IT was a day for the ladies here on Thursday, with female jockeys taking home the first three races on the card. Cathy Gannon, scored again at Chepstow when riding a double for Harry Dunlop and John Spearing.

Gannon has already ridden five winners here this season and currently lies second behind David Probert in Chepstow jockeys' league for the 2012 flat season.

Kelly Harrison brought home the third winner for the girls on the night, when Tanforan won for trainer Brian Baugh, repeating the success that this jockey, trainer and horse combination enjoyed last year when they won the corresponding race on last year's card.

 The trip down to Chepstow on Thursday evening was also a worthwhile one for North Yorkshire-based trainer Sharon Watt.

She trained Madam Lilibet to win the 1m4f handicap in the hands of Paul Quinn, beating Taste The Wine, who was a course and distance winner at the previous meeting.

 The end of the Flat season here at Chepstow is near, with only three meetings on the level remaining before the return to National Hunt jump racing.

Although jump racing continues all year round, the first National Hunt fixture at the beginning of October is regarded by many as the unofficial start of the jumps season proper, and after then, trainers are prepping and beginning to run their big guns, all with the same week in March in mind, the Cheltenham Festival.

Last season, several fancied horses for the festival ran at Chepstow before they went on to Cheltenham in March, with a few going on to win. Teaforthree, trained by Rebecca Curtis, won a 3m Novices' Chase here at Chepstow, before going on to win the 4m National Hunt Chase. Countrywide Flame, who came second in the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle, also went on to win the Grade One Triumph Hurdle at the festival, and on the same day, 2010 Coral Welsh National winner Synchronised went on to land the biggest race of them all, the Gold Cup.

We were delighted to see him land the most sought after prize in jump racing, and he was loved by all of us here at the racecourse.

 With the jumps season so close, the team of grounds staff are busy rebuilding steeplechase fences and hurdles, and putting the finishing touches to the course in the hope that this year we may yet see more of the top horses and jockeys having prep races before Cheltenham in the spring. And we can't wait for the action to begin!

Meanwhile, the next flat racing action takes place on Bank Holiday Monday, with the first race starting at 2.05pm.