Deepstrike is Adelaide bound for the Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville as part of his build-up to the South Australian Derby.

A plan devised at winning the Group 1 South Australian Derby with Deepstrike will take its next step via a traditional lead up race at Morphettville.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained galloper will contest the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.

Deepstrike is unbeaten in two runs this campaign and Kent Jr said the gelding had finally learnt what being a racehorse was about.

“He’s got a turn of foot and he stays,” Kent Jr told RSN.

“He’s got a real will to win and when you ask him for an effort, he really lowers his head and quickens up like a smart horse.

“We’ve spaced his runs which really suits him as he’s not a big robust horse, a typical Tavistock. He weighs around 450kg and doesn’t carry a lot of excess, so we’ve spaced his runs.

“He’s had four weeks between his first and second run, three-and-a-half weeks between his last start victory at Sandown and the Chairman’s and then he’s got two weeks into the Derby.”

Kent Jr said Deepstrike had been aimed at the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on May 8 since closing out his initial campaign last year.

Like last year’s South Australian Derby which saw Russian Camelot defeat Dalasan, this year’s Group 1 contest is set to be another cracking race with a number of runners from the Australian Derby at Randwick, including winner Explosive Jack, heading to Adelaide.

“It comes down to timing with horses winning those Group 1’s,” Kent Jr said.

“Deepstrike is going to be on the up still and we haven’t had to travel him yet.

“He’s been set for one race and I would be surprised if he didn’t run top three on Saturday on his work this morning.”

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au