Jack Kennedy records first win since injury break

Jack Kennedy was delighted to be back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time since returning from injury after steering Kamikaz Du Plessis to success at Wexford on Friday.

The former Irish champion jockey broke his leg for a sixth time in November and despite making it back for the Cheltenham Festival in March, he has been on the sidelines again since, missing showpiece meetings at Aintree and Punchestown as well as the conclusion of the 2024-25 Irish season.

Kennedy was out of luck with his three rides on his long-awaited return at Tipperary on Tuesday and also failed to trouble the judge on his three mounts at the same track on Thursday, but struck gold in Wexford’s opening Shamrock Enterprises Maiden Hurdle.

He said: “That’s brilliant and I didn’t have to wait too long, so it’s great.”

The Gordon Elliott-trained Kamikaz Du Plessis was an 11-8 favourite having gone down narrowly on his debut under rules at Ballinrobe in late May and rewarded his supporters with a near four-length verdict.

Kennedy added: “He is a very slick jumper, he travelled well and was probably borderline keen early, but once we on a little bit he was perfect then. He is a nice horse and hopefully there will be plenty more to come with him.

“He stayed on well in Ballinrobe the last day, so we were hoping the two-and-a-half-mile trip today would suit him.

“He probably put the race to bed fairly easy and I was probably there a bit soon on him. He was green and just ran around a bit, but he is a nice horse, I got a nice feel off of him, so hopefully he can go forward.”