Lewis to continue aiming high with Straw Fan Jack

Evan Williams’ wise words pay dividends for trainer.

Sheila Lewis has hailed the input of fellow Welsh trainer Evan Williams having seen Straw Fan Jack finish second in Ascot’s 1965 Chase.

Lewis has always aimed high with her leading light, taking in Grade Ones at both the Cheltenham Festival and Aintree last term and it was no different on the eight-year-old’s return to action as he lined up against Shishkin and Pic D’Orhy in the Ascot feature.

With Shishkin refusing to start as the tapes went up, Straw Fan Jack was initially positioned at the rear of the trio who jumped off, but moved up to give Pic D’Orhy a real fright turning for home before giving way and settling for the silver medal after the second last.

Lewis admits she briefly thought her charge might hit the jackpot and having secured prize-money of GBP 16,202 by finishing second, is thankful to the advice of Llancarfan-handler Williams who suggested targeting this race following the success of his own Coole Cody at Ascot in 2022.

Trainer Sheila Lewis saddled Straw Fan Jack to finish second at Ascot
Trainer Sheila Lewis saddled Straw Fan Jack to finish second at Ascot (Simon Marper/PA)

“He was brilliant wasn’t he,” said Lewis. “For one minute it did cross my mind, ‘God, what if we won’.

“Evan Williams is always great at giving me advice and he said ‘what are you going to do with Jack?’ and I said ‘I suppose the Paddy Power Gold Cup’.

“He told me ‘I would stay clear of that for the minute and go to Kempton and Ascot for those Graded races. You might be coming up against a Nicholls hotpot but you are running for good money and running some nice races without putting a gun to his head’.

“We’ve picked up GBP 15,000 for finishing second (at Ascot) and that is brilliant for my owners.”

Lewis will now continue to heed Williams’ advice, with Straw Fan Jack set to ply his trade in Graded company and races like Kempton’s Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase (January 13) entering calculations for the early part of 2024.

“We will probably stay down that route and I don’t think the handicapper will be too harsh on him,” she continued.

“Evan said to maybe follow the same route as Coole Cody and when he gets another year older he will be stronger and still lightly-raced and he might be able to go for some of the bigger races.

“He’s a very wise man Evan and he’s given me a lot of advice with me being relatively new to it all. He’s been very kind to me like that.”

Straw Fan Jack winning at Cheltenham last year
Straw Fan Jack winning at Cheltenham last year (Simon Marper/PA)

The trainer – who previously combined running a beauty salon with training her string before turning her attention solely to racing – also anticipates improvement from Straw Fan Jack having struggled to get some serious work into her star chaser prior to his Ascot reappearance.

“I’ve struggled a bit this year as I have a sand circular gallop and you can only do so much,” explained Lewis.

“The rest of the time I have a really steep farmer’s field I go in and because of this weather it has been really, really heavy. I’ve kind of struggled workwise to get him really bang on, but he didn’t disappoint, he stayed on right to the line.

“I definitely think he will come on for the run because of the way he went, Sean (Houlihan, jockey) had to get after him a little bit.

“It wouldn’t have suited him by trailing behind for a while and then he was second and he could have done with someone upsides him to help him travel a bit better. So I would expect him to improve and I’m not saying improve enough to beat the likes of Pic D’Orhy, but he will come on for the run.”

Whether that improvement brings big-race success or not, for now the Brecon handler is content to keep enjoying the big occasions having switched her beautician’s tunic for winter afternoons chasing victories at some of the UK’s biggest racecourses.

Lewis added: “Last year when we went for the Arkle and the Grade One in Aintree we were picking up good prize-money for fourth and for a small yard to have a horse like this, you normally have to spend hundreds of thousands. So we are just enjoying the big days and whatever happens is a bonus.

“To have a horse like that and go to these places is a dream. When I set out in my training career I didn’t set out to be the next Venetia Williams or anything, but what I did wish for was one really lovely horse to take me to some nice places and live the dream for a while.”

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