Three winners for Newstead trainer Nick Kent

last year finished on a high...
Nick Kent celebrates. Photo: Peter ThompsonNick Kent celebrates. Photo: Peter Thompson
Nick Kent celebrates. Photo: Peter Thompson

Newstead trainer Nick Kent is in the best form of his career, saddling three winners in late December, writes Peter Thompson.

First up was Ballycallan Fame who won a mare’s hurdle at Wetherby on Boxing Day, landing odds of 125/1.

Kent’s shock at his winner’s success was not as great as others might have thought.

“We fancied her each way and the yard backed her,” he said.

“We let her have her head and she made all.

“She is a good jumper and kept on well in the home straight.

“Yes, we were very pleased but not totally surprised.”

The mare had failed to score under the top yard of Dan Skelton, but with Charlie Hammond on board, it was a dream start for the new connections.

Three days later Mick Maestro won at Catterick making up for a fall when well placed at Doncaster in the previous race.

The Catterick handicap hurdle win will see the horse move into a better standard of race but Kent is confident he can cope.

This success was quickly followed in the main feature race locally, the Clugston Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen.

The meeting was the behind closed doors meeting that had been put back from Boxing Day.

Here it was stable newcomer Who’s in the Box who came up trumps.

The horse is owned by Lincs Tyres of Market Rasen who also sponsor Kent’s yard.

The triple success meant Kent had a 23 per cent strike rate in December.

Hammond was up top again for the local win and Kent was full of praise for the way his jockey rode him.

“Its great to win this stayers race again after we did it with Gonaldson Cloud a few years ago,” he said.

“It’s special being at my local track with local owners in Lincs Tyres on hand as well.”