Kody Nestor scored the best win of his fledgling training career on Sunday when Kenny Succeed took out the annual Coonamble Cannonball.
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The $35,000 showcase event marked a step up for the in-form six-year-old and it was his first race in open company.
However, it mattered little as Jake Pracey-Holmes produced a clinical front-running performance to take out the feature sprint over 1100m.
“You go back through his form and he’s been carrying 61 or 60 (kilograms) all the time so back to 54 he could roll on in front and the jockey done a good job so she’s all apples,” Nestor told Sky Thoroughbred Central after the win.
“He won well two starts ago and I just thought he had enough after (last start) at Gunnedah so I tipped him out for a few weeks and then brought him back and he was on fresh legs today.
“I said to Jake if he could get a couple of soft sectionals it would be ideal and he did and then he kicked well so it all worked out well.”
The win made it four victories and three placings since linking up with Nestor, the former jockey having only been training since retiring from a career in the saddle last November.
While Nestor and Pracey-Holmes were cautious about the talent and speed on offer in the race, punters had plenty of confidence in Kenny Succeed.
The six-year-old had the form on the board and he jumped second in the line of betting at $4.40.
Pracey-Holmes, a highly regarded front-running jockey, got Kenny Succeed to jump brilliantly and he quickly built a two-length lead from Love Me Baby (Jake Hull, $8.50) and Molasses ($5, Anthony Cavallo).
The field bunched as they past the 600m but Kenny Succeed still held a strong lead as they swung into the straight for home.
The Dennis Bush-trained Molasses began to charge and loom as a major threat while $3 favourite I’m Imogen (Alena Skerritt) and the returning A Magic Zariz (Greg Ryan, $9.50) also started their surge.
But Kenny Succeed never dropped off at all and went on to win by one-and-quarter lengths from Molasses while I’m Imogen was a further length back in third.
“I was a bit worried about stepping up to open company,” Pracey-Holmes said after the race.
“But Kody said he was well and fit and told me to get some good sectionals and get a breather and he just took no prisoners.”
That was Pracey-Holmes second win of the showcase meeting, having earlier saluted with Cameron Crockett’s $26 outsider, Crim.
Taking the early lead, Crim kept going strongly to score by more than a length from Onya Rosie (Greg Ryan, $5) and Tirone Miss (Jake Hull, $4.80), which got third after a protest against Press Review (Matthew Paget, $3.40 fav.).
There was also positive news around a worrying injury to Peter Graham.
Prior to the first, Graham was dislodged from his mount and made contact with the rail. He was taken to Coonamble Hospital after being assessed for neck and upper body injuries. However, he was released and should be back in the saddle within the week.