Seventeen months ago, this writer took an excited young trainer Dean Krongold for a celebratory drink after saddling up Peppermint Lane at Kilmore for his first professional win, so I can imagine the thrill he got when Nesbo stormed down the outside to get up at Caulfield last Saturday.
The formerly Mick Kent-trained seven-year-old Valixir gelding was given to Krongold to train only a month ago.
“I was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to pick him up from the owners and it’s just a great result for them,” Krongold said after the race.
With only a boutique stable in Kyneton’s Beauchamp Street, Krongold hasn’t had the opportunity to come to town very often.
Nesbo, having his first run since a suspensory injury sidelined him in June last year, has an impressive first-up record — now four wins and a minor placing from six preps.
Starting at $41, the gelding was a half-neck winner of the $80,000 Moorookyle Park Handicap (1400m), defeating Here to There ($7) with Airalign ($14).
“Harry (Coffey) has done some riding in the past for me in the bush meetings so it’s great to give him a good ride in town and have success. It’s just terrific,” he said.
Krongold had a lengthy apprenticeship, having spent four years at Lloyd Williams’s Macedon Lodge then time with Luke Oliver, Cliff Brown and Rob McGuiness.
“It’s hard work to start up a stable, so to get a result like this is phenomenal,” he said.
Nesbo has now won six races with four minor places from 21 starts.
Tragedy touches NT trip
Krongold’s fellow Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer, also a former resident of Beauchamp Street, has settled into his regular winter dwelling in the Top End with a large team.
Dyer has already saddled up two winners in Darwin this winter, the second of them Rakitiki ($3.80 favourite) last Saturday at Fannie Bay.
But Dyer was left with mixed feelings after the five-year-old Rakti gelding returned to the winner’s stall after an easy win in the $19,750 U-Cart 0-66 Handicap (1200m), as in the previous race Dyer saddled up three runners, one of which was ridden by Roger Booth.
The veteran jockey, who had been riding regular trackwork for Dyer in Darwin, collapsed on dismounting from Senor Juez after suffering a heart attack. He later died in the Darwin hospital.
My deepest sympathy goes out to Roger’s family.

Sand springs surprise
Kilmore trainer and freeze brander Tony Carter-Smith was surprised by the win of Blood And Sand ($10) at bet365 Geelong Synthetic on Tuesday.
“I was pretty pleased to do that on the synthetic,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a bog track and obviously that hasn’t happened, so it was a bonus to win on the synthetic.
“It will be good for the future when we get ’em (wet tracks) as he really, really loves them.” 
Blood And Sand is the only horse Carter-Smith has in work at present.
The four-year-old Arena gelding, ridden by mature apprentice Anthony Boyd, was a narrow winner of the $20,000 IGA Liquor Synthetic Series BM64 Series Handicap (2200m), defeating Macrobius and Maitre De Jeu.
Raced by the trainer and his partner, Robyn Masters, along with former racing journalist Glenn Lester and his wife, Blood And Sand has now won two races with three minor placings from his 12 starts.
Chanson shines
Later on the Geelong program, Kyneton trainer Marita Lawson saddled up Ville Chanson ($13) for a smart win.
The three-year-old Ilovethiscity gelding, ridden by Fabian Alesci, impressively took out the Hyland Race Colours BM64 Handicap (1300m) defeating Turfonic and Heza Magic Man.
“He’s a nice little horse. He hadn’t gone backwards from his last run and he was unlucky at Ballarat,” Lawson said.
“He’s got a lot of scope really, he’s just so green and he’s very lazy. He does no more than he has to. Racing has given him experience as much as anything.
“This time next year he’ll be at his best. Maybe he’ll have another run and go out.”
Ville Chanson now has two wins and two fourth placings from four starts.
Pride prevails 
Kyneton trainer George Osborne is not afraid to travel to place his horses.
Osborne took a float load to Bordertown (SA) on Sunday and came home with a winner.— Mary’s Pride ($13) in the Local Bookmakers/SABOIS Maiden Plate (1100m).