PHOTOS:
 'Awesome Bella' (trained by Dai Rees) and Wayne Maskill on the
way to winning the Open Maiden Race for Mares and Fillies

 'Rosies Peacock' and John Mathias on the way to winning the
Mixed Open Race

 Happy connections of 'Bobs Law', ridden by Sean Bowen, after
winning the Novice Riders Race
Pictures by Alun Sedgemore Prints

 

 The Point to Point racing season in West Wales had to endure a rather wet start at Lydstep recently, but for those who braved the murky conditions it was well worth it to enjoy such quality racing. 

Organisers were put to the test by the weather but in what can only be described as a well-run meeting, winners came from all parts of Wales with no one yard or jockey dominating the meeting.
 
‘Anger Management’, the 16 length winner of the first race, The Connolly’s Red Mills Intermediate Race, left trainer Rob Luke very much indebted  to the skills of jockey Evan David, who  somehow managed to defy the laws of gravity, by keeping the partnership intact after ‘Anger Management’ completely misjudged the third fence. Lesson learnt,  the horse went on to fence well and was never troubled by another rival.
 
Wayne Maskill teamed up with ‘Awesome Bella’ for his employer Dai Rees to land The Jockey Club Mares’ Maiden Race. Having her first run of the season the seven year old mare made all from flag fall with some fast efficient jumping to win by twelve lengths, not one of her seven rivals being able to land a blow and get close to her.
 
Haverfordwest-based cattle dealer Danny Davies is more known for his taste in dairy cattle but the decision to go into joint ownership with Llanelli’s Graham Garland and invest in seven year old ‘Our Differences’ is starting to pay dividends when the gelding followed up his previous second at the Ystrad meeting with a five length win in The Horses & Geldings’ Maiden Race, under a confident ride from trainer/jockey Matthew Barber.
 
Dai Brace’s ‘Knights Blaze’ was sent off the odds on favourite in The TBA/Countryside Alliance Club Members Race for Mares with Bradley Gibbs aboard,  but the partnership looked very much booked for second place approaching the last fence with  Matthew Barber, fresh from his previous  race win and this time aboard Sirrell Griffiths ‘Misty Sails’, holding a healthy advantage. However, jumping is the name of the game and ‘Misty Sails’ decided the last was a fence too far and ducked out through the running rail to hand Bradley and ‘Knights Blaze’ the most fortunate winner of the day.
 
‘Rosies Peacock’ and John Mathias made it all look very easy in the Mixed Open as any odds on favourite should to record Rosies 19th career win. Next came the Novice Riders in the Dobson & Horrell /PPORA sponsored race, again another odd- on favourite obliged this time for the Bowen family in the shape of’ Bob’s Law’, trained by Michael and ridden by brother Sean for ‘The Big Dreamers Partnership’ . The ten year old gelding made light of the incidents happening around him to his rivals to stroll home a comfortable winner from Steph Rogers and ‘Teenage Kicks’.
 
The last race of the day, The Restricted Race,  not only saw the emergence of the sun but also the closest finish of the day with the Neville Thomas owned and trained ‘Minellaformarriage’  just holding on by a rapidly fading nose under Kristian Hamner from the driving finish of Rachel Leyshon aboard ‘Grianan Fidh’.
 
The action now comes thick and fast in West Wales with the track at Lydstep having a fortnight to be ready for the popular South Pembrokeshire Easter Monday fixture, where racing starts just that little bit earlier at 1pm.