Camera calls the shots at close-run race event
After a couple of summer showers at the beginning of the Kington and Vale of Arrow meeting held at Evenjobb, the rest of the afternoon was fine and sunny with some exceptionally good racing.
The long home straight gave plenty of opportunity for horses to time their run to the winning post, which meant the camera was called on to confirm the results of many races.
The two Nursery races were won by Presteigne’s Perks family’s stylish youngster Kentucky Roam, with stable driver Becky Williams in the seat, and the impressive Garth Vader belonging to the Williams-Pugh family from Brecon, driven by trainer Andrew Hardwick.
The first race for the punters was the Novice heats. In the first, Immortal Breeze and Janet Thomas claimed an expected win for owner/trainer Helen Williams from Llanafan. In the second Novice heat, new mid Wales member Fantasizing, belonging to Stella Havard from Dinmore with her quiet accomplice Martin Roberts at the controls, showed a wonderful burst of speed to claim the spoils.
In the first Grade B heat the wellmannered Habberley Haste, owned by the Lloyd family from New Radnor and driven by trainer Andrew Hardwick, was first past the post. Becky Williams, partnering the variable Fold the Notes (Perks Presteigne), took the second B heat ahead of the in-form George Gentle (Lewis Welshpool).
Best of the Fleet, with owner Matt Lewis from Welshpool on board, is enjoying a winning streak, adding another to the season’s tally. In the second Grade A heat the back horses soon made up their trail to present a speeding challenge up the home straight, with the judges calling for the cameraman who declared the talented Ithon Inmate, driven by Derek Pritchard for the Price family from Brecon, winning just ahead of the swift Lakeside Pan (Elder New Quay).
In the first Baby Novice, Talavary Zara, with owner trainer Oliver (OJ) Jones on board, claimed first prize from a revitalised Immortal Ellie (Hughes Cwmbach), returning after a year off in second. Bad Romance, with owner Shane Eggerton at the controls, took the second Baby Novice race. Meadowland Olympic with her young owner, driver Cellan Evans from Newcastle Emlyn, took the third Baby Novice, so moving up to the Novice division.
In the saddle, specialist jockey Jayne Bevan guided her mount Brywins Jo Jo (Jones Ammanford) to a well-deserved win from Nia Patrol (Williams, Ludlow).
In the next race the experienced Ellie Tromans on Habberly Playboy (Johns/Gittins, Shrewsbury) swept all before them, while the hard-riding Jess Samuel on her mother’s Camden Lock (Lloyd & Samuel, Painscastle) gained a worthy second.
In the Novice final the camera was again called on to separate the victors, with the impressive Immortal Breeze (Helen Williams of Llanafan) driven by Janet Thomas given the verdict from the speedster, Fantasizing (Havard, Dinmore).
Picking the winner in the Grade B final was no easy task as nine horses lined up, but the individualist Fold the Notes, owned and trained by the Perks family from Presteigne and driven by Becky Williams, was first past the post ahead of Habberley Haste (Lloyd New Radnor).
The Grade A final was the conclusion of the day’s racing, where the talented Chinatown Kolt (Jones Llanllwni) claimed another victory with trainer Debbie Hitchcock in the seat. In second was the speedy backmarker Infinatey (Gwatkin Evenjobb).
Next weekend is one of the rare occasions when mid Wales racing is on a Sunday as the go-ahead Talgarreg committee host their fixture on June 11 at 1.30pm.