Nina Carberry ended the card at Punchestown today with a 17/1 double in the final two races of the jumps meeting at the Irish track.

The leading women’s jockey in the sport rode Ange Blanc to victory in a national hunt flat race over 2m in the 4.45 and then finished the day by riding In The Binyanis over the same distance in 5.15.

Carberry has a growing reputation in national hunt flat races which was evident with the support of two of the leading trainers in Ireland in Noel Meade and Gordon Elliott who both booked her for rides on the flat today. Those looking at the 2012 Punchestown odds need to bear this in mind.

Ange Blanc’s victory in the penultimate race of the day was a win on his debut in this country. Carberry gave him a patient ride as she made her challenge with just over one furlong to go to establish a three length margin up to the line ahead of Kauto Grand Moqol in second and Director’s Forum in third.

Carberry’s victory on In The Binyanis in the final race of the day was much more convincing with the official margin quoted at seven lengths. The 3/1 joint favourite picked up at the two furlong mark to go clear of his 10 rivals.

2011 was a big year for Carberry as she rode the winner of the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse when on board Organisedconfusion. She became only the second woman in the history of the race to win the 3m5f contest. The 27-year old has also completed the course at Aintree in the Grand National on three different occasions, a record for a lady rider.

Unbeaten superstar Frankel took to the gallops on Wednesday for the first time this year.

Connections have targeted the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury as the starting point for their colt this season.

The race was won by Canford Cliffs in 2011 before his match with Frankel later in the campaign at Goodwood in July. The contest is only open to four-year olds and above and is run over a mile. Fans of Betfair will be keeping an eye on his progress ths season.

After his outing in the Lockinge, the Sir Henry Cecil-trained son of Galileo is expected to return at Royal Ascot in the Queen Anne Stakes where there could be a clash with Australian superstar Black Caviar. The record breaking sprinter is unbeaten in her last 18 starts and is expected to travel to the UK in the summer for Ascot.

Frankel provided a minor scare at the Royal meeting last year. Jockey Tom Queally went for home four furlongs from home and almost run out of gas as Zoffany got to within a length as they crossed the line. Anyone who had placed a bet on the horse will have been stunned things were so close.

As well as his breathtaking 2000 Guineas performance, Frankel picked up the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Sussex Stakes last season to accumulate prize money well over £1,000,000.

The aim this year with the top rated thoroughbred in the world is to step him up to 1m2f, before a potential trip to the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita. Connections decided against a trip to America last year after they felt it had been a long season for their colt. With more experience under his belt in 2012, they may feel he is ready for a shot at one of the big races in the States.

Nicky Mackay has been banned for 10-days following his ride on Stars In Your Eyes at Wolverhampton on Monday. The John Gosden-retained rider was adjudged guilty of striking his mount 10 times for the 1m4f maiden contest, three more than the maximum of seven allowed in a flat race, but one was later struck off on safety grounds by the stewards at Wolverhampton on review of the ride.

Stars In Your Eyes went off as 1/2 favourite following good support in the market for the 3.40 race before coming home a nose in front of Mister Fizz. He did look to have the contest sewn up three furlongs from home, but then started to hang violently to the right towards the rail.

Mackay claimed that he struck his mount more than the allocated number to try and keep the horse running straight, with the danger of going through the rail if he didn’t act. However, that was dismissed with a ten-day penalty handed to him with it being the rider’s second offence. Anyone looking to place a best horse racing bet online will be wondering if this is the last we’ll hear of it.

Mackay felt let down from the stewards and has vowed to appeal against the ruling.

‘I’m very disappointed they can’t override the rules in a case like this,’ he added. “I’d say at least three strikers should have been disregarded.

‘It wasn’t even the face of winning; it was the fact of keeping myself safe.”

If Mackay is unsuccessful in his appeal, he will sit out of action between February 27-29, March 1-3 and March 5-8.

Gosden has backed his rider following the decision to appeal and feels the decision to punish Mackay was extremely harsh.