Vanessa Ryle: Gay Kelleway's first ever treble and noticeable yard move to Devon

Like all sports, to a lesser or larger degree, horse racing relies on characters to keep fans engaged: it's the characters operating at every level that fuel the fire of the stories and subplots which peel back the 'sport of kings' curtain for a glimpse of realism that speaks to us all.

We all know that Frankie Dettori can light up a big Saturday card with his unique charm and charisma but, in the main, those high days sell themselves by events on the track rather than moments off it.

In comparison, a weekday meeting at a small track is dependent on the players who attend to bring the card to life with some passion, emotion or flair, and that is exactly what Gay Kelleway often does when she saddles her runners on lower-key days up and down the country.

The definition of the word character reads "strength and originality in a person's nature," and Kelleway has both those qualities in abundance. Last Sunday, Gay trained her first ever treble - it had taken her 31 years to do so, and she rightly enjoyed every minute of the milestone.

A Yarmouth winner was quickly followed up with two victories in at Brighton where Kelleway was in situ to magnify the magic. Her enthusiasm and passion for not only the horses but also the jockeys and owners shone through and, on what would normally have been a quiet Sunday at the seaside venue, Kelleway reminded us all precisely how much a winner means, whatever the class of contest or value of the venue.

When looking at the three winners Gay had on the day, they sum up the trainer's mentality of original thinking. The three horses were all ridden by apprentices or amateurs and that angle is one that Kelleway prides herself on: giving young talent an opportunity in the saddle.

Taylor Fisher rode Habanero Star at Yarmouth, a first ride for Kelleway, and he made it a winning one. The 7-lb claimer has ridden eight winners in total and currently boasts an impressive 25% strike rate.

Next up came Liam Wright aboard Eloso at Brighton. Again, another 7lb claimer having his first ride for the trainer who converted the opportunity into the fourth winner in his short career. Wright had done his groundwork to get the ride aboard the 4-year-old as he had been in to ride out at Kelleway's Newmarket yard throughout the week so that he knew the horse ahead of a big day for them at Brighton, attention to detail in positive action.

After the race Kelleway was keen to express that she wants to give the young guys and girls starting out the opportunities if they're willing and able.

The message is clear for the youngsters in the early stages of their careers to read: If you have saddle, will travel and show some commitment then Kelleway is likely to give you a chance.

Finally, Ross Birkett steered Silver Bubble to victory in the amateurs'race at the end of the Brighton card and, in the process, showcased Kelleway's power of perseverance given that the mare (part-owned by Kelleway) had taken eighteen goes to just break her maiden yet Sunday saw her make it two wins from her last three starts and provide a third win for Kelleway and Birkett together.

Thanks to that weekend treble Kelleway is currently pitching at a 38% strike-rate and Eloso is back in again on Sunday at Goodwood in the amateurs' race there.

But Kelleway has never been someone to rest on her laurels and history has taught us that she isn't afraid to throw in a curve ball from time to time. The latest surprise announcement comes in the form of a dramatic yard and licence change.

Kelleway plans on moving her training establishment down to Devon, and in the process is going to team up with owner-turned-trainer Syd Hosie to hold a joint-licence and expand the training operation to be a duel purpose yard with a new aim of training a Cheltenham winner on the agenda.

Kelleway and Hosie have been friends for a number of years and a collection of circumstances have led Kelleway to try something different and take the plunge and move yards. Hosie has his own interesting back story having owned horses for a number of years and, more recently, had them in the care of salaried trainers Nick Mitchell and Ralph Smith.

Alas, that strategy didn't work out and Hosie has since taken out his own training license and has enjoyed a handful of winners over the last few months.

The link-up with Kelleway will see the coming together of two big characters, and it will be interesting to follow the relationship as it develops over the coming months.

Expect to see plenty more National Hunt horses under Kelleway's care as she takes the next step on the training journey which she so clearly enjoys as much as when she first started over 30 years ago.