'Since I started I've never had a spell like that' - trainer hopes to kick on after ending two-year winless run

Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Ian Duncan is hoping his fortunes have turned a corner after Celestial Fashion ended a winless run that stretched back over two years at Newcastle on Tuesday.

Based in Ayrshire, Duncan – who landed the National Hunt Chase with Another Rum in 2005 – had sent out 109 runners since his last success with Jessiemac at Catterick in January 2022.

It has been a long 803-day wait for Duncan, whose biggest victory in his 26-year training career came in the Eider Chase at Newcastle with Milborough in 2015, but he is hoping the yard can kick on after his wait for a winner ended.

"It was good to get a winner," he said: "Hopefully we'll get a few more before too long because it's been a long time and since I started training I've never had a spell like that. 

"Without a doubt it's hard. You have to keep your head down, work hard and do your best, and that's what we've been doing. Everyone here works hard and winners are what it's all about. If you get one or two then it helps and it improves the morale in the yard.

"If you're getting seconds then it doesn't tend to make much difference. It's important to punch in a few winners as it helps to attract new owners."

Celestial Fashion: provided Ian Duncan with his first winner since January 2022 on TuesdayCredit: GROSSICK RACING

Explaining why the stable experienced a dry period since his last winner, he added: "My horses were sick last season and I wasn't happy with them. 

"They were coughing and sometimes regardless of what you do, you can't get them back to the form they should be in. Hopefully we've turned a corner now because some of them have been running reasonably well recently."

Celestial Fashion was given a strong ride by Joe Williamson in the 2m1f handicap hurdle for conditional riders. Duncan said she was being rewarded for her consistency after a couple of recent second-placed finishes.

"She deserved that," he said. "She's been touched off the last couple of times against horses slightly better than her, but she's been running good races and she's come close to winning. 

"Joe gave her a very good ride and he gets on well with her. She's not the most straightforward but I think as she's getting older she's starting to settle more in her races and she's looking after herself. I think there'll be more races in her and she'll prosper over fences, which is what we'll do with her next season."

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