The Silver Goblet is one of the real features on the Dubbo Turf Club calendar and something every trainer and jockey wants to win but Kody Nestor has more motivation than most leading into Saturday’s event.
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The Dubbo jockey has ridden since December of last year, having undergone surgery on his thumb and wrist, but returns to the saddle on Satrurday with the two-year-old feature one of three races he will ride in.
Nestor won a Goblet back in 2007 with Miss Alberta, trained by his uncle Peter, and is keen on adding another to his collection after a stint on the sideline.
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a long seven months but looking back it’s probably been a good chance for the body to recover a bit and now I’m ready and raring to go,” he said, before speaking about the Goblet.
“It’s the big two-year-old feature at the end of the season and I’ve previously won a Goblet and especially on the home track it’s good and I’m really looking forward to the chance.”
Nestor suffered the injury after a fall at Narromine in December but after thinking it was just a sprained thumb he went on to ride in meetings at Scone, Orange and Gilgandra.
But after the Gigandra meet, on New Year’s Eve, he could barely move his thumb so decided to get it checked out.
It was there he learnt there was severe damage to the ligaments around his scaphoid and he was forced to undergo surgery.
“He did all that and it’s taken a while to repair,” Nestor said.
“I thought it might have only been three months but not everything has gone to plan. But that’s in the past and I’m ready to go for Saturday.”
On Saturday, Nestor will ride Star Boy for the Scone-based Brett Cavanough, the only trainer from outside the western area in this year’s $25,000 Goblet.
After finishing first in his first two trials, Star Boy ran fourth on debut at Newcastle on June 17 and will jump from barrier seven on Saturday.
“He was accepted at Gunnedah today (Friday) but with the heavy track Brett’s taking him here,” Nestor said.
“He showed pace and finished thereabouts at Newcastle so I’m feeling good about him and think he should run in the first three or four. Rodney Robb’s horse (Bryan’s Babe) is the worry but hopefully we can sit on the pace.”
Bryan’s Babe comes in having run second on debut at Coonamble.
Dubbo trainer Clint Lundholm has three hopes in the race while Gulgong’s Brett Thompson has four in the Goblet, which jumps at 4.02pm.
Nestor has two other rides for the day, Garry Lunn’s Storm Blast in the Dubbo Gold Cup Calcutta Maiden Plate (1320m) and Brett Thompson’s Plucky Star in a Benchmark 55 Handicap (1320m).
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
