Owner’s joy as ‘brilliant’ horse sweeps the board at Chepstow
RETIRED west Wales farmer Dewi Lewis, 81, was pleased as punch when his Tinkers Hill Tommy ran out a very easy winner of the prestigious Dunraven Bowl Novices’ Hunters Steeplechase at Chepstow Racecourse recently.
Before the start, Mr Lewis told me that Tinkers Hill Tommy, a good runner-up in the race the previous year, might not like the heavy going. However, after the seven-year-old had romped home some 19 lengths ahead of Kilcrea Bridge, he said: “He won as a favourite should.’’
Winning jockey, Hereford-shireborn Peter Bryan, said in the winner’s enclosure: “He was just brilliant.”
It was really a case of Tinkers Hill Tommy, who is trained by Mr Lewis’ daughter-in-law Bridget Lewis, first and the rest nowhere.
For the record, Kilcrea Bridge (Nick Williams) was second, with Robin Des People (Bradley Gibbs) just pipping Pink Eyed Pedro, ridden by the sponsor’s 16-year-old grandson Connor Brace, for third place.
Connor has proved something of a sensation this year and at the time of writing is running away with the national novice riders’ championship, having ridden 12 winners.
He had a double at Bitterley courtesy of Emtidaad and Bracho, while Bradley Gibbs chalked up his 22nd winner of the season there on Nuevo Molino.
In Cornwall, Wales’ Ben Jones took the men’s open on Milosam and David Prichard won the the open maiden on Earthly Reason, while at Horseheath, Evan David won the restricted on This Breac.
There were some exciting finishes at the Gelligaer Farmers’ Hunt Steeplechases at Lower Machen.
In the confined race, charming Elen Nicholas, 21, riding her 10-year-old bay gelding Hospital, came from last to first place to beat Aerlite Supreme (Isabel Williams) by a short head.
Hospital is trained by Michael Bowen in Pembrokeshire and congratulations must go to Michael’s brother James on winning the national conditional jockeys’ championship, a feat also achieved by his older brother Sean Bowen.
The restricted race was also another close finish for judge Peter Thomas to sort out and he ruled that Tommy Faulkner’s Kensington Castle, partnered by Nick Williams, had finished a neck in front of Bobby Thomas’s Padre Tito.
In the aged maiden race, Rilly Goshen, riding Roger Weaver’s 11-year-old mare Karigale, got home by just a neck from Double Miss (Craig Dowson) to make amends for last year, when in the same event she was second on Karigale, the oldest horse in the race, who gave her experienced rider her 130th win between the flags.
Vale of Glamorgan’s Isabel Williams made it three wins on the bounce on Hold Court in the mixed open race. Hold Court jumped the last fence alongside Tiger Rag (Anna Lewis) and went on to score by two lengths.
Hold Court, a good performer when racing under National Hunt rules, is trained by Isabel’s grandmother Mary Evans in Pembrokeshire.
The day’s riding honours, however, went to Cowbridge’s Byron Moorcroft, 30, who won the hunt race on the best-turned-out Spencer Moon and the young horse maiden on the well-backed Mister Buddy. Both horses are owned by Kevin Salter and trained by Kieran Price.
Spencer Moon, the long odds-on favourite, came home 15 lengths ahead of Ballycash (Jordan Williams), while Mister Buddy, a fiveyear-old grey gelding who put in some sketchy jumping, won by four lengths from Persistant-Princess (Wayne Maskill).
The Tredegar Farmers Point-ToPoint Steeplechases will be held over the popular Lower Machen racecourse on Sunday, May 13
The men’s open race carries a first prize of £350, with £125 to the second and £75 to the third horse to finish.
■ Email your racing news and views to Brian at brianlee4@virginmedia.com or call 029 2073 6438.