Horseman David Kelly had a big night on Sunday, Sept. 10 at The Track On 2, picking up a hat-trick as both a trainer and a driver on the 10-race card.
Kelly got started early on the card, scoring in the opener doing the driving and conditioning with Super Cozey in the $6,300 maiden. Leaving from post seven, Kelly took Super Cozey straight to the front in :29.2 as the 1-2 favourite. Kelly tapped the brakes to the half in :59.2 before coming under pressure from driver Marie Brooking and Try Your Luck at three-quarters in 1:29.1. Super Cozey shook off any pressure in the lane with a 29:4 victory to win comfortably in 1:59. Delta Sunrise and Logan Gillis finished second, with CF Faline and Michael Hennessy rallying for third. Super Cozey paid $3 for the victory.
The victory was the first in 12 lifetime starts for the three-year-old daughter of Captive Audience-Cozamel. Super Cozey pushed her career bankroll to $14,377 for owners Pick 6 Stable with the win.
Kelly teamed up with driver Brandon Campbell to take the fourth race on the card, a $7,000 claiming pace, with Retros Mystery. Campbell landed in the pocket from post four in the early stages while Logan Gillis sent Mr Dillon to the front in :28. Kelly brought the stablemate to Retros Mystery, HF Thegreatpumpkin, first over as the race favourite to engage Mr Dillon at the half in :56. The duo continued to battle up front as Campbell grabbed the cover of his stablemate to stalk the pace from third at the quarters in a fast 1:23.2. Campbell tipped off cover and Retros Mystery coasted home in :30 to cruise to a three-length victory in 1:53.4. Phanatical Mania and Tom Miller picked up the place position, with Mr Dillon holding for third. Retros Mystery returned $6.10 to his backers at the windows.
Retros Mystery is a nine-year-old gelding by Mystery Chase-Retro, owned by Pick 6 Stable. The victory was the second of 2023 for Retros Mystery, who has now banked $192,818 for his career.
Kelly cemented his strong night with a one-two finish as trainer in the seventh, this time picking up the winning drive as well with Tropical Dragon. Kelly once again deployed front-end tactics, securing the lead from post two with a :29.3 opening quarter. Tropical Dragon remained unchallenged to the halfway point in :59.3 before the other Kelly trainee, Show Stop, and Brandon Campbell charged into second first-up at three-quarters in 1:29.3. The duo sprinted for home, with Tropical Dragon fending off his stablemate with a :26.3 final quarter to clinch the victory by just over a length in 1:56.1. Verticals Squirt and Clint Warrington rounded out the trifecta, with Tropical Dragon paying $8.10 to win.
The victory was the second consecutive and eighth in 13 seasonal starts for the six-year-old gelded son of Custard The Dragon-Beyond Paradise. Owned by Mike Dicks along with Kelly, Tropical Dragon has now earned $69,845 in lifetime earnings.
Kelly added a third driving win on the card, teaming up with trainer Rod Starkewski to take the finale with Bud Neigh Kid in 1:55.2.
To view the results for the Sunday card at The Track On 2, click the following link: Sunday Results - The Track On 2