'He’s loads of fancy entries' - Adrian Keatley back among the winners with his Ballymount Boy Greenham bound

Classic-winning trainer Adrian Keatley ended a four-month wait for a winner when Clear White Light handled gruelling conditions best to land the 1m4f handicap.

The race was named the Congratulations Fifi & Sine Nomine Handicap in recognition of Sine Nomine’s Hunters' Chase victory at the festival for Catterick’s clerk Fiona Needham, who gave the green light for the meeting to go ahead after a morning inspection.

The heavy ground on which Clear White Light justified 15-8 favouritism under Harry Russell was more akin to the testing conditions that Needham’s Cheltenham hero is used to, with the winning time 30.82 seconds slower than standard.

“He wouldn't have been in love with that ground but he got the job done,” said Keatley, who was enjoying his first winner since the same horse struck over hurdles at Doncaster in December.

“He picked up a little injury after his last run on the Flat and I’ve been minding him. He’s been a good servant over hurdles, but I’ve had him well handicapped on the Flat for a long time now.”

Keatley’s other runner, 14-1 shot Flying Finn, was second to odds-on favourite Eye Of Dubai in the 7f novice.

It is a timely return to form for Keatley, who is set to run Ballymount Boy in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes later this month.

Adrian Keatley with Classic hope Ballymount Boy, who is set to run at Newbury on April 20

The Wathnan Racing-owned son of Camacho was Keatley’s last Flat winner, in a Listed event at Doncaster in October, and is entered in the 2,000 Guineas and Irish equivalent.

“He’s loads of fancy entries,” said Keatley. “I don’t know if he needs soft ground, but he acted at a very high level on it last year so he’ll probably start off in the Greenham over seven [furlongs]. 

"We’ll just watch and learn from him as we go along to see the level we think he’s capable of running to. Going by last year’s form, that should be at a fairly high level.”

Keatley won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2016 with Jet Setting, and on the prospect of more Classic glory with Ballymount Boy, he added: “He’s in the French Guineas as well. Everything will be up to the owners, but we’ll have him in tip-top shape no matter where we run. It’d be good to land a big one along the way, that’d be momentous.”

Double delight

Lewis Chalkley rode his second career winner on King Of The Jungle in the 5f apprentice handicap. Success for the 22-year-old rider on the 3-1 favourite was the start of a double for Mick and David Easterby, whose Beauty Choice landed the 7f handicap under Joanna Mason.

The Easterbys were denied a treble when Knicks, on what was his stable debut, chased home the George Scott-trained Shelbourne in the 6f handicap.

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