Unlucky steeplechaser Kings Deep avenges Trentham chaos
KINGS Deep was made famous on a global scale last time out to the races when it was taken out by another runner in a steeplechase at Trentham.
The son of Viking Ruler was travelling well out in front on June 10 until the riderless Highly Likely shot across the face of the field and took Kings Deep out of commission.
It made news headlines in both New Zealand and Australia and thankfully the runners were fit and healthy after the race, especially Kings Deep which was out to make amends for the lost opportunity.
Fast forward a week and the 10-year-old was able to find the front again and it never looked tested. The $1.60 chance at Bet365.com cleared away for the win against the four other entrants and for a horse with soundness issues, trainer Paul Nelson was happy to see it come out on top.
“It was a good pay day today wasn’t it?,” Nelson said. “It’s his soundness that we’ve had troubles with over the last few years.
“He’d shown that he likes the steeplechase fences, but he just hadn’t got there.
“He was still competitive over hurdles a couple of years ago, but now at 10, we had to have a go.”
Jumps jockey Aaron Kuru wasn’t aboard Kings Deep when the rider was dislodged last week, but he believed it was a shame it missed completing the course on that occasion.
“It’s a shame he missed last week as he was a bit fresh and jumping out of my hands,” Kuru said.
“He just jumps what he jumps. He had a pretty good record over hurdles and it was just putting it into action again over the bigger fences.”