'It's great - we ended last year with a winner and we've started this year with one' - Jennie Candlish's fine run continues

Jennie Candlish won with her last runner of 2024 and picked up where she left off when striking with her first runner of 2025.

Candlish, who has already brought up a career-best seasonal tally over jumps, also struck on the Flat when Paradoxical landed a Lingfield all-weather handicap on Tuesday and added another success less than 24 hours later when It's All About You took the opening 2m3½f novice hurdle. 

"We ended last year with a winner and we've started the new one with a winner, so it's great, and we just need to keep it continuing," assistant trainer Alan O'Keeffe said.

"That's 29 for the season and it could be a long way better from where we are now. We've got a lot of nice, young horses coming through, and Jennie's doing a great job."

It's All About You, rated 79 on the Flat, was taking his unbeaten record over hurdles to two, having comfortably landed a 2m1f maiden at Newcastle last month.

O'Keeffe added: "He's learned a lot from his first run and his jumping has sharpened up. He was decent on the Flat and we think he's a nice horse going forward.

"I think two miles is better, looking at today. We'll see what the handicapper does, but I think he could win with a double penalty in another novice."

Candlish was narrowly denied a double when Pigeon House was beaten a length and a half in the 1m7½f novice hurdle by the Lizzie Quinlan-trained How About No.

Parliamentary presence

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak was at the North Yorkshire track where he opened the new Horseshoe Cafe Bar.

Sunak, who also opened the Dale Stand at the course in April 2021, said: "It's wonderful to see the racecourse go from strength to strength and it's a great reminder of the contribution that racing makes to our area."

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