NARROMINE trainer Kylie Kennedy has enjoyed good success with hard-working jockey Jeff Kehoe in recent seasons and the pair combined again yesterday to win the Warren Cup Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) with Pennyforyathoughts.
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Kennedy has worked hard to try and sort out some mental issues with the talented four-year-old, who had been knocking on the door at recent starts but finding ways to get himself beaten.
On the basis of yesterday's win those kinks in the horse may be starting to iron out, with the Planchet x Sanskate gelding leading all the way to score a dominant win.
After jumping evenly, Kehoe stoked up the Pennyforyathoughts ($4.00 eq fav) to go to the front and it was a position he wouldn't relinquish despite the best efforts of his seven rivals.
Coming to the turn Godliness ($4.00, Justin Stanley) appeared as though he was going to challenge Pennyforyathoughts but that challenge was fleeting as Kehoe got the absolute best out of the leader, which careered away to win by three-and-three-quarter lengths from Godliness with Vigneron ($7.00, Ken Dunbar) third, a further two-and-a-quarter lengths away.
Narromine Cup winner General Hirad ($5.00, Mathew Cahill) hit the line well for fourth, with the Frank Hayes-trained gelding definitely one to follow as he steps up further in distance
Meanwhile, Greg Ryan dominated yesterday's program at Warren, winning three races.
Ryan was at his absolute best to steer Big Black Beauty, Indigo Angel and Arwoc to victory on the seven-race program, the last of 2012 in the region.
All three wins came in different circumstances, with Big Black Beauty going around just one horse to win the opening event from the Lindsey Kennedy-trained Sergeant Bilko while Arwoc raced against his usual pattern of leading when coming from just off the speed to win race four.
In between Ryan helped Warren trainer Merv Rumble enjoy home-track success when Indigo Angel came from the rear of the field to win the Warren Contractors Maiden Plate (1200m).
Rumble scratched his other runner, Rapid Canny, leaving Indigo Angel as his sole representative in the event and the four-year-old Nadeem x Indy Rose (USA) mare did the job, breaking her maiden status at just her third race start.