Owner’s delight as grandson is right on the Money
Congratulations to Connor Brace on riding his first winner between the flags at the recent Point-to-Point Owners and Riders meeting at Barbury Castle.
Connor, 16, who was having just his third ride in a point-to-point – he had been placed on his other two mounts at Bishops Court a fortnight earlier – landed the novice riders’ race on his grandfather David Brace’s William Money, a former winner of five chases and a hurdle race when trained by the Vale of Glamorgan’s Tim Vaughan.
Mr Brace bought the horse from Tim Vaughan especially for his grandson to ride, and he said that of all the many winners he has trained himself: “This is the most pleasure I’ve ever had from a winner.”
However, Connor is no stranger to riding winners as he’s a former dual pony racing champion rider and rode around 45 winners at meetings all over the country.
Mr Brace owns the Dunraven Stud at Pyle near Bridgend and has owned and trained many winners under Rules and between the flags.
Connor has ridden out for wellknown trainers such as Richard Hannon Jr, Nigel Twiston-Davies and Philip Hobbs.
He’s a member of the Llangeinor Hunt, which has produced riders such as Grand National-winning jockey Neale Doughty, Christian Williams, Rhys Flint, Nick Williams, Paul Hamer, Jonathan Tudor and James Tudor.
No doubt we will be hearing a lot more about Connor in the future.
I am saddened to hear that the stable where the Welsh Grand National winner Dream Alliance was stabled in Blackwood was burnt to the ground and that the arson attack killed Impossible Dream, stable name Rodders, and very badly injured the mare Juwireya, who managed to break out.
Impossible Dream was shortly to have gone in training with Philip Hobbs, the trainer of Dream Alliance, which won the 2009 Welsh Grand National for The Dream Alliance Partnership.
How could anyone do such a thing? Let’s hope the culprits are caught.
Chepstow Racecourse has teamed up with local trainer Ron Harris, who will be having an open morning at his Earlswood Chepstow yard on Sunday, January 7, 2018 and at Chepstow Races afterwards.
Visitors will be able to meet his familiar favourites and stable star Just Glamorous, which won the Qatar Prix Du Petit Couvert Group 3 in Chantilly, France, in 2016, and was also a winner of the Class 1 Listed Rous Stakes at Ascot in October.
Find out more about how a racing stable operates, meet the stable staff and hear about Mr Harris’ plans for the 2018 Flat season.
Tickets cost £15 for the stable visit and admission to Chepstow Races (first race 12.50pm) as well as use of the Coral Suite during the afternoon.
Jane’s 25-1 winner
Vale of Glamorgan permit-holder Jane Mathias had plenty to smile about at Hereford last Wednesday when her Definitely Vinnie, a 25-1 outsider ridden by Connor Ring, came home in the maiden hurdle race four lengths ahead of the favourite The Last But One, trained by the legendary Paul Nicholls.
Jane was saddling her first winner since scoring with SoHappyHarry at Ludlow in 2012.
I am compiling A Miscellany of Welsh Horse Racing, which will also include point-to-point racing, and I would like to hear from anyone with items they think may be of interest. They can be about notable riders or horses, little-known facts, amusing anecdotes, big gambles or scandals and that sort of thing.
You can send your racing stories, pictures and comments to Brian Lee by emailing brianlee4@ virginmedia.com or telephoning 029 2073 6438.