Teenager Fern O’Brien enjoyed a brilliant start to her riding career at Carlisle - two weeks before getting her GCSE results!

The budding jockey, who only turned 16 on Saturday, was one of the stars at Ladies night as she won the VL Aesthetics Honours Shona Cunningham Handicap at Carlisle on 25-1 outsider Lord P.

They burst clear inside the final quarter-mile to win by three and a quarter lengths.

O'Brien said: “It was a bit of a steering job to be honest! He [Lord P]’s very good and it was just very easy, I didn’t need to do much more than push the button.

“I did my pony amateur course back in June so I was all ready to go the second I turned 16. I had my last pony race four days ago, turned 16 two days ago and now I’m here.

“A lot of people said to me before that it would be over before I know it but it wasn’t really, so maybe pony racing helped with that because it’s flat out from the start in that. It wasn’t so bad so I could enjoy it.

“When the entries came out and I saw the jockeys I was up against I was so daunted – in pony racing it’s amateurs against amateurs but I was facing the pros here. I can’t put it into words, but I’m so lucky and so grateful.”

O'Brien, daughter of top trainer Fergal O'Brien, and who gets her GCSE results later this month, says she plans to study for her A Levels at school despite racing being her long-term goal.

Lord P provided O’Brien senior with his third ever winner on the flat and he said: “I can’t really put this into words without crying! It’s amazing to see the little girl who started out riding ponies do this and it’s unbelievable, this has been her dream and every day I’m watching her fulfilling it."

Ladies night, one of the most popular meetings on the Carlisle calendar, also saw local trainer Dianne Sayer claim a winner after 4-1 shot Iolani won the VL Aesthetics Honours Pam Eland Handicap under Josephine Gordon.

She added: "It’s so great to be here and I think Carlisle have done a great job to make this affordable for everyone. It’s great to see and they’ve been rewarded with a big crowd tonight – which is what we need.”

The meeting was exclusively for female riders. Sayer added: "It’s a fabulous initiative and it’s just wonderful for the girls to have the opportunity.”

Josephine Gordon enjoyed double success at the meeting, including victory on Yukon Mission (4-1) in the five-furlong VL Aesthetics Honours Lesley Maxwell Handicap, before Gemma Tutty won the VL Aesthetics Honours Ann Ford Handicap over nine furlongs on Strawman (5-1).

Faye McManoman steered 3-1 favourite Strangerontheshore to victory in the first division of the PC Abs Ahmed Memorial Race Handicap over a mile.

Leading apprentice Laura Pearson then prevailed in the the second division of the PC Abs Ahmed Memorial Race Handicap on board the Linda Perratt-trained Chinese Spirit (7-4 fav).

Joanna Mason saw Old News (100-30 fav) home in the VL Aesthetics Honours Leona Hull Handicap with the Tony Carroll-trained Be My Sea (11-2) winning the VL Aesthetics Honours Deborah Earl Handicap.

The racing at Carlisle was followed by a set from BBC Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills.