It was only a 900m Class 1 before a small crowd at Wellington in the central west on Saturday. To comeback jockey Kody Nestor it was at least the equal of a Wellington Boot in terms of sheer excitement. The talented horseman was having only his sixth ride back after an absence of four and a half years, during which time he made a very good fist of the training business. His mount Akaka Falls shared the lead with two others to the turn before kicking clear at the top of the straight. The gelding shifted abruptly in the closing stages, making contact with the fast closing Extra Flash in the last couple of bounds - too late to affect the result according to the stewards. It wasn’t Kody’s preferred way of winning a race but a win nevertheless.
Kody's first win this time around. His mount Akaka Falls drifted out but survived a protest from Ash Stanley on Extra Flash at Wellington - courtesy Janian McMillan Racing Photography.
The jockey called time on a 570 win riding career in November 2017 when the rigours of wasting threatened to affect his health. He left on a high note with a winner at Dubbo on Melbourne Cup Day 2017. Within a few months he’d set up as a professional trainer and quickly made his mark. Fellow jockey and good friend Anthony Cavallo is emphatic in his claim that Kody had been an outstanding rider but was an even better trainer. He posted 107 training wins during his four year stint and had the support of many western districts owners.
Kody wears his trainer's hat at Rosehill 05/12/2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
It came as quite a shock to his owners and friends last October when Kody announced his intention to close the Dubbo stables and take a complete break from the racing industry. After an unrelenting struggle with weight during his riding days he’d thrown himself straight into a training career with its accompanying responsibilities. He often regretted that he hadn’t taken a break in between. Late last year it all caught up.
A few months ago he headed to the mid north coast with his sixty horsepower boat in tow. The plan was to do nothing but fish and try not to think about racing. Then the rains came and that was the end of the fishing. Kody’s state of boredom was such that he was very receptive to a proposal from Taree trainer Glen Milligan who suggested he should ride a couple of horses trackwork on mornings of his choice. “The first time I got on one of Glen’s horses at the Taree track, I realised how much I’d missed it,” said Kody. “I became a regular at trackwork and next thing I’m riding jumpouts for Glen and other trainers.
“I couldn’t believe how quickly the weight came off me. The first seven or eight kilos just disappeared, by which time the first fleeting thoughts of a riding comeback were in my head. I got myself on the right diet and started some gym work. I was pretty chuffed to lose a total of sixteen kilos, and suddenly I was ready to give race riding another crack. I won’t be riding any bottom weights but I’m hoping to be comfortable at 58 or 58.5. I’ll just give it a go and see what happens. I can always retire again.”
Kody during his Sydney stint, after a win on El Sonador at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
If genetics have any bearing on a young person’s direction in life, Kody Nestor was destined to seek a future in racing. His grandfather, the late John Nestor enjoyed considerable success as a jockey in Queensland and NSW. His grandmother Judy was a trainer, and for some years enjoyed a successful partnership with her husband. Kody’s father Michael rode his share of winners before increasing weight got the better of him. And then there’s uncle Peter Nestor, a gifted trainer who was never far off the mark when he thought it time to bring one to town. Peter is the trainer to whom Kathy O’Hara was apprenticed on her way to a distinguished career. Predictably he was the man to guide the career of his young nephew.
It was the late Tom Mulholland who supplied Kody’s first winning ride on Watch The Tycoon at Dubbo exactly fifteen years ago. The winners flowed at a spectacular rate, and the young jockey’s country claim quickly evaporated. Before he knew it Kody was making frequent trips to town to ride for some of Sydney’s high profile stables. His master Peter Nestor saw good sense in transferring his nephew to a city stable. The youngster had a massive stroke of luck when Guy Walter was the trainer to put up his hand.
Guy was happy to allow his new apprentice to ride some work for other Warwick Farm trainers which obviously increased his opportunities. He rode dozens of winners during this exciting time in his career, including talented horses like Beaded, Atomic Force and Ilovethiscity. The next chapter in the Kody Nestor story was a stint with Brett Cavanough during the trainer’s all conquering few years operating from an Albury base.
Kody was the jockey when Ilovethiscity won his maiden on the Kenso track 18/08/2010 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
You’d expect Kody to rate Randwick or Rosehill wins against star jockeys as career highlights but that’s not the case. He says a win in the 2015 Birdsville Cup on a Mt. Isa horse called Iron Meteorite was his greatest thrill - his only ride on the Jay Morris trained gelding. “I accompanied Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb on his annual outback trip for a few years and rode at places like Birdsville, Bedourie and Betoota,” said Kody. “The Birdsville Cup meeting is unique. The population swells from 100 to about 7000 over the two days, and the atmosphere is electric. To win the Cup on a “pick up” ride was something I’ll never forget. Unless I get to ride a Group 1 winner, that day will remain my greatest memory as a jockey.”
Nestor made his mark in just four years as a Dubbo based trainer. His very first horse Kenny Succeed won six races including the Coonamble Cannonball. Toulon Brook and Eva’s Deel both won TAB Highway races in town, while Fast Talking won the Country Classic at Rosehill. Sneak Preview won a TAB Highway on Gong day at Kembla Grange, and Jailbreak won a string of races including one at Canterbury.
Anthony Cavallo wins a TAB Highway on Toulon Brook for the Nestor stable - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Some may disagree when Kody says he won’t be putting himself under too much stress on the comeback trail. Remember he was at Wellington on Saturday for three rides. When I got him on his car phone on Sunday afternoon he was a few kilometres from Port Macquarie where he had two rides. Wide barriers saw those horses finish out of a place. From a mid north coast base, he’s riding work two mornings a week for trainers like Tracy Bartley and Kim Waugh at Wyong. He’s getting to Tamworth fairly frequently to lend Cody Morgan a hand.
Many racing enthusiasts have been scratching their heads to come up with the names of horsemen who’ve turned to training after a riding career, and then returning to the saddle. I’m sure a few names will come to light down the track but for now I’d like to leave you with one famous example.
The legendary Lester Piggott had been training horses for two years when he was hauled into court on tax evasion charges in 1987. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment of which he served 366 days. A massive financial commitment saw him regenerate his riding career in 1990 at age fifty four. The mastery and resolve of the iconic jockey was never more evident than it was when he won a Breeders Cup mile on Royal Academy at Belmont Park just ten days after his return.
Two years later Piggott won his fifth 2000 Guineas on Rodrigo de Triano, to bring up his 30th British classic. His record tally of nine English Derbies may well stand the test of time. When he finally quit the saddle in 1995, Lester Piggott had posted 4493 wins in the UK and around 5300 world wide. He’s not the only jockey to ride, train and ride again but he’s certainly the most celebrated.
All this talk of Derbies and famous British classics is of no concern to Kody Nestor. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to shed 16kgs in quest of a second life in the saddle. Like Piggott he’s a natural horseman with a gift for riding racehorses. He’ll be more than happy to pick off a few wins wherever his services are required.
Lester at age 59 was on a farewell tour when this one was taken in 1995. The great jockey is pictured with Arthur Menzies and Keith Dryden before a win on Roll On By.
(Banner image - Kody sports the Darley colours in winning on Beaded at Rosehill 2009 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.