Sun comes out to greet the crowds at Caersws
After a showery start for the nursery horses at Saturday’s Caersws races, the weather improved and the afternoon turned out quite hot and sunny. There was a jovial atmosphere, with the large crowd shouting home the horses in some tremendous racing.
The three nursery races were won by horses with a bit of experience who look like they will soon progress to the proper races. Beg for Mercy (Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn) won the first, Dernol Yankee (Wozencraft, Llangurig) took the second and Garth Vader (Williams/Pugh, Brecon) won the third nursery.
The Novice races were straight races this week, giving more horses the chance to progress to open racing. The first Novice was won by the front-running Fronfelin Duchess, driven by trainer Ollie Preece for his mother-in-law Amanda Hawkes from Llanddewi. In second was the much-fancied Ook Whose Coming (Evans, Brecon), while Made in Wales (Evans, Red Roses) was third. In the second Novice, Lakeview Meg (Atherton-Rees, Narberth) with the “canny cardi” Mathew Tromans on board was first past the post to claim their promotion into open racing. In second was Wellfield Wally (Bevan, Builth Wells), while Evenwood Thumps Up (Lewis, Llanbister) was third. Mathew Tromans picked up a catch drive in the last Novice on My Amazing Grace (Evans, Red Roses) and came home in front of the lightly raced Beacons Spellbound (Davies, Huntington), with Billy Elliot (Layton, Walton) in third.
The first Grade B heat gave another victory to Hyar Temptation, with her owner farmer’s wife Janet Thomas from Tregroes at the controls. In second was Meadowland Maverick (Jones, Evenjobb), with George Gentle (Lewis, Welshpool) in third. Chinatown Samuel, with Mel Langford in the seat, gave a very popular win for the Moorhouse family from Llandinam, part of the committee who worked hard to make the meeting a success, while Oliver Jones had another second, this time with Precious Cargo (Gwatkin, Evenjobb), and Fold the Notes (Perks, Presteigne) was third.
In the first heat of the Grade A the back marker Lakeside Pan trailing 50 yards, with trainer Wayne Elder on board, was awesome as he swept down the home straight to claim a magnificent win for veteran owner John Elder from New Quay. In second was Best of the Fleet (Lewis, Welshpool), while the erratic Chinatown Kolt (Jones, Llanllwni) was third. It was another class horse who claimed victory in the second Grade A heat, when Ithon Inmate, driven by trainer Derek Pritchard for the supportive Price family from Brecon, ran a terrific race to beat the improving Zestthewayilikeit (Jones, Evenjobb), while last week’s winner Ayr Hero (Bevan, Llanddewi) was third.
In the first Baby Novice race Kentucky Roam (Perks, Presteigne), driven as usual by Rebecca Williams, repeated his last week’s efforts to win from the much-improved Jets Girl (Langford, Onibury) with the reliable Turn the Paige (Miles, Merthyr) in third. Cool Ice (Gething, Ewyas Harold) produced a cool win for trainer Derek Pritchard in the second Baby Novice from the reliable Universal Soldier (Powell, Merthyr Cynog), while the favourite Hilltop Recon (Lloyd, New Radnor) had to be content with third. In the third Baby Novice it was the speedy Greenhill Lillian (Thomas, Rhymney) who repeated her last week’s win with Mark Evans from Brecon acting as navigator, in front of fast-finishing Ayr Fella (Lloyd, Painscastle), with the aptly named Howdoyoulikemenow (Perks, Presteigne) in third.
Nine horses entered in the ladies mile-and-a-half race, but the experience of Rebecca Williams paid dividends as Ook Whose Coming (Evans, Brecon) was first past the post from Fronfelin Duchess (Preece, Llanddewi), with Brywins Jo Jo (Jones, Ammanford) in third.
In the Dash, Makemeamillionayr (Weigel, Llanddewi Velfrey), with Mathew Tromans on board, took top honours, this his third winning drive of the day, from Ithon Hannah (Perks, Presteigne), with Tyssul Pearl (Thomas, Llanbister) in third.
In the Junior race the advantage of a good saddle horse tracking the inside was shown when Josie Duggan from Howey, on her dad’s Huricane Howard, claimed her first win from stablemate Forest Gump, with Ceri Bevan on board, while Ellie Tromans on My Amazing Grace (Evans, Red Roses) ran a good race in third, and Jess Stewart on Pozest (Bevan, Builth) was just behind.
In the consolation race Fantasizing (Havard, Dinmore) appreciated the drier conditions later in the day and gave Martin Roberts a good drive to win from Immortal Ellie and Bill Hughes, Cwmbach, while brother Austin Hughes was third with Life Today.
The day was completed with the two finals. In the Grade B Fold the Notes (Perks, Presteigne), the horse with plenty of attitude, produced a seasoned run for his young driver Rebecca Williams. Never one to give up, they battled to be first over the line in front of Hyar Temptation (Thomas, Tregroes), while Tillies Larg (Evans, Brecon) just faded to be third.
The Grade A final was a battle for the line of two class horses, but the 40-yard gap in the handicap secured the spoils for the magnificent Ithon Inmate (Price, Brecon), driven as always by his trainer Derek Pritchard from Rhosgoch, this his third winning drive of the day. Lakeside Pan (Elder, New Quay) swept down the home straight to claim second place, with the enigmatic Chinatown Kolt (Jones, Llanllwni) in third.
Next weekend is the Tairgwaith meeting, with the highlight of the afternoon the STAGBI mares’ race to encourage the future broodmares in this country. The meeting is on Saturday, July 29 starting at 1.30pm. The following Wednesday, August 2, is the Penybont meeting, with a 1.30pm start.