Richard Fahey’s Umm Kulthum set for York

The daughter Kodiac is entered in the 1895 Duke of York Clipper Logistics Stakes at York next week, but could wait for a crack at the Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot next month instead.

Malton handler Fahey said: “I was delighted with her. She’s the sort of filly that would prefer it if they went flat out in front as she’s always coming home, which is always a huge bonus.

“She finishes her races well and seems to go on any ground, so we’ll see how she is.

“The Duke of York might just come a bit quick, but I’d definitely be thinking about Ascot if conditions turned up on the easy side.

“The Jubilee might be a race she could run well in.”

One of the newest names to the training ranks, Craig Lidster can look forward to a bright future after Divine Connection got him off the mark at Pontefract last week.

Divine Connection was a fitting first winner for the Yorkshireman having been the first horse he saddled as a licenced trainer in November and the hardy mare has been the horse he has sent out to battle most over his short six-month spell as a trainer.

The five-year-old made all in the hands of Sam James to win a one-mile handicap on Wednesday, and Lidster was keen to praise his jockey for his role.

“I didn’t expect her to be my first win, she’s a tricky customer, but all credit to Sam and the ride he gave her,” he said.

“That’s probably what has got us our first winner you know. It was Sam’s idea to ride her how he did and everything fell into place.”

“She just got a bit lonely in front and just did enough to hold on, but it’s great to get going in the right direction and for her to get her head in front.

“To be fair, we’ve been getting things right at home. We’ve been hitting the crossbar – we’ve not been far away – but you’re always waiting for the first winner, second winner, third and the last one you know, so it was nice to get one on the board.”

Although many readers of a racecard will be unfamiliar with Lidster’s name, he has been in the sport for a long time, most notably as a fledgling conditional jockey with Brian Ellison and second travelling head lad for the aforementioned Fahey

He then started Craig Lidster Racing which focused primarily on breaking in younger horses and pre-training. It was these skills that first attracted the attention of Dean Reynolds of NewGen Racing when they were looking for a trainer for their syndicate, in whose colours Divine Connection was successful at Pontefract.

Reynolds was delighted to provide Lidster with his first-everwinner and gave nothing but a glowing reference for the winning trainer.

He said: “We were looking for someone who was going to be cutting their teeth in the training ranks and we knew Craig had been at Richard Fahey’s for nearly a decade.

“If horses needed correcting, Craig is where they got sent as well as for pre-training, breaking etc, so we knew he understood this angle

“He’s very good with all our members, his only downside is he’s a Sheffield Wednesday supporter!”