Keith Dalgleish: Carluke-based horse trainer scored record 118 winners in 2019

Keith Dalgleish had a fantastic 2019 campaign training winners on the flat and over the jumps and he is going all out for more first places in 2020

The Belstane Racing Stables supremo, a former jockey, comfortably surpassed his previous best of 105 first places recorded in 2017.

Keith, who first took over at Belstane back in 2011, told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette: “It was a good year.

“We had a slightly better quality of horses maybe, a little bit more of them to train.

“I enjoyed watching Alright Sunshine progress from winning three bumpers to being a good flat horse.

“It will be difficult to surpass the 118 winners in 2020 but we’ll give it a go and see.

“It won’t be the be all and end all.

“We’ll just continue to have a bit of success and keep everything healthy.”

Dalgleish, who currently has 100 horses at Belstane aged two to 11, has got off to a fine start in 2020 with four winners already at time of going to press.

Up at 5am and often working into the evening, Dalgleish loves his job but describes it as “a labour of love”.

He added: “The job is grand, it’s a way of life.

“I’ve always liked horses and I’m getting to do that.

“There is good banter with the owners.

“They’re a lovely set of owners who have been with us, most of them, since the start.

“We have plenty success at Hamilton Park because it’s our local track.

“I don’t necessarily have a favourite, I enjoy going to all tracks.

“I’d quite like to win the Queen Mary race at Ascot – which is the two-year-old race – for some reason.

“I’ve been third in it before and I fancy winning it.”

Keith is tipping Chookie Dunedin – who runs in the 2.30pm Betway Heed Your Hunch Handicap at Wolverhampton today (Wednesday) as a good each way bet for punters.

“He’s won there twice before so he has a chance,” Keith said.

“He’s owned by a local firm.”

Hopefully Chookie can complete his Wolverhampton hat-trick to delight punters.