WITH male trainers dominating the leaderboard in National Hunt racing, it is always good to see an in-form female trainer.

Emma Lavelle trained near Andover, in Hampshire, for 17 years, but this year she moved her string to Bonita Stables in Ogbourne Maizey, near Marlborough.

Lavelle purchased the property, which includes 154 acres of private gallops and 54 stables, from retired trainer Peter Makin.

Now settled in her new home, Lavelle is concentrating on training winners, which has proved to be the case at both July meetings at Worcester Racecourse to date.

Casino Markets followed up his Stratford success and Uttoxeter second place with a win in our feature £12,000 handicap chase on senior citizens’ raceday.

Last week, Let’s Hope So also got her nose in front in the mare’s maiden hurdle, much to the delight of all the members of the Cottage Stables Racing Club who came to cheer her on.

On both occasions, Aidan Coleman was in the saddle. I am sure he is looking forward to riding more winners for Lavelle.

Another trainer enjoying success is Robert Stephens, who trains at Caldicot. Stephens chalked up three winners in four days last week, at Stratford, Worcester and Uttoxeter.

The Worcester victory came courtesy of the mare, Tir Dubh, who at 10/1, beat the Philip Hobbs-trained favourite, Spillers Dream by three-and-three-quarter lengths in the concluding maiden hurdle. This was a much better run than her previous fourth-placed attempt at the course in July 2015.

At the halfway point in the Worcester season, the scores on the jockey, trainer and owners’ charts have never been closer.

Richard Johnson leads Sam Twiston-Davies by two points, with Tom Scudamore six points behind, and Sean Bowen, Harry Skelton and Aidan Coleman tying for fourth.

Nicky Henderson and Hobbs share the top trainer’s spot with last weekend’s Summer Plate-winning trainer Dan Skelton and Peter Bowen snapping at their heels. Myroundorurs, trained at Alcester by Robin Dickin, ran at the course last week for the third time in as many months.

His first two runs were both wins, but he found one too good last week. Bottes Des Mottes, also trained at Alcester but by Dan Skelton, was in command at the last over Myroundorurs, who had been put up by 22lb for his previous wins at the course. The second place was enough to secure this week’s top place in the leading owner contest for owner John Nicholls.

Gates at Worcester open at 11.50am tomorrow for an afternoon of racing, starting at 1.50pm.