Trainer Kelly Schweida will be looking to match his best Queensland carnival performance when Metalart tackles the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich this Saturday.
With three black type wins already this carnival, Schweida is just one short of equalling his 2022 tally, which yielded four feature race victories.
Metalart, a consistent four-year-old gelding, made his stakes debut in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1000m) on June 7, finishing third behind his stablemate Vodka Martini. Despite not winning, Schweida was encouraged by the performance.
“He’s going good,” Schweida said.
“The races have been a bit higgledy piggledy for him, it (the Lightning) wasn’t his race. A thousand metres, they were hooking (wide).
“He got held up twice, I thought he was probably a little bit stiff not to win.”
Boasting seven wins from just thirteen starts, Metalart has already proven he can handle the 1350m trip, but Schweida remains wary of the tight-turning Ipswich layout and its tendency to favour inside draws.
“Ipswich is all about barriers, if you draw sixteen you’re probably three and four wide and run an unlucky fifth or sixth,” Schweida said.
“You can get them all set and ready but come Wednesday if you draw bad, you get that pain in the belly feeling.”
Schweida holds a genuine affection for the gelding, who he says has consistently exceeded expectations throughout his career.
“He’s incredible. He’s the quietest horse you’d ever wish to see. You could tie him up to a fence, come back a week later and he’d still be there,” Schweida said.
“I think he’s won seven or eight out of about 11 or 12, and he probably should have won two more of those, so he’s been an incredible little horse.
“He’s very unassuming. You go over to the stable, he’d be asleep all day. He’s not like the normal racehorse, but he’s a ripper. I’d like to have a few more like him.”
To place a bet on Metalart in the Eye Liner Stakes, explore the best betting sites Australia for odds, markets, and promotions.
Find trusted online betting sites, compare bonuses, and access expert race previews all in one convenient location.
