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By Ray Hickson

Jake Pracey-Holmes has set himself a target of 100 winners in the new season and would dearly love a ride in The Kosciuszko and he can take a step toward both goals if Compelling Truth continues on his winning way at Rosehill on Saturday.

Jake Pracey-Holmes (Pic: Janian McMillan).

The popular country jockey is coming off his best season in the saddle having steered home 68 winners, despite not having a driver’s license for a good portion, and five of them have come on the emerging Mack Griffith-trained sprinter.

The 33-year-old doesn’t venture to the city often, but he says he’d go anywhere to ride this horse evidenced by the seven hour trip to take the ride at Grafton two weeks ago.

“I’m planning on doing a lot more kilometres this season, I want to try to get 100,’’ Pracey-Holmes said.

“This has been my best season so far so I want to do one better.

“I’d love to ride in a race like The Kosciuszko too and if that’s the way Mack steers him I might have my first big race.”

After his runaway win in the Sir James Kirby (1000m) at the Grafton carnival, Compelling Truth is on the $21 line in TAB’s market on The Kosciuszko and opened $4 favourite in the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill.

Pracey-Holmes is leaving any Kosciuszko talk to the trainer but doesn’t feel 1200m will be beyond the five-year-old though he’s yet to tick that box on race day.

But with winning margins of 5-1/4 lengths, 5-3/4 lengths, 7 lengths and 3-3/4 lengths in his past four starts, with a good deal of ease, he’s certainly not concerned about the task ahead on Saturday of travelling 1100m around Rosehill.

“He’s going to town with the big boys and has to lump the 59.5kg but he’s big and strong enough to carry the weight,’’ he said.

“He’s carried weight against lesser class and been dominant.

"He’s proven himself on all tracks. You’d nearly prefer to see a heavy because a lot don’t get through heavy tracks.

“But the track at Grafton was on the firmer side, I’ve never been worried about him on good tracks. Hopefully I can maintain the 100 per cent record on him.”

No prisoners will be taken in the early stages of Saturday’s race, Pracey-Holmes said he’ll take advantage of Compelling Truth’s favourable barrier and speed and dare his rivals to catch him.

They gave the 1000m track record a bit of a shake in the Kirby, running just one length slower than the benchmark, and he said there was plenty left in the tank.

“He’s my sort of horse, he jumps, he leads, he’s got that natural pace and flies along at a good clip and kicks off it. Not many horses can do that,’’ he said.

Compelling Truth wins at Grafton on July 18

“Pulling up after the Kirby a couple of other jockeys said ‘how did you kick off the speed you were going’. Most jockeys would think I’m going too quick and I have to grab hold of him but he appreciates doing his own thing.

“I don’t really have to ask him, I’ve ridden a fair few quick horses and he’s up there with them. The difference is I haven’t ridden a horse that can sustain a run like him.

“He’s definitely caught the eye of a few people.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting