Dream start for Lockhead Anderson in Ladies National Scottish amateur Nicole Lockhead Anderson had a dream start to her career ‘on the track’ when partnering The Gradual Slope to victory in the Ladies National at Fairyhouse this afternoon. The Sean O’Brien-trained grey came with a late surge in the two-mile-five contest to deny Vaureal by a head in a power packed finish. It was a first ride on the racecourse for Lockhead Anderson, who works to leading point-to-point handler Sam Curling. She said after her victory on the 16/1 shot:- “It’s amazing. He was very tough and stayed on well, it’s brilliant. “I was hoping to be a bit handier but they went fast over the first three so I just took my time. “He jumped his way into a position to challenge turning in and stayed on very well. “When he jumped the last he jumped to his right but he stayed on then. Once he got to her (Caragh Monaghan on Vaureal) I always felt he was going to go past her. “It’s my first proper season racing. I’ve been with Sam Curling two seasons now and it’s my first ride on the track over fences. “I’m from Aberdeen. I originally show-jumped until a couple of years ago and I wanted to have a go at racing and that’s what brought me to Ireland. “It’s a amazing yard to work in and I’m learning loads, Sam is brilliant and has been very good to me. “The point-to-pointing is going very well this season, I’ve had eight winners, and to get a winner on the track is brilliant.” Winning trainer O’Brien added:- “The trip was a bit short for us but the owner rang me and said he’d like to have runner at the festival here. “Ideally we were going to the north next week, for a three-mile-two, because he ran so well there the last day but he had a light weight in this and a capable girl riding him. “He was probably flat to the boards for most of the trip but the ground is riding a bit dead and he picked up the pieces. “He’s really tough. It’s been a long time since he won. Even the day he won in Punchestown it was something similar, he kept galloping and picked up the pieces. “I don’t know if he’ll go back to the north next week now. We’d love to go back for the race in won in Punchestown two seasons ago over three-miles-five because he really wants a trip. “He’s a really genuine horse. Things just haven’t been clicking for us and we changed a few things and it seems to have rejuvenated him. “We only have a handful of horses in and he’s our flag bearer so to have a winner here means everything. “He has a brilliant owner, Mark has been an unbelievable supporter of mine. Days like this makes it an awful lot easier and we’ll enjoy it.”
