We had a great day’s racing at Ffos Las on Sunday – our Proud To Be Welsh Race Day.
There were 83 runners across the seven races – huge fields by recent standards – and two Welsh choirs, singers, harpists and local crafts, food and drink added to the atmosphere.
Although Alan Johns (photographed) is principally attached to Tim Vaughan’s yard, he’s ridden winners for Devon trainer Victor Dartnall for a long time and the pair enjoyed a 177/1 double. Haldon Hill took the richest race of the day, the DragonBet Backing Welsh Sport Handicap Chase over three miles. The ten-year-old, wearing cheekpieces on for the first time, had never run over this distance before. Stamina was no problem, though; he was up with the pace all the way and won cosily.
Their second easy winner came in the 2m4f mares’ hurdle, when Atjima left her previous form well behind. The 20/1 shot failed to complete her last two starts, but today she cruised into contention three flights out and ran away with the race
Isabel Williams suffered no ill-effects from a nasty fall at Newbury the day before when driving her father Evan’s Puddlesinthepark to victory in the 3m hurdle. The horse showed a glimmer of ability last time out and built on that over this longer trip, taking the lead after the final flight and outbattling his rival.
Saturday’s valuable meeting at Kelso in the Scottish Borders yielded a couple of Welsh winners.
Richard Patrick was there to ride the improving Nemean Lion in their Grade 2 Premier Novices Hurdle. Always going well just behind the leaders, he moved up between the last two flights of hurdles and despite a mistake there, he drew two lengths clear on the run-in. He’s best on soft ground, so is unlikely to run at Cheltenham. It was consolation for Patrick soon after learning he had received an eight-day ban for whip offences during Eaton Collina’s recent Chepstow win.
Earlier Sean Bowen had won a novice chase on Bill Baxter, getting into a good rhythm from the outset. That enabled him to make all the running. Bowen lost an iron halfway up the run-in but used all his strength and powers of balance to keep his mount going and triumph in a head-bobbing finish. His brother James would normally ride this Warren Greatrex-trained horse, but he is out of action with a broken arm.
David Evans, fresh from training a 50/1 winner in a Ludlow maiden hurdle on Thursday, was on more familiar territory at Lingfield, where he saddled Mabre to take the mile handicap. It was the horse’s seventh win. Being blinkered for the first time galvanised him into a much better performance than his previous race and he won with a bit to spare.
At Huntingdon James Davies rode his 15th winner of the season on Just Sophie. It was only her third outing, and she settled much better than last time out. She went clear between the last two obstacles to win by four lengths. Returned at 10/1, she had the top three in the betting following her in and so the form may be all right.
There’s racing at Chepstow on Mothering Sunday 19th March with the next meeting at Ffos Las on Wednesday 22nd March.
