Patience pays off with A Little Deep in Chautauqua Stakes

Patience is a rare commodity in racing, but the Ciaron Maher stable and the owners of A Little Deep have been rewarded with a Stakes win at Moonee Valley.

A Little Deep took out the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) on Saturday in a patient ride by Jamie Kah who timed her run to perfection.

Settling towards the tail in the seven-horse field, A Little Deep ($5) swept up out wide approaching the turn before running out a one length winner from the $1.85 favourite with betting sites Arkansaw Kid with Desert Lightning ($11) a short-head away third.

A five-year-old daughter of Deep Field, A Little Deep has raced only nine times, registering five wins, and has been well placed by the Maher stable in her brief career.

A Little Deep had two starts in her first campaign before going ‘missing’ for a year, returning just shy of 12 months ago where she added two wins and two placings from five starts for the campaign before another break.

Returning last month with a win at Caulfield, A Little Deep is unbeaten in two runs for the campaign.

Maher said the team at Cranbourne had been patient with the mare as they nursed A Little Deep through a number of niggling problems.

“The team have done a great job managing her,” Maher said.

“Jack (Turnbull) and the crew and the owners have been very patient and hopefully they can pick their way through the spring now.

“She’s had her fair share of niggles along the way. She gives her farrier a bit of a hard time every time he puts the shoes on, but it makes it a little bit more worth it when she’s able to do that.

“She lays in a fraction and horses that lay in a bit, they really tend to ping off that bend.

“It was ride of the day.”