Matthew Chadwick boots home third metropolitan winner with runaway winner Kova at Morphettville Parks

There was no catching grey mare Kova at Morphettville Parks but jockey Matthew Chadwick conceded the bold tactics weren’t planned.

Kova was too quick for her rivals at Morphettville Parks. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Catch-me-if-you-can tactics weren’t the plan but it’s what apprentice hoop Matthew Chadwick employed in the fourth race at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.

Chadwick combined with the Shayne and Chelsea Cahill-trained Kova ($17) for a lightning quick all-the-way win in the Skycity Bemchmark 68 (1000m) but revealed in a post-race interview that the original plan was to take a sit.

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It was the third metropolitan win of Chadwick’s career and back-to-back victories for Kova, having won at Mildura on Melbourne Cup day.

“The plan was to take a little sit behind the speed but she jumped that well that I didn’t want to hold up her momentum so I let her fly,” Chadwick told Racing.com.

“She got there so easily and she travelled really comfortable for me as well.”

Kova causes an upset result, leading all of the way in SA! 👏 pic.twitter.com/zscQQErgdw

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The duo went along at a red hot tempo and with the favourite Pure Bliss tracking Kova the whole way, it looked like the grey mare was set to stop at some stage.

But the six-year-old daughter of Zebedee kept kicking and won by nearly two lengths.

“I knew I’d gone quick up front but I just wanted to let my mare flow and we were able to do that and then I felt really comfortable coming into the straight,” Chadwick said.

“I was probably more worried in the last 50m and I thought if anything was going to catch me, it would have been then.”

Trainer Shayne Cahill was rapt with the effort of his mare and puts the tough win down to her grit and determination.

“She tries her guts out and gives 110 per cent every time she goes around,” Cahill said.

“I love her and would have 10 more like her every day of the week.”

Cahill backs up Chadwick’s admission that leading wasn’t Plan A but was happy with the winning result regardless.

Kova couldn’t be caught. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

“I told him (Chadwick) to put your hooks on in case you need them but I’d prefer it if you take a sit,” Cahill said.

“But she was fresh because we gave her two weeks off since her last start and she had a little blowout since she came back, so I thought she was on her toe but she took him there anyway.

“I thought she might have blown out and you always have that thought in the back of your mind if you’ve done enough with them but she was too good.”

The Strathalbyn-based conditioner also revealed the likely stepping stone with stable star Tippa – a horse that has reeled off three straight wins.

“He’s in the paddock and having Christmas off,” Cahill said.

“We’re working on a plan with him but decided we won’t go to the Adelaide Cup because it’s too quick of a turn around.

“There’s a few races for him but we’ll work on it.”

Originally published as Matthew Chadwick boots home third metropolitan winner with runaway winner Kova at Morphettville Parks