She's lovin' it! Kneller answers Twitter plea in style after sneaky McDonald's

Racheal Kneller proved to be the heroine of the hour at Lingfield on Tuesday afternoon as the jockey answered a late call to pick up a spare ride on Ruacana in the handicap hurdle for Flat jockeys.

Ruacana's owner Vaughan Lewis had issued a plea on Twitter earlier on Tuesday after Trevor Whelan, who was down for the ride originally, was forced to miss out due to travel problems.

Kneller's agent was also made aware of the enquiry via correspondence from winning trainer Zoe Davison's daughter Gemelle.

Kneller stepped into the breach, and her impromptu trip to the course was rewarded with a smooth victory as the ten-year-old followed up last week's win at the track.

It was a welcome winner for Kneller, who had drawn a blank from her previous 35 rides this year.

The jockey said: “It’s a bit mental. I woke up this morning just expecting a normal day at work and then halfway through the morning I was rushing home to pack my racing bag and ride over jumps, so it wasn’t really what I expected and it ended very well.

“I was riding out for my boss Ed Walker so I would have had another two more lots there, then I would have gone to Jamie Osborne’s and ridden a couple of his yearlings, and then I would have gone to a hunting yard to exercise a couple of hunters and finish work at about five, so that all changed.

"I had a McDonald’s on the way there which was lovely, as the jumping weights are much better!"

When asked whether the experience might encourage her to consider taking out a jumps licence, Kneller said: “Perhaps that’s a bit premature, although I’ve always wanted to ride over jumps and I’m delighted to have got the chance to do it today.

"I’m 32 so I’m probably a little bit old to take jumping seriously but never say never. I really enjoyed today.”

Lewis added: "She gave him an absolute peach of a ride. This ground is ideal for him and he showed his class today. It's fantastic for the stable and brilliant for Zoe and the team."

On Monday Gary Moore had been critical of the BHA for scheduling an all-weather card at Kempton starting just 20 minutes after the Lingfield race, leading to a shortage of available riders. Only five runners went to post for the race, with Shimba Hills a non-runner because a suitable jockey could not be found.

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