Kieran Shoemark saw off the Welsh 3-2 as Ffos Las opened the doors to its flat campaign last week.
The leading jockey has started the summer in fine style – he tasted glory on board Almaqam in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh in Ireland last month – and duly booted home a treble at the Carmarthenshire track.
It was more than the home team could muster, as they recorded two winners on the six-race card.
Shoemark’s winners came for three different trainers, and he got off the mark for the evening when the promising Real Trouble landed the feature Class 3 novice event for two-year-olds over seven furlongs for Archie Watson.
The pair opened up a commanding advantage on the field before the two-furlong pole, before holding on in a driving finish to deny Persian Land from the Monmouth yard of David Evans.
Still, there was plenty to like about Persian Land’s effort as he made up a significant amount of ground in the final quarter-of-a-mile and only just failed to defy the penalty he carried after winning on his debut at Haydock in May.
Shoemark went on to record his treble with wins on Grey Soul for Wiltshire trainer Dan Horsford in a one-mile handicap, before his easiest success of the night when Willow Wood ran out a convincing winner of a 12-furlong handicap for Ed Walker.
The Welsh triumphs bookended the card. Alkuwarrior took the opening sprint handicap for trainer Christopher Mason, while Bargoed-born jockey David Probert landed the
finale on Crackergee.
Ffos Las stages another flat meeting next Wednesday evening 17th June. The first race is off at 5.42pm.
Mason ended a fine week with another trip to the winner’s enclosure as he and Gina Mangan (photographed) combined to take a sprint handicap at Bath with Jax Edge.
David Evans may have been out of luck at Ffos Las, but he was on the mark on Sunday in one of the most valuable selling races of the season. Evans plundered the Class 3 contest with warm favourite Undercover Affair, who took the first prize of more than £13,000 under Billy Loughnane.
Meanwhile, the Bowens have been travelling the length of the country in their summer search for winners.
Record-chasing Sean was successful at Newton Abbot in midweek when taking a maiden hurdle in comfortable fashion with the promising Yellow Card for brother Mickey.
Sean then took in stops at Uttoxeter and Worcester – riding winners at both tracks – before arriving at Perth on Sunday when he teamed up with old ally Gordon Elliott to land a novice hurdle on Flying Ace.
Mickey, meanwhile, headed to Northumberland. And he made the trip worthwhile when winning a three-mile handicap chase with the in-form Sir Carnegie, who was following up a success at Perth last month.
It was also a more than decent week for James Davies. He gave trainer Noel Williams the perfect present on his farewell to the training ranks when steering Lairig Mor to victory in a Southwell bumper, then duly sprang a 28-1 shock the following day at Newton Abbot on the Alexandra Dunn-trained Winning Paddy.
