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Horse racing: Keith now loving being at the reins
Keith Reveley.
Over 2,000 winners and the north’s dominant force over flat and jumps – trainer Mary Reveley was always going to be a hard act for son Keith to follow.
Seven years on, though, the Keith Reveley legacy is becoming one of his own as the Lingdale trainer closes in on his best year yet since taking the reins from his mother.
And his jockey son isn’t bad either!
The most revered Reveley – Mary – announced her retirement in 2004 following an incredible 25-year career that featured over 2,000 winners and over both codes to boot.
Little wonder Keith felt apprehensive upon taking over some seven- and-a-half years ago but after gradually finding his feet he is quietly becoming a potent force to be reckoned with in his own right.
The Reveley yard now has only 30 horses in their care when that number was once triple figures, yet Reveley has sent out at least 20 winners in the last three National Hunt seasons, supplemented by the odd success on the flat.
Last season’s jumps total was 22 – already equalled this term – and while knowing he may never reach a career 2,000, the new Reveley in charge is now loving life as number one.
“It was very difficult to start with and I didn’t enjoy it for the first two or three years,” Reveley told the YEP.
“I was used to being in the background, just working in the yard and the stable, but then, all of a sudden, your name is on the top of the list.
“There is a lot of pressure, I didn’t realise just how much pressure there was going to be and it took two or three years to really get going.
“But now I am enjoying it, I’m getting my own owners now but mother is still there and nothing has really changed.
“It’s just my name at the top of the list!
“I usually have 30 horses in the stable and I aim to try and get 30 winners. The thinking is if I have got 30 horses and can get 30 runners I’m doing all right.
“Other than that I just hope we can keep them fit and healthy and I’m just hoping we can win a few decent races on a Saturday.”
Reveley was fancied to do just that two weekends back with Bold Ransom only for the 10-year-old to run well below par, but already big-race Saturday successes have been savoured.
Indeed, for all of his reservations about taking over the mantle, it took less than two years to land a big pot with Ungaro snaring the £40,000 Feltham Chase of 2006 at Kempton on Boxing Day under Mick Fitzgerald.
More recently, Rambling Minster scooped the £65,000 Blue Square Gold Cup Chase at Haydock in February 2009 and to Reveley the big prizes are the ones that stick in the memory.
“I think the highlight has been Rambling Minster as he won at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and three weeks before we won the big race at Haydock,” said Reveley.
“That was probably the highlight though we have had Tazbar as well who won some nice races but Tazbar wasn’t quite championship class.
Talent
“But he was second to Long Run in the Feltham and we won the Feltham with Ungaro, so there has been some good times.”
It now seems almost certain that even better times will follow with the Reveley yard undoubtedly on an upward curve and housed with talent both young and old.
The likes of Benny Be Good are the obvious stable stars at present but there are also a few younger starlets waiting to burst on to the scene.
Casting his eye on his hopes for the year ahead, Reveley revealed: “Benny Be Good would be one of our big hopes, he won well at Market Rasen and if everything went well and we got him there in good shape the Scottish National could really suit him.
“He was a good stayer but he has also got a lot of pace and he handles the summer ground well.
“We’ve also got some nice younger horses and Cue To Cue is one.
“She is a well-bred animal and there should be some decent races in here though I think she’ll be better next year when she goes over fences.
“Another one is Crowning Jewel who is yet to win a race over hurdles.
“We’ve also got some nice bumper horses and I’ve got one called Swinging Sultan.
“He won last time out and he’d be my best bumper horse. We also need to use up his bumper runs as he will go on the flat over the summer.
“Then there is Eyre Square and he’s a nice horse who I want to aim at the Eider Chase at Newcastle.
“They are a nice team and as long as I can keep them healthy and my jockey healthy we’ll be fine.”
Therein lies another story – the breathtaking emergence of Keith’s jockey son James, who has ridden 35 winners for the last two full seasons and this term is already on 44.
All this at just 22 years of age despite missing the first few months of the season whilst riding in France.
The youngest Reveley now rides for both his dad as well as the upwardly-mobile Nick Williams yard in Devon and dad Keith is thrilled with his progress.
“He didn’t come back from France until the end of September so he missed the first four or five months of the season,” he said. “he has done well to get where he is in the standings.
“I’m over the moon with him, he is really enjoying himself and he has always been a good horseman.
“Now it is all coming together, he is riding better horses and he has always had a great sense of pace.
“he also gets horses to jump well which means it is terrific that he can school the horses at home.”
Not one then, but two Reveleys carrying on Mary’s legacy.
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