Our flat meetings start next Monday 4th July and we also race on Monday 11th July and Monday 25th July. Tickets for all fixtures are ‘two for one’ providing you book advance – that’s two tickets for £20. Children aged 17 and under go free.
A two-course meal package in Bridles Restaurant is available at all three meetings priced at £49 per person including admission and a race day programme. You can book online.
The first race on July 4th is 5.50pm.
Later this year, we have a new date for the Welsh Champion Hurdle. It will take place on Sunday 9th October and follows the two-day Unibet Jump Season Opener at Chepstow. A new sponsor will be announced soon.
Sean Bowen still leads the jump jockeys’ championship by one winner from current title holder Brian Hughes. He had one success at Uttoxeter on Sunday while Hughes secured a double. At the time of writing, Sean has 29 winners.
James Bowen (photographed) was on the scoresheet at Cartmel on Sunday picking up a £21,000 first prize for the connections of Island Mahee trained in Ireland by Stuart Crawford. The eight year old defeated Beyond The Clouds by five and a half lengths.
Bernard Llewellyn’s stable hit form with a vengeance last week, with three winners from three runners. Canal Rocks won at Worcester with Charlie Price up last Sunday week, confirming the improvement shown in his previous outing. Then he was third in a seller in which three of the first five had won again since.
The next day Bernard’s granddaughter Jessica won at Wolverhampton on King Charles, who was running off his lowest ever handicap mark and attempting a mile and three quarters for the first time. To complete the treble, on Saturday Jordan Williams rode Cogital to win at Chester. His five pound claim still left the horse with nine stone eleven to carry, but being drawn in stall two was a significant advantage. The runner-up was drawn nine, on the outside, and failed by only a neck.
It was Cogital’s seventh win since joining the yard in January 2020, justifying his purchase price of 17,500 guineas. Indigo Times couldn’t make it four for the yard in a row in the last at Chester. Their next runners may be at Epsom on Thursday evening.
David Probert rode a double at Chester on Friday, but was out of luck riding the second favourite in Newcastle’s Northumberland Plate the next day. Though Valley Forge was drawn 15, he was guided skilfully to take the first turn just one off the rail and saved ground on the inside until turning into the final straight. He took the lead two out but faded to finish seventh to Trueshan, which was no disgrace in such a hot contest.
