Dead Heat Wonder at Penybont
The first Wednesday of August means only one thing for Welsh trotting folk – Penybont races, the Wembley of Wales, when everyone comes with hopes and dreams, some sustained while others are shattered. The weather was wonderful and there was plenty of drama on this unique track on the banks of the River Ithon.
Lady Sunbeam (Greenway Michaelchurch Eskley) kicked off the proceedings by winning the first Nursery from Greenhill Ani (Williams Brecon) and Hyer Temptation (Thomas Tregroes). In the second Nursery Glan Marie (Evans Talgarreg) came home just in front of Just Hold On (Neville Guilsfield) and Big Harry (Duggan Llangunllo).
The real competitive races began with the Novice heats. In the first, newly promoted Nimble’s Dream (Lloyd Kington) driven by Lee Morris from Leominster claimed victory ahead of Fold American (Perks Presteigne) and Brywins Snowflake (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey). Cross Current (Sisto Glanamman) with Derek Pritchard on board was first over the line in the second Novice heat from Greenhill Cliff (Williams, Brecon) and another new recruit Durham Direct (Hughes Builth Wells). In the third Novice heat Strike a Light with owner Linda Atherton from Narberth on board struck for home early and held on to beat Brywins Jo Jo (Jones Ammanford) and Sunnyside Geoff (Williams Brecon).
The little homebred mare from the Pritchard stable of Rhosgoch East of Eden took the first heat in the Grade B with the other Atherton runner Faraway in second and Scarlet Lady (Bevan Builth) in third. The new open horse Highbrooks Impress (Probert Merthyr) driven by Mark Evans from Brecon predictably won the second B heat from the flying grey Alpine Heights (Davies Kington) and another new recruit Wellfield Inspired (Griffiths Pontardawe).
Meadowbranch Mike (Jones Llanllwni) driven by trainer Debbie Hitchcock from Haverfordwest were jubilant in the first Grade A heat while Saunders Playboy (Pritchard Rhosgoch) claimed second and Ithon Ace (Williams Shrewsbury) was third. The camera identified Merrington Man (Thomas Rhymney) and Mark Evans as the winner of the second heat of the Grade A inches in front of Bon Bethan (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) with Fold be Nimble (Perks Presteigne) in third and Believe (Pritchard Rhosgoch) qualifying in fourth.
Ithon Hope the impressive four year old belonging to the Bevan family from Builth concluded his season’s campaign with a win in the first Baby Novice so he will take his place in the Novice section when he returns to racing next year, a close second was Murray (Gittins FourCrosses) with Blackies Boy (Prosser Libanus) third.
In the second Baby Novice, Rhun Wilson from Pencader, with his new purchase A & A’s Beauty just got the verdict from Dragon Fly (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) with Merefield Jack (Broome Ludlow) third. A & A’s Beauty also earned her ticket to the Novices. In the third race Black Mountain Jess (Gibbons Llanigon) provided another win for her trainer Derek Pritchard from Rhosgoch beating Ithon Gem (Walker Kelsall) and Beacon Sorcerer (Bevan Llanddewi).
The saddle race provided a popular win for local jockey Jayne Bevan from Llanddewi on the diminutive Master Tom (Owens Shobdon), with pony racing jockey Connor Flint on his own Tricksters Dream was second and Family Circle (Barton Clynderwen) was third.
The Novice Final proved another cracking race with the maximum 9 runners battling for supremacy. Greenhill Cliff (Williams Brecon) partnered by Mark Evans a garage mechanicfrom Brecon was first over the line from Nimbles Dream (Lloyd Kington) with Strike a Light (Atherton Narberth) in third.
In the Grade B Final Faraway with Linda Atherton from Narberth just got the better of Highbrooks Impress (Probert Merthyr) while East of Eden (Pritchard Rhosgoch) claimed third.
In the Grade A Final the clock stopped on the fastest time of the day, but even with the camera the leaders could not be divided so after much deliberation a dead heat was declared between Fold be Nimble (Perks Presteigne) and Believe (Pritchard Rhosgoch) last year’s winner. Meadwobranch Mike came home in third.
The local mile and a half race has been on the race card at Penybont since the first race meeting in 1921 and with a full compliment of runners picking the winner was no easy task, but it was the back marker Obi-wan-kenobi (Williams Llanafan) who used the longer distance to make up his 80 yard handicap to beat Black Mountain Jess (Gibbons Llanigon) and Charlie Penlan (Lloyd Painscastle).
Only once in the long history of Penybont races has the A final produced a dead heat and that was in 1975, so 2011 will remain in the memory, for some very good racing where the camera was often consulted to confirm a result, but even with the most modern technology sometimes a race is just too close to call.
Detailed Results
Race 1 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Lady Sunbeam | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Greenhill Ani | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Hyar Temptation | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Pilsbury Lady | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Dernol Duke | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.470 | ||||
Race 2 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Glan Marie | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Just Hold On | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Big Harry | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Precious Cargo | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.411 | ||||
Race 3 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Ithon Hope | 20 | £75 | |
2 | Murray | 10 | £25 | |
3 | Blackies Boy | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Nia Patrol | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Miss Jackpot | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Hafod Grace | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.326 | ||||
Race 4 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | A And As Beauty | 20 | £75 | |
2 | Dragon Fly | 10 | £25 | |
3 | Merefield Jack | 20 | £15 | |
4 | Glan Martini | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Charlie Penlan | 10 | £0 | |
6 | Sable Sam | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.317 | ||||
Race 5 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Blackmountain Jess | 10 | £75 | |
2 | Ithon Gem | 10 | £25 | |
3 | Beacon Sorcerer | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Dragon Penlan | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Seren Penlan | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.317 | ||||
Race 6 - Novice H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Nimbles Dream | Gate | £30 | |
2 | Fold American | 10 | £15 | |
3 | Brywins Snowflake | 10 | £0 | |
4 | Boomshakalakka | 20 | £0 | |
5 | The Crusader | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Sandside Cash | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.311 | ||||
Race 7 - Novice H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Cross Current | 10 | £30 | |
2 | Greenhill Cliff | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Durham Direct | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Radnor Chips | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Ithon Ghost | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Aberelan | 10 | £0 | |
PU | Bon Hasty | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.309 | ||||
Race 8 - Novice H3 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Strike A Light | 20 | £30 | |
2 | Brywins Jo Jo | 10 | £15 | |
3 | Sunnyside Geoff | 20 | £0 | |
4 | Tricksters Dream | 20 | £0 | |
5 | Razzle Dazzle | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Fold Eventful | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.262 | ||||
Race 9 - Novice Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Greenhill Cliff | Gate | £150 | |
2 | Nimbles Dream | Gate | £75 | |
3 | Strike A Light | 20 | £30 | |
4 | Cross Current | 10 | £0 | |
5 | Brywins Snowflake | 10 | £0 | |
6 | Brywins Jo Jo | 10 | £0 | |
7 | Sunnyside Geoff | 20 | £0 | |
8 | Fold American | 10 | £0 | |
9 | Durham Direct | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.276 | ||||
Race 10 - Grade B H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | East of Eden | Gate | £50 | |
2 | Faraway | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Scarlet Lady | Gate | £0 | |
4 | C U Boykin | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Master Tom | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Abernant | Gate | £0 | |
F | Clares Own | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.275 | ||||
Race 11 - Grade B H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Highbrooks Impress | Gate | £50 | |
2 | Alpine Heights | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Wellfield Inspired | Gate | £0 | |
4 | The Red Devil | 10 | £0 | |
5 | Family Circle | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Chinatown Maori | Gate | £0 | |
7 | Glan Master | Gate | £0 | |
8 | Duggans Domino | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.281 | ||||
Race 12 - Grade B Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Faraway | Gate | £500 | |
2 | Highbrooks Impress | Gate | £100 | |
3 | East of Eden | Gate | £30 | |
4 | Wellfield Inspired | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Alpine Heights | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Scarlet Lady | Gate | £0 | |
7 | The Red Devil | 10 | £0 | |
8 | C U Boykin | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.270 | ||||
Race 13 - Grade A H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £50 | |
2 | Saunders Playboy | 10 | £15 | |
3 | Ithon Ace | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Scoobys Dream | 50 | £0 | |
5 | Blackfield Buddy | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Carl Hall | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.271 | ||||
Race 14 - Grade A H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Merrington Man | 30 | £50 | |
2 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Fold Be Nimble | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Bellieve | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Obi Wan Kenobi | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Serenity | 20 | £0 | |
7 | Mahogany Duke | 20 | £0 | |
8 | Ithon Eagle | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.258 | ||||
Race 15 - Grade A Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Bellieve | Gate | £550 | |
1 | Fold Be Nimble | Gate | £550 | |
3 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £50 | |
4 | Saunders Playboy | 10 | £0 | |
5 | Scoobys Dream | 50 | £0 | |
6 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £0 | |
7 | Merrington Man | 30 | £0 | |
8 | Ithon Ace | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.245 | ||||
Race 16 - Saddle | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Master Tom | 10 | £100 | |
2 | Tricksters Dream | Gate | £50 | |
3 | Family Circle | 10 | £20 | |
4 | Serenity | 50 | £0 | |
Time: 2.316 | ||||
Race 17 - Other Local | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Obi Wan Kenobi | 80 | £100 | |
2 | Blackmountain Jess | 10 | £25 | |
3 | Charlie Penlan | 10 | £15 | |
4 | Radnor Chips | 20 | £0 | |
5 | Duggans Domino | 60 | £0 | |
6 | Boomshakalakka | 50 | £0 | |
7 | Seren Penlan | 20 | £0 | |
8 | Blackies Boy | Gate | £0 | |
9 | Bon Hasty | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 3.385 | ||||