Josh Parr has started the new racing season with a bang, booting home the first two winners at Canterbury, both of them three-year-olds of promise.
The top jockey took a break during most of July to recharge his batteries and has ridden three winners from his five rides since making a low-key return at Wyong last week.
He opened his Canterbury account aboard the Anthony Cummings-trained My Truth ($20), who controlled Wednesday’s Quayclean Handicap (1580m) from the outset to win by 4-1/2 lengths over $2.80 favourite Ironbark Artie.
The gelding had finished a well-beaten fourth on debut at Wyong but Parr was able to get him into a good rhythm in the lead and My Truth appreciated a distance rise to land a promising win.
“I was quite impressed with how he paraded and how fit he looked so I thought, I’m going to take advantage of that here today on soft ground,” Parr said.
“We had a nice time of it in front and he showed a really good final 600 metres.
“When I asked him to extend around the bend there, away he went and he showed nice promise.”
First starter Buenos Noches ($9) was equally impressive, stalking the speed in the Furphy Plate (1100m) and showing good acceleration in the heavy conditions to defeat Beautiful Heart ($8.50) by 1-3/4 lengths.
Parr said the Matthew Smith-trained colt did a tremendous job after he had to set him alight early when the horse in front of him began to tire before the corner.
“We all know, first start in a race on testing ground at Canterbury, to force them off the bit at that point of the race, it’s very difficult to then regain their stride and accelerate, so I’m full of praise for this horse today,” he said.
Parr shared riding honours with Nash Rawiller, who also celebrated a double aboard Notions and Conrad, while Kim Waugh made an outstanding start to the new racing term, taking out the final two races with Conrad and Oxford Tycoon.
