Young trainer continues dream start

CHRISTCHURCH: An incredibly tough winning effort from Jimmy Cannon at the Nelson meeting yesterday enabled Yaldhurst trainerdriver Darren Keast to continue the brilliant start to his training career.

It was the eighth training win since Keast (21) scored his first with Midnight Sioux at Westport on Boxing Day. His horses have also had two second placings and three third placings from a total of 32 starts.

Jimmy Cannon looked vulnerable at the top of the straight, but dug deep to score his first win.

Keast refused to relinquish the lead when driver Gavin Smith came with a midrace attack with Khal Drogo.

Jimmy Cannon worked hard to hold the front and Keast was left hoping that he could keep going to at least to save face.

‘‘You look like an absolute spoon when you hold up like that and you drop out.

‘‘I was hoping he would keep going.

‘‘Gavin was on a real roughie and I didn’t really want to hand up to him and we were 1000m out so I thought what was the point in handing up.’’

Jimmy Cannon prevailed by a nose over Chain Reaction, with the favourite, Jay Tee Tyron, five and ahalf lengths away in third.

Jimmy Cannon went a big race for seventh in his last start at Addington when he did a power of midrace work and finished less than three lengths from the winner, Tango Tara.

‘‘I always knew he had an engine, but his manners have let him down,’’ Keast said.

‘‘It definitely won’t be his last win . . . So long as he stays sound and healthy, he should have a couple more in him, anyway.’’

Keast’s other runner at the meeting, Midas Touch, ran fifth on debut.

Both will return to the track for the meeting tomorrow.

‘‘Midas Touch went pretty good, I thought. He got caught on the back foot at the start.

‘‘He will be going in a mobile [race 1] on Sunday and Jimmy Cannon will be running up in grade, too [race 9].’’

The horseman described the whirlwind start to his training career as unbelievable.

‘‘I came to Nelson and I thought if I ran a couple of placings it would be good.

‘‘The team haven’t let me down yet.’’

Kotare Cullen cruised to a comfortable win in the feature race, the Nelson Cup Prelude, for Woodend Beach trainer Robert Dunn and driver son, John.

The pacer tracked her stablemate, Tyrons Better Ella, into the race before putting a length on her at the finish.

Robert Dunn also won with Valloria and Huey Lewis. — New Zealand Harness News