Kody Nestor confesses he’ll need some luck if he’s to be a winner on his training debut but the final result is not what matters to the former leading jockey.
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Dubbo’s Nestor has moved into the training side of the game following his final ride on Melbourne Cup Day and has his first starter on Sunday.
Kenny Succeed is Nestor’s first competitor, the six-year-old set to go around in the Quain’s Liquor Benchmark 55 Handicap (900m).
“I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Nestor said.
“But they say you don’t make experiences, you’ve got to have them and as long as he goes out and then pulls up well I’ll be happy.”
Ironically, Kenny Succeed is a horse Nestor rode during his days in the saddle.
He rode him three times in mid-2016 for then-trainer Zach Hatch with the best result being a third-placed finish at Quirindi.
“A couple of local fellas have bought him,” Nestor said, explaining how he ended up with the Bel Danoro X Delightful Success gelding.
“He started in Tamworth and then he was up in Queensland and funnily enough I rode him a few times so I knew a bit about him.
“I was going to give him a barrier trial but this race came up and it’s a 900m so thought I’d see how he goes.”
Anthony Cavallo, someone Nestor rode against countless times through the years, will take the ride on Kenny Succeed.
He’s someone who “knows the Wellington track as well as anyone”, according to Nestor.
The pair will combine with Kenny Succeed in what is the first of seven races on Sunday.
Nestor stated getting up on race day as a trainer instead of a jockey will be a “different” feeling but there is one thing he is looking forward to.
“I’ll be able to wake up on the morning of a race and get up and have a big breakfast,” he said.
The opening event shapes as a strong one with Brett Thompson’s Chatteriz and Justin Stanley’s Gillie Mooch looking to go again after last-start wins.
Racing at Wellington starts at 1.55pm on Sunday.