First Classic of Season Goes to Vodka Express
The first classic race meeting of the season with the top prize money was held on Saturday at the Synod Inn track with Talgarreg race committee playing host. It was a blustery day, but no rain fell during the afternoon to spoil the exhilarating racing which featured some thrilling finishes.
The Nursery race saw locally bred Glan Martini (Evans Talgarreg) partnered by young Dale Williams from Brecon build on previous experience to win from another improving horse Just Hold On (Neville Guilsfield) while Hefin Evans’ other horse first time out Glan Marie was third.
The Novice section is probably the most competitive of Mid Wales racing and with three heats there were some well fancied runners. In the first the favourite was Highbrooks Impress (Probert Merthyr) with Mark Evans on board, and the horse lived up to his name beating Brywins Jo Jo (Jones Ammanford) and Brywins Snowflake (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey).
The favourite in the second heat was the heat specialist Clares Own (Evans Newcastle Emlyn) and she duly delivered a satisfying victory ahead of a much improved Bon Hasty (Collingwood, Huntington) with Radnor Chips (Lewis Presteigne) a worthy third. Another favourite came home in front in the third heat as Cross Current (Sisto Glanamman) provided Derek Pritchard with his first win of the day, in second was backmarker Boomshakalakka (Lloyd Kington) with Razzle Dazzle (Thomas Llanybydder) recording third.
Derek Pritchard from Rhosgoch proved in top form by taking the first heat of the Grade B with his own Saunders Playboy ahead of much fancied The Red Devil (Greenway Michaelchurch Eskley) with the grey Alpine Heights (Davies Kington) third. Abernant belonging to the Greenway of Michaelchurch Eskley and Hardwick of Brecon partnership added another win to his record with Mark Evans at the controls, while Faraway (Atherton Narberth) was second and Family Circle (Barton Clynderwen) was third.
Derek Pritchard clinched another win in the first Grade A heat with his little chestnut mare Believe beating the returning to form Obi-wan-kenobi (Williams Llanafan) with newcomer Kouros Boy (Thomas, Rhymney) in third. Springhill Horizon belonging to race president Brian Lloyd from Cribyn and driven by daughter Marie produced a surprise win in the second heat to just deny maximum trail Scoobies Dream (Lloyd Kington) with Meadowbranch Mike (Jones Llanllwni) in third.
The first Baby Novice race went to one of the outsiders but provided a popular victory for the Tromans family from Newcastle Emlyn when Sable Sam squeezed victory from Dragon Fly (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) and Kickstart (Williams Brecon). In the second race it was favourite Greenhill Cliff (Williams Brecon) with Mark Evans on board who won from Nimbles Dream (Lloyd Kington) and Murray (Gittings Guilsfield).
The Consolation gave just that to Merrington Man and his connections the Thomas family from Rhymney and gave mechanic Mark Evans from Brecon his fourth driving victory on the day in second place was C U Boykin (Hitchcock Haverfordwest) with Fold American (Perks Presteigne) in third.
The first of the finals was the Novice with nine runners and Derek Pritchard having qualified three had to choose his drive. He went with Brywins Jo Jo (Jones Ammanford) and they swept to a narrow victory from the far from disgraced back marker Boomshakalakka (Lloyd Kington) while Jo Jo’s stablemate Cross Current, trained by the energetic chef from Llandeilo Mathew Thomas, but owned by the Sisto family from Ammanford was third.
Derek Pritchard returned to the winners enclosure in the Grade B final when partnering his own Saunders Playboy to victory ahead of Fold be Nimble (Perks Prsteigne) and Alpine Heights (Davies Kington). Derek claiming five wins during the afternoon’s racing.
The Grade A final produced a surprise race as Vodka Express (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) caught them all napping as he tore off in front on the second lap and held on from Scooby’s Dream (Lloyd Kington) giving his all to beat the sixty yard handicap while Obi-wan-kenobi (Williams Llanafan) running his best race for a couple of years was third.
Detailed Results
Race 1 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Glan Martini | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Just Hold On | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Glan Marie | Gate | £0 | |
4 | Lily Agnes | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Hyar Temptation | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Ceiron Omega | Gate | £0 | |
7 | Immortal Ellie | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.304 | ||||
Race 2 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Sable Sam | Gate | £100 | |
2 | Dragon Fly | Gate | £30 | |
3 | Kickstart | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Blackies Boy | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Overland | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.251 | ||||
Race 3 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Greenhill Cliff | 10 | £100 | |
2 | Nimbles Dream | 10 | £30 | |
3 | Murray | 10 | £15 | |
4 | Durham Direct | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.214 | ||||
Race 4 - Novice H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Highbrooks Impress | 10 | £20 | |
2 | Brywins Jo Jo | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Brywins Snowflake | 10 | £10 | |
4 | Fold American | Gate | £0 | |
5 | True Grit II | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Luck Matters | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.213 | ||||
Race 5 - Novice H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Clares Own | 10 | £20 | |
2 | Bon Hasty | Gate | £15 | |
3 | Radnor Chips | Gate | £10 | |
4 | The Crusader | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Strike A Light | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.217 | ||||
Race 6 - Novice H3 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Cross Current | 10 | £20 | |
2 | Boomshakalakka | 20 | £15 | |
3 | Razzle Dazzle | Gate | £10 | |
4 | Greenhill Megan | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Sandside Cash | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Glan Minstrel | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.230 | ||||
Race 7 - Novice Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Brywins Jo Jo | Gate | £300 | |
2 | Boomshakalakka | 20 | £30 | |
3 | Cross Current | 10 | £10 | |
4 | Highbrooks Impress | 10 | £0 | |
5 | Clares Own | 10 | £0 | |
6 | Brywins Snowflake | 10 | £0 | |
7 | Bon Hasty | Gate | £0 | |
8 | Radnor Chips | Gate | £0 | |
9 | Razzle Dazzle | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.198 | ||||
Race 8 - Grade B H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Saunders Playboy | 20 | £25 | |
2 | The Red Devil | Gate | £20 | |
3 | Alpine Heights | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Ithon Cracker | 10 | £0 | |
5 | Blackfield Willy | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Glan Master | Gate | £0 | |
7 | Chinatown Maori | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.182 | ||||
Race 9 - Grade B H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Abernant | Gate | £25 | |
2 | Faraway | Gate | £20 | |
3 | Family Circle | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Fold Be Nimble | 20 | £0 | |
5 | East of Eden | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Bon Beti | 10 | £0 | |
7 | C U Boykin | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.216 | ||||
Race 10 - Grade B Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Saunders Playboy | 20 | £400 | |
2 | Fold Be Nimble | 20 | £35 | |
3 | Alpine Heights | Gate | £20 | |
4 | The Red Devil | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Abernant | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Faraway | Gate | £0 | |
7 | Family Circle | Gate | £0 | |
8 | Ithon Cracker | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.186 | ||||
Race 11 - Grade A H1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Bellieve | 20 | £25 | |
2 | Obi Wan Kenobi | Gate | £20 | |
3 | Kouros Boy | 30 | £15 | |
4 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Ithon Ace | 10 | £0 | |
6 | Serenity | 10 | £0 | |
7 | Merrington Man | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.210 | ||||
Race 12 - Grade A H2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Springhill Horizon | 20 | £25 | |
2 | Scoobys Dream | 60 | £20 | |
3 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £15 | |
4 | Vodka Express | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Shermanator Sam | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Ithon Eagle | 10 | £0 | |
7 | Mahogany Duke | 40 | £0 | |
8 | Blackfield Buddy | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.194 | ||||
Race 13 - Grade A Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Vodka Express | Gate | £1000 | |
2 | Scoobys Dream | 60 | £50 | |
3 | Obi Wan Kenobi | Gate | £20 | |
4 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £0 | |
6 | Springhill Horizon | 20 | £0 | |
7 | Kouros Boy | 30 | £0 | |
8 | Bellieve | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.191 | ||||
Race 14 - Consolation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Merrington Man | 40 | £60 | |
2 | C U Boykin | 20 | £0 | |
3 | Fold American | 10 | £0 | |
4 | Sandside Cash | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Mahogany Duke | 60 | £0 | |
6 | Greenhill Megan | Gate | £0 | |
7 | East of Eden | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.201 | ||||