Rider Jodie becomes first woman to win West Wales event
Pembrokeshire’s Jodie Hughes, 34, who has won the West Wales Point-To-Point Area Ladies Championship for the eighth time, has also won the Keith Lewis West Wales Riders’ Championship, which was dominated by Lydstep’s John Mathias up until his retirement a couple of seasons ago.
In 2017 it went to the sensational young rider James Bowen – and now Jodie, who during the season chalked up her 80th winner, has broken new ground by being the first woman to land the prize.
Jodie, who saw her younger rival Isabel Williams, 20, from the Vale of Glamorgan snatch her All Wales Ladies’ title, was seen at her best during the season when winning on horses such as PatrickTom Boru, Kelsey, Boethius and Ann Scott.
It was on Boethius and Ann Scott at the Ystrad Taf Fechan fixture that Jodie not only put one over Wales’ champion male rider Bradley Gibbs but did so on two occasions within an hour!
In the restricted race she brought Boethius with a late run to beat Bradley riding the odds-on Charlie Breekie and 40 minutes or so later riding Ann Scott, and after being a couple of lengths down at the last, she again beat Bradley who was riding another odds-on shot Nuevo Molino.
Meanwhile, racecourse rumour has it that a Welsh point-to-pointer who put in some fine winning performances during the past season has failed a dope test. Watch this space!
Not many racing folk know that buried in Cathays Cemetery in Cardiff is one of the most successful owners in the history of the turf. I am referring to Lord Glanely, who was known to the racing public as “Old Guts and Gaitors”.
Born plain William James Tatem, he later became Lord Glanely and he was famed for his classic winners such as Singapore, Chumleigh, Colombo, and Dancing Time.
Disliked by some who were possibly jealous of his success and selfmade fortune, he has been described as “a large florid man with a walrus moustache”.
However, he was a great friend to Wales, donating thousands of pounds to Welsh hospitals, museums and libraries.
He started off as a clerk in Cardiff with the shipping firm Messrs Anning of Cardiff and his forceful character and extraordinary flair for business matters enabled him to establish his own shipping company.
His Pebble Ridge, ridden by Welshman Dudley Wiliams, landed a huge gamble at the 1933 Welsh Grand National at Cardiff’s Ely Racecourse, which closed in 1939.
When he was killed in an air-raid on Weston-super-Mare in 1941, one famous jockey remarked: “He has bred, bought and raced horses on the best of lines, and racing cannot afford to lose people like Lord Glanely.’’
A fitting tribute to a Devonshire man who had a close connection with Wales.
■ You can send your racing news and views to Brian Lee by emailing brianlee4@virginmedia.com or telephoning 029 2073 6438.