Captain Camelot claims the crown a third time
Point-to-point stalwarts Carmen and Gwilym Godsworthy, who farm at Llantarnam, have had some good horses in the past, including Polly Pringle, Red Neck and Sporting Polly.
But I doubt if any of them have given them as much pleasure as their eight-year-old bay gelding Captain Camelot, who at the recent Brecon & Talybont Hunt Steeplechases won the PPORA Club Members Conditions Race in good style under Tom David, coming home six lengths ahead of Tiger Rag.
Mrs Goldsworthy told me: “Captain Camelot has a lovely nature and he is the ninth winner I have had over this course.”
A winner on two occasions last year, Captain Camelot is now trained at Pyle near Bridgend by the hardworking Carlie Packwood, who was saddling her first winner.
Mrs Goldsworthy has been involved with point-to-pointers since she was 16 and her husband Gwilym used to ride all over the country at flapping (unlicenced) meetings.
Tom David’s younger brother Evan also paid a visit to the winner’s enclosure after landing the Restricted race on Philip and Ralph Thomas’s six-year-old bay gelding Blazing Tom, which won by three lengths from Upton Kaddy.
Blazing Tom, who is by that good stallion Dr Massini, was Evan’s 13th winner of the season.
Pembrokeshire’s 16-year-old James Bowen (who was featured in this column last week), riding the French-bred Sir Du Bearn for his brother Mickey in the Confined race, beat solitary rival Vanguard, partned by Jo Bagley, by three lengths but appeared to have a lot more in hand.
And only two faced the starter for the Men’s Open race, which went to Jeffrey Bird’s High Hatton, partnered by Richard Patrick, which came home a distance ahead of SandyNow ridden by his owner Bobby Thomas.
High Hatton, like Blazing Tom, is trained by former leading Welsh rider Jonathan Tudor.
Keith Pritchard’s Watch The Birdie was made favourite to take the fourhorse Ladies Open race but was pulled up on the second circuit. The winner, Kieran Price’s 13-year-old Bay Central, was sent straight into a long lead by the canny Jodie Hughes and still had enough in hand at the finish to beat Horsham Lad by 11 lengths.
“Apart from the one fence, he jumped amazingly,” said the former Welsh ladies’ champion from west Wales.
Carmarthen’s Ben Jones, who had notched up his first winner earlier this season, rode a well-judged race to win the Open Maiden on Claire Manning’s Jungle Legend, which had two lengths to spare over Captain Kennit, the early leader.
Jungle Legend, trained by Kate Powell, was a first point-to-point winner for Claire Manning.
Ben Jones needs to ride another 204 winners if he is to equal the score his father, the almost legendary Dai Jones, chalked up before he hung up his riding boots.
Turf Talk reader Roy Smith writes: “Back in the 1950s Mike Bevan, a local lad from Brithdir, New Tredegar, rode for Milton Bradley of Chepstow.
“I recall one point-to-point at Nelson, Gelligaer when, in his blue and white silks aboard Bradley’s horse Silver Dollar, he won his race.
“I believe he also won a silver cup associated with the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games.”
Do any of my readers remember Mike Bevan or the horse Silver Dollar?
Ynysbwl’s David Gibbs has his horses in good form. At the Ross Harriers meeting, his Fraction Man, owned by Claire Sheriff, ran out a 10-lengths winner of the open maiden race.
Then stable companion Yeats Ace, owned by Clive Banwell, took the mares and fillies maiden event. And at the Quantock She’s A Gangster, owned by David’s wife Amanda, landed the open maiden.
All three winners were ridden by David’s son Bradley Gibbs.
You can send your racing news and views to Brian Lee by emailing him at brianlee4@virginmedia. com or calling 029 2073 6438.