Ligeira had not won a race for two years, since she was successful at a Marlborough meeting when trained by owner Barry Ward, of West Melton.
Keast (35), who is based at Sefton, leased the 5yr-old Holmes Hanover-Pachamama mare six weeks ago in partnership with Phil Cusdin and Norm Pugh, both of Christchurch.
Ligeira was having her second start since changing stables.
Keast, who has been mainly involved with shoeing horses for the past two years, has three horses in work.
He first held a training licence in the 1994-95 season, when based at Burnham.
He had 30 wins in two seasons in partnership with Jason Garvey from 1999-00.
He has trained 121 winners on his own account with his best tally 43 wins in the 1998-99 season. He trained Dudinka to win six races.
Dudinka is the dam of Dudinka's Cullen, Dudinka's Star and Dudinka's Christian.
Keast is based at the stables of Ray Sharpe, who is in the United States. He will have to shift in a few weeks, as Sharpe is due home.
Ward won a race yesterday with Sweet Emotion, a half-sister by Holmes Hanover to Pachamama (by New York Motoring).
Sweet Emotion was one of two wins for junior reinsman Dexter Dunn, who took his tally for the season to 115.
He is six wins behind the premiership leader Peter Ferguson.
Maria Perriton had a win yesterday as an owner-trainer-driver and breeder when New Years Day won his first start.
New Year's Day is a 3yr-old by Day In The Life and the first foal of Ceeya Maria, an OK Bye mare.
•Eighty-year-old horseman John Burgess owned, trained and drove Grant's Wish to win yesterday.
The 6yr-old mare had not raced for 12 months. She was sidelined with a broken bone in a pastern.
"She had to be confined for 12 days after the injury and Paul Nairn [a neighbour] provided me with a box," Burgess said.
"She has only been back in work for seven weeks so she surprised me a bit. It was her first time out of the mobile gate and she loved it."
Grant's Wish has won four races since she began racing 18 months ago.
Dream Fire, a last-start winner at New Plymouth, is now in the Oamaru stable of Warren Bartlett.
Dream Fire won a maiden race at New Plymouth on April 22 from three starts for Waikouaiti trainer Nigel Chalmers.Dream Fire had been tried by Bruce Negus and Wayne Adams.
Dream Fire had four placings in 20 starts over two years for Negus.
Christine Simpson, of Waikouaiti, is now the sole owner of Dream Fire. She previously raced the 4yr-old with Selina Chalmers, mother of the trainer.
Mrs Simpson, who is incapacitated after a stroke, was given the horse by Negus.
Her husband, David, said racing Dream Fire had been great therapy for his wife.
The Forbury Park Trotting Club will host care providers for Mrs Simpson at the meeting next week when Dream Fire has his next start.
Chalmers (27), who is in his first season as a trainer, has also won with the 3yr-old trotting filly Boyz Success. She is now spelling.
Chalmers drove 22 winners a as junior driver and gained experienced in the North Island with Nicky Chilcott and Todd Mitchell.
