After working hard to find the front, Deadsetlucky was able to earn a breather for the opening half of the last mile before digging deep in the home straight to score by a half-head margin.

Deadsetlucky, the $2.20 race favourite, held off the second elect Captain Joy ($3), who came charging along the sprint lane to win in a mile rate of 2:00.5.

The win was a result of a carefully orchestrated Queensland assault and Kennedy was still coming to terms with the Group One victory this week.

“He went super,” Kennedy said.

“I actually didn’t think we won the race, I thought the one along the sprint lane had got me.”

Kennedy rates the talented two-year-old as the best pacer he’s trained.

“I think he’s a bit better than the others,” Kennedy said.

“He can do that bit of work and he’s got the speed as well.”

Saturday night’s victory was Kennedy’s second Group One win, after taking out the 2004 NSW 2YO Sires Stakes with Rowan River. The win took Deadsetlucky’s lifetime earnings past $90,000 from just seven race starts.

The two-year-old has been a lucrative prospect for Kennedy and father Laurie, having bred Deadsetlucky themselves, taking good broodmare Jasmine Edition to a free service of USA stallion Nuke Of Earl.

Deadsetlucky is not qualified for some of the bigger two-year-old races of the season and Kennedy will now give the horse a week off, before tackling a Vicbred Series heat.

Kennedy acknowledged the efforts of fellow Coleambally horseman Jackson Painting.