Gillian Boanas to take on trainer's job from Keith Reveley

KEITH Reveley's long-term head lass Gillian Boanas will succeed the North Yorkshire trainer when he hands in his training licence at the end of this month.
I Just Know, ridden by Danny Cook, jumps the last to win the Pegler Yorkshire Steeple Chase at Doncaster for Sue Smith (Picture: PA).I Just Know, ridden by Danny Cook, jumps the last to win the Pegler Yorkshire Steeple Chase at Doncaster for Sue Smith (Picture: PA).
I Just Know, ridden by Danny Cook, jumps the last to win the Pegler Yorkshire Steeple Chase at Doncaster for Sue Smith (Picture: PA).

She will take over the licence at Groundhill Farm near Saltburn where the pioneering Mary Reveley saddled more than 2,000 winners before being succeeded by her son.

Reveley’s interest in horse racing has waned since his son james moved to France where he was recently crowned 2016 champion jockey. His last runners will be at the end of this month.

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“There’ll still be horses trained here. Gillian has worked for us for around 25 years and had an ambition to train,” said the 53-year-old.

“When she told me I was delighted as it suited me down to the ground. She’ll start off with around a dozen horses and there’s some lovely youngsters among them. With normal luck there’s no reason why she can’t make a really good go of it.

“These days you need to get your name out there on the internet and on social media and I don’t even know how to switch a computer on. I’ll still be around to give her any advice if she needs it and I’ll still do the gallops the way they’ve always been done.”

Reveley hopes to go out on a high, adding: “There are a couple of nice races at the end of January and it would be nice to go out with a winner.”

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Reveley’s retirement is perhaps another indicator of the state of Northern jumps racing.

He said: “When we had Marello and Function Dream, the North could compete.

“There were the Easterbys and the Dickinsons and I’m not sure what’s gone wrong.

“There are Northern owners, but most of them have their horses trained in the South, which is a shame. I’m not sure how we can change it, but if someone can get a couple of decent horses, it’s amazing how the pendulum swings.”

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Since officially taking over the licence almost 13 years ago, Reveley has saddled big-race winners like Ungaro, Rambling Minster and Tazbar.

“We’ve had some great days. Mellottie winning the Cambridgeshire was a big one and Marello was a great mare for us, as was Function Dream,” he said.

“In recent years we’ve had Ungaro for Sir Robert Ogden, who won the Feltham at Kempton, and Rambling Minster was a grand old horse. Tazbar was a very good horse. He was second to Long Run in the Feltham and won his next two over fences, but then he got a tendon injury and we could never get him right. I don’t think we ever saw the best of him, unfortunately.

“We had 100-plus horses here at one time and I remember us having 187 winners in a calendar year, which was brilliant. Ungaro was second in the Great Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster twice and that was one race I always wanted to win, so it’s a shame we didn’t manage it.”

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Sue Smith’s good form continued when I Just Know was given a typically positive Danny Cook ride to win the Pegler Yorkshire Chase at Doncaster yesterday.

The win followed the eyecatching success of novice chaser Hainan, who successfully made all at Wetherby last Friday under Cook.

Meanwhile Querry Horse was a fortuitous novice chase success for trainer Oliver Sherwood. The horse was ridden by his nephew Jack, son of 1989 Gold Cup-winning jockey Simon Sherwood.

“The most difficult owner in my yard has a share in him, my brother. With my nephew riding it’s a popular success,” smiled the victorious trainer who said 2015 Grand National hero Many Clouds is likely to swerve a clash with Thistlecrack at Cheltenham at the end of this month in favour of Newbury’s Denman Chase next month.

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Meanwhile Coneygree, the injury-plagued 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, will miss this year’s blue riband race in which the aforementioned Thistlecrack – winner of last month’s King George Chase at Kempton – is a hot favourite for in-form trainer Colin Tizzard and jockey Tom Scudamore.

Sara Bradstock, assistant and wife of trainer Mark, said: “He has just niggled the bone, where the cannon bone meets the knee. We must not take a risk as these niggling things can turn into fractures.”

However, Don Cossack, the sidelined reigning champion, could make his comeback next month for trainer Gordon Elliott.

Gigginstown Stud manager Eddie O’Leary said: “It’s so far, so good. At the moment, we’re hoping to run in February, but we’ll see.”

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