Tuesday 26th of February will be a date rookie trainer Caroline Keevil will always remember. Not content with training here first winner, she went on to have a 142/1 double when both her runners at Leicester obliged.
Previously successful as a point-to-point trainer she was clearly delighted with her two winners Ballyvaden at 12/1 and Minella Lodge at 10/1.
With something of an air of understatement, Keevil said, “I am very excited, it’s a very exciting day.”
The stewards called the trainer in to discuss Ballyvaden’s improvement in form with the gelding having been unplaced in all his previous starts under rules. The winner seemed content to track the leaders, joining the fray in the back straight on the final circuit. Running on well at the end, he duly ran out a comfortable five length winner.
Minella Lodge’s victory came in the very next race, in very similar style. Being held up then mounting a late challenge to win by 3½ lengths. Both winners were ridden by claimer James White.
Elsewhere on a somewhat uninspiring card, two odds on favourites were turned over.
In the first 1-2 shot Nikola was easily beaten by second favourite Fandani, the two principles finished well clear of the remainder of the field.
Sheriff Roscoe was the other beaten odd on favourite, beaten a distance by Richard Rowe’s Burren Legend in the easiest victory of the day.
It wasn’t until the final two races that the favourites obliged.
In the Hunters’ Chase, Minouchka held on to beat the fast finishing Lady Myfanwy by 3½ lengths.
Lysander in the last was a more convincing winning favourite taking the race by eight lengths from No Complaint.