'Sir Mark thinks I'm a hero' - meet the trainer who has masterminded five handicap wins in 33 days with sprinting mare

Phil McEntee has been hailed a hero by fellow Newmarket trainer Sir Mark Prescott after his exploits with sprinter Jacquelina, winner of five races, as well as finishing runner-up, in the space of 33 days.

Jacquelina, who began her winning run on a mark of 54 at Windsor on May 6, completed her successful spell with victory off a 21lb higher rating at Chepstow on Saturday evening.

McEntee said: “It’s been an unbelievable run with Jacquelina and I've had great fun chatting about it with Sir Mark on the heath. He thinks I’m a hero.”

The five-year-old mare’s run of success began when she scrambled home by a short head at Windsor after which she was put up just 2lb for her next assignment at Brighton 15 days later.

“Windsor was a complete and utter fluke," said McEntee. “I had a race in mind for her at Brighton and told the owner she had no chance as she would hate the heavy ground and wasn’t fit. She only went and won!”

She followed her Brighton win with another at the seaside venue a week later under a 5lb penalty before connections turned their attention to a trip to Chepstow.

Just three days after her second Brighton win she was tasked with carrying a 10lb penalty at the south Wales course, but she was not for stopping and won with some style under McEntee’s daughter Grace.

Jacquelina (right): wins at Brighton for the third leg of her remarkable 33-day runCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Her winning run was briefly halted at Thirsk last Friday when she made most of the running before being run down late by Golden Rainbow.

However, connections rolled the dice once more and, after spending just a few hours in her box at Racefield Stables, she was off to Chepstow the following day when she returned to winning ways carrying a mammoth 10st 10lb minus Grace’s 3lb claim.

McEntee said: “I’ve spent the last few weeks with my head in the programme book trying to stay one step ahead of the handicapper, and to finish off like we did at the weekend was remarkable. She was rated 70 but running in a 0-58 at Thirsk followed by a 0-60 at Chepstow off 75.

“How she got beat off 70 at Thirsk, I don’t know, as she absolutely bolted up 24 hours later. We weren’t going to run in Wales, but we thought she had run into a decent one at Thirsk, so we decided to go again and it came off.

“Without being horrible to the opposition at Chepstow, the race was far worse than at Thirsk and every one of the other five runners knew how to get beat. She had 10st 7lb on her back and would have won with 12st the way she did it.”

He added: “Trevor Johnson owns Jacquelina, who is named in memory of his wife who died a few years ago, so it’s a great story. The plan now is to give her a well-earned break and try and win some black type with her somewhere in Europe at the end of the year.”

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