Kellady hopes to have turned corner

Michael Lee
Sunday, January 16, 2011

Hard-working jockey Matthew Kellady hopes his first 2011 success will herald a brighter campaign than those in the last couple of years.

After getting off the mark with Smoking Joe in February 2010, Kellady saw his good start curtailed three weeks later when he fell from Sonic fracturing his neck. The tale of rotten luck had actually begun earlier with a fractured skull in another horrific fall on Valentine’s Day in 2009 and a three-month suspension.

Matt Kellady took all the narrow openings to get Golden Lido home a winner in
the opening race on Sunday.

But halfway through 2010 while he was at crossroads of his career having a rethink about his close brushes with permanent disability or even death, Kellady bounced back from all these mishaps, given a huge lift by trainer Steven Burridge, who trained Sonic, by taking him under his wings as his new track rider and No 2 race jockey.

Two wins in quick succession came through Reel Schmick and Unpickable last September, but the win register had not been ringing since until Sunday’s opening event, a $35,000 Class 5 race over 1600m.

Riding Golden Lido for Burridge, Kellady was rewarded for his patience as the pair looked in a hopeless position for most of the home straight.

Coming off the rear from the corner, the Secret Savings six-year-old was winding up nicely but had nowhere to go from the top of the straight to the 200m mark, with a wall of horses in front of him.

Kellady did not lose hope, though, and when a gap between Gold Pool (Barend Vorster) and Hi Jack (Vlad Duric) suddenly presented itself at the 100m, Golden Lido dove through under hands-and-heels riding to emerge by half-a-length from Super Return (Nelito Cunha) who was being hailed the winner at the 150m.

Hi Jack plugged on for third another neck away while Gold Pool weakened late to settle for fourth another half-a-length away. The winning time was 1min 38.87secs for the 1600m on Long Course.

“Phew, it’s been a while. I honestly didn’t think I could win at the 200m,” said Kellady.

“I’ve never ridden this horse before, not even in trackwork until last Tuesday in a barrier trial and I thought he ran well.

“But I thought the mile would be too short for him. I dropped him at the rear and saved as much ground as I could by staying on the rails.

“We got a bit into trouble at the half-mile, but he picked up again and as he’s a horse who can’t stop and start, I had to let him roll but I was a bit worried as I was running out of room in the home straight.

“Luckily he kept his momentum and an opening came up at the right time. As he does not respond to the whip, I rode him hands and heels and he shot through the gap to win.”

Golden Lido was at his fourth win from 38 starts for Darwin Liman and has now collected about $145,000 in prizemoney.

Burridge said he was a “limited” horse who can get things right on his day.

“He’s pretty consistent. He ran an eight-length second the other day, but he’s fairly restricted in terms of ability,” said the 2010 champion trainer who finally opened his 2011 account on Friday with longshot Flash Gordon after firing blanks at the first three meetings.

“Today he got back, waited for his run and came through. Good for Matty who puts in the hard yards and deserves to ride a winner.”