The Canberra Acton Synthetic track hosted its first meeting of the 2025 season on Friday, and the Matt Kelley Racing team delivered an outstanding performance — finishing the day with two wins, two seconds, and a third placing from six runners.

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The day began in perfect fashion with She’sadare, a $7,000 purchase who joined the stable in March. She settled just behind the speed in Race 1 before letting down strongly to score her second win for the stable. The victory lifted her earnings with the stable to $24,495 — a fantastic return in 10 weeks.

In Race 2, Ana Carolina made it a winning double for the team. The daughter of Dundeel jumped cleanly, took up the lead, and was never headed — kicking clear in the straight to score by two lengths. Since joining the stable earlier this year, she has now posted two wins and two placings from just four starts, and looks to be an exciting mare to follow.

Souk was next up in Race 3 and produced an honest performance. After he was narrowly run down in the final strides to finish second — a tough effort and a sign that a win is just around the corner. In Race 5, Xceptional Fella was slow to begin and gave away a significant head start, but his finishing burst was one of the day’s highlights. Charging through the field late, he just missed in a fast-finishing second and lost no admirers with the run. The stable’s day concluded in the TAB Federal with Prophet’s Pride, who also had to overcome a race shape that didn’t suit. After settling further back than usual, she launched a strong run down the outside to grab third, beaten less than a length. It was an encouraging effort from her as she races on for a new group of owners.

All told, it was a highly successful return to Canberra’s synthetic surface, with intermittent rain making conditions tricky throughout the afternoon. The stable’s six runners delivered consistently strong results across the board — a testament to the team’s preparation and adaptability.

Attention now turns to Bathurst on Monday, where the stable will send out two runners. Chebici lines up in the Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1800 metres, while Kotaishi resumes in the Benchmark 74 Handicap over 1400 metres. Both horses will be ridden by Coriah Keatings and head into their respective assignments in good order, as the team looks to carry momentum into the week ahead.