perfect on back-up