Winning streak is welcome reward for O'Keeffe

He could not have been more mistaken.

Twenty four hours later, Lord Yeats was winning the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket, a Listed race which celebrates the 19th century jockey.

Buoyed by the Middleham stable’s remarkable run of success, jockey PJ McDonald was positive from the off on Lord Yeats, the lowest rated horse in this one and a half mile test.

He quickly kicked into the lead, with favourite Midterm racing on his heels until the race began in earnest with around three furlongs to run.

Midterm was the first to wilt under pressure as both Second Step and Mount Logan made their respective bids for glory, with Red Verdon also trying to get in on the act.

However, despite being headed with around a furlong to run, Lord Yeats battled back gamely for McDonald and just inched back up on Second Step in the shadow of the post to record a neck victory, with Mount Logan in third.

O’Keeffe claimed a first Listed success in his career at Newcastle on Friday night when More Mischief won the Hoppings Stakes.

He said: “The horses are in really good form and I can’t quite believe it. To win our very first Listed race on Friday and to win another in consecutive days is quite unbelievable.

“We thought he (Lord Yeats) was up to it and we thought the style of race would suit him. We were looking at the Ebor but that has probably not helped his mark. He has got entries in the American St Leger and Irish St Leger. When I made the entries we thought it seemed like we might be flying high but maybe they are more realistic now.”

Brought up in Wetherby, O’Keeffe served his apprenticeship with trainer Micky Hammond before setting up a livery yard which led to him taking out a licence at the turn of the century.

This latest success came on the day when Higher Power won Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate for trainer James Fanshawe and jockey Tom Queally.

It was another big race success for the combination who won Royal Ascot’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes the previous Saturday with The Tin Man, a horse ironically named after the aforementioned Archer.

Always handy, Queally had the run of the rail to help in the closing stages while Brian Ellison’s Seamour – well placed turning for home – did not pick up.

For Queally, who has drifted out of the limelight since Frankel’s retirement, it was another significant win for racing’s forgotten man. He said:

“Moments like this are important. Just to be hitting these Saturday winners, it makes people take notice, and I hope James and I can reap the rewards.”

Fanshawe, who had previously been successful with Bold Gait in 1995, added: “It’s brilliant. It’s fantastic. My sister owns and bred him, so it’s great for all the family.

“He’s a classy horse and he stays well. To win this race you have to have a bit of class. We were thinking about the Gold Cup but the ground at Ascot was too firm, so we came here as it’s a nice prize to win.”

Back in second was Natural Scenery whose jockey, Josephine Gordon, registered her first Group race success when Koropick took the Chipchase Stakes. Paul Hanagan could consider himself unlucky on third home Kimberella as the gap closed on the rail when he was travelling smoothly, but Koropick picked up smartly.

Gordon later doubled up on James Bethell’s Airton in the mile-and-a-half handicap to advertise her claims still further.