She took a case to the Court of Appeal in 1966, and the Jockey Club’s ban on female trainers was overturned, allowing Nagle and Norah Wilmot to become the first women to train under their own names in Britain.

In the same year, Ann Biddle became the first woman to hold a training licence in Ireland, sending out a winner that August.

We’ve plenty of women training horses these days, of course, and one of those I like to keep an eye on is Kerry Lee, who has sent out 139 winners from 927 runners (15pc) since taking over from her father Richard in 2015.

Kerry Lee has been profitable to follow, on the exchanges anyway, and had you blindly stuck a tenner on each of her runners at Betfair SP, you’d show a profit of €868, with just two losing years in 2018/19 and breakeven in 2015.

With ten winners from 35 runners in 2023 (29pc), Lee’s yard is in decent form at the moment and I’m quite keen on Nemean Lion, which trades at 9/2 at the time of writing for this afternoon’s Bet365 Premier Novices’ Hurdle at Kelso (2.25).

The six-year-old, which has entries in the Supreme Novice and the Ballymore at Cheltenham, certainly wasn’t disgraced when third to Tahmuras in Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown last time at 18/1.

I had done my brains on that race backing the favourite Authorised Speed, with a stake you wouldn’t tell the missus about – so with my head in my hands in despair, I didn’t quite appreciate Nemean Lion’s decent challenge in which he hit 3/1 in-running. But I’ve watched it a few times since and think there’s something to it. 

A maiden winner at Hereford in November, Nemean Lion was a decent sort on the Flat in France for André Fabre and might be worth keeping onside at the Cheltenham Festival, provided all goes well today under Richard Patrick.

The big danger in this 11-runner contest comes from Emmet Mullins’ Feronily, which will probably go off as favourite, having raced well in third in a Grade Two bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival – but bookmakers are not taking much risk at 3/1 considering it’s his first race over timber.

A little later on the same card, Le Milos should prove hard to beat in the five-runner Bet365 Premier Chase (3.35) for Dan and Harry Skelton and can justify his place at the head of the market around 15/8.

He won a number of chases when trained by Tim Vaughan and has got off to a great start for Dan Skelton with two handicap wins, including the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.

The Grand National is the main target for the eight-year-old, so connections are expecting a big run today.

Another one I like at Kelso will be at a much bigger price, so I’m happy to take Lebowski each way in the Bet365 Morebattle Hurdle (1.50), with some layers going 33/1 in the early markets.

Michael Scudamore’s charge has a handicap entry at Cheltenham, and the winner of this race can claim a £100,000 bonus should they win any race at the Festival.

A talented hurdler with three wins from six races in that sphere, he was disappointing when racing far too freely last time out to finish second last off 2lbs higher than today’s 127.

However, he’d previously shaped well when winning a Wetherby handicap rated 122, and I reckon he’s the type that can bounce back and claim a place at least. Once again, Emmet Mullins has the danger horse with Mctigue highly respected.

At Newbury, Henry Oliver’s The Big Bite is 20/1 early-doors for the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup Handicap Chase (2.45), although with just seven runners taking part, I’ll back the ten-year-old in the win-only market.

It’s quite some time since he’s had a win, but his rating has now dropped to a reasonable 135, having been as high as 150 at one stage.

Moving on to Doncaster, Castle Robin is tipped around 9/2 in the Virgin Bet Grimthorpe Handicap Chase (3.15) for Charlie Longsdon under Brian Hughes, having impressed when victorious in the Masters Handicap Chase at Sandown last time out.

He was rated 134 on that occasion, but a rise of 4lbs is not too harsh, considering he jumped quite well and kept battling away hard to fight off any challengers.

The one I’m most worried about is Cooper’s Cross. Trained by Stuart Coltherd, the eight-year-old put in a fine display when winning the Sky Bet Chase here in January, and a 5lb rise in the weights may not be enough to hold him back, but at 9/4, he’s too short for me in what looks to be a competitive contest. 

Finally, Gavin Cromwell’s raider Bentham is an eye-catching entry around 10/1 in the Virgin Bet Daily Extra Places Handicap Hurdle (4.25 Doncaster).

He’s another one that hasn’t won in quite a while, but he slips in here at the bottom of the weights at 11st 2lbs, which seems fair.