West Wales Area Club hosts great racing at Lydstep
A close finish in the Novice Riders Race. On the far side is the winner, ‘Fair Point’, trained by Wyn Morris, ridden by Rachel Leyshon, and near side ‘Chesnut Annie’ and Brodie Hampson.
For those who braved the weather, the racing at the West Wales Area Club Meeting at Lydstep soon warmed them up The course team had done a superb job around this lovely course and were rewarded with a good number of runners.
It is good for the spor
t to see novice riders getting rides and gaining invaluable experience, especially with three going home at the end of the day having ridden a winner. Kristian Hanmer made the start in the opening race the Hunt Members for both Llandeilo Farmers & Carmarthenshire Hunt-qualified horses. Hanmer came home a distance clear aboard Hywel Evans’ ‘Tom Bach’ from ‘Meleeha’ & Wayne Maskill.
Jenny causes an upset
Pembrokeshire’s Jenny Price, in only her first season and having her 2nd career ride on ‘Chandlers Cross’, a horse she owns & trains herself, caused an upset in the AGA Ladies Open Race when beating sole rival & odds on favourite ‘Lady Myfanwy’, ridden by another local rider in Lucy Jones by 12 lengths. A great achievement for Jenny, the 18 year old, who has worked for the past 12 months for Dai Rees, who was thrilled to receive her AGA prizes from AGA’s David Simpson & Carl Llewellyn, who, was having a day out at the races after visiting family who live locally
The most exciting finish of the day came in the Dobson & Horrell and PPORA Novice Riders race with Rachel Leyshon aboard Wyn Morris’ ‘Fair Point’ holding on by the shortest of margins, a nose, from Brodie Hampson on ‘Chestnut Annie’.
Double for Nick
The Miles family’s ‘Findlay’s Find’ followed up his Easter Monday course win with an impressive jumping & galloping display, making light work of a quality field for the Men’s Open with regular pilot Nick Wil
liams always confident the seven year old was going to keep finding more to score by five lengths from Evan David on ‘Bens Moor’. Williams went on to ride a double at the meeting, when teaming up with owner/trainer Luke Price and ‘Alwaysonthemove’ in the concluding race, the Restricted Open.
Dai’s team in great form
Dai Braces’ team continues to be in great form, this time with five year old mare ‘Oh Suzannah’, who survived along with her rider’ Bradley Gibbs’ some rather indifferent jumping to win by a distance in the Jockey Club & PPORA Mares & Fillies Maiden. The mare is qualified with the Llangeinor Hunt and so was the winner of the other Maiden Race, ‘Tiger Rag’ in the Horses & Geldings Maiden. 12-1 shot ‘Tiger Rag’ and rider Jason Cook was always in a nice position, jumping well throughout the race to win by three lengths from another Brace runner ‘He’s A Black Sheep’ and James Tudor.
West Wales action now takes a break and the Area’s next meeting is on Bank Holiday Monday, 6th May, with the Banwen Miners Meeting at Pentreclwydau in the Vale of Neath.
PHOTOS:
‘Tom Bach’ ridden by Kris Hanmer, winner of the Carmarthenshire and Llandeilo Farmers Hunts Race.
Ladies Open winner, ‘Chandlers Cross’ and Jenny Price.
Pictures kindly supplied by Alun Sedgmore of Sporting Prints