Champion Jodie keen to get back in saddle once again
FOLLOWING a meeting on July 16, the Point-to-Point Authority Board has agreed that the proposed early-season programme of point-to-points should go ahead.
The decision was not taken lightly, as there are several factors which cannot as yet be fully quantified. However, on the balance of probability, given present progress at both national and sporting levels, and more specifically racing under Rules, it is believed that point-to-pointing will be able to start in October, hopefully on Saturday, October 24 at Bishops Court in east Devon and on the following day, October 25, with the Ledbury meeting at Maisemore Park.
One rider looking forward to the start is Welsh champion Jodie Hughes, from Pembrokeshire, who has been keeping fit during the lockdown by cycling and running long distances. Jodie, who has ridden 79 winners between-the-flags and a further 11 under Rules, had high hopes of chalking up her 100th winner last season but the racing lockdown put paid to that ambition.
And to make matters worse, her partner Scott Malson was in contention for the national Wilkinson Sword Award before the lockdown.
Jodie has ridden winners over hurdles and fences on professional racetracks and has ridden a winner in Ireland. However, she gets as much enjoyment competing in Welsh point-to-points, where she has a big following.
When the Welsh season eventually gets away she is hoping she can chalk up another win on her father Graham’s bay mare MoreHurryLessHaste.
POINT-TO-POINTS TO NOTE
■ November 22: Curre & Llangibby at Howick;
■ December 6: Carmarthen at Ffos Las Racecourse;
■ February 14: Curre & Llangibby at Howick;
■ March 6: Duke of Beaufort at Didmartin Ross Harriers at Monmouth Showground;
■ March 14: Llanfrynach Races at Llanfrynach;
■ March 21: United Pack at Brampton Bryan;
■ March 27: Monmouthshire at Monmouthshire;
■ April 3: Llangeinor/Pentyrch at Dunraven Stud, Pyle and Ludlow at Bitterley;
■ April 5: Cresselly at Lydstep;
■ April 17: Glamorgan at Bonvilston;
■ April 18: Cotswold Farmers at Maisemore Park;
■ May 3: Banwen Club at Llwynddu Glais;
■ May 9: Ystrad Taf Fechan at Bonvilston;
■ May 22: Golden Valley at Bredwardine;
■ June 5: Pembrokeshire at
Trecoed.
BRIAN’S BLAST FROM THE PAST
Unlicensed meetings, or flapping meetings as they were known, have disappeared in Wales for some years now. One of the last of them took place in the Vale of Glamorgan on June 1, 1991, when the Ely Valley Horse and Pony Racing Club staged their anniversary meeting at Llansannor, Cowbridge.
Some £800 in prize money was up for grabs and admission to the course was £2.50 but OAPs and children under 14 went in free.
Horses came from as far as Brecon, Merthyr, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Bournemouth, and the winning owner/trainers picked up £120 for their efforts.
The first race, the King Of The Road Handicap over a mile, was won by Mr R Norton’s Chessage, a 3-1 chance which was partnered by top rider Malcolm Thomas.
The next race, the Strip Fast 1 Mile Handicap, went to Mrs D Hughes’ Interceptor, a winner of three of its previous four races.
The Canal Turn 1 Mile Handicap went to Mr Gwyn Griffiths’ Toy Boy, who was ridden by a jockey called Mousey, who had also been successful in the previous race.
Seven of the 11 entries went to post and odds of 10-1 were available on this horse, which was trained at Gilfach Goch.
Mr J Roberts’ Skippy, trained at Ogmore Vale, took The New Turf One Mile Handicap; while in the City One Mile Handicap, first past the post was Mr D Priday’s Dingle Dolphin, who, under Paul John, went off the odds-on favourite.
Gavin Jones, riding 3-1 chance Zowie, was a 3-1 winner of the six-furlongs pony race.
In my book Racing Rogues: The Scams, Scandals and Gambles of Horse Racing in Wales, published by St David’s Press, I tell how Mr Gwyn Griffiths a greengrocer from Gilfach Goch, had been banned for 15 years in 1984 by the Jockey Club from attending or sending horses to any official race meetings after deliberately misleading Jockey Club officials.
Well, on July 7, 1986 I revealed in The Sporting Life that: “Owner Gwyn Grffiths, who was banned from attending or sending horses to any meeting run under Jockey Club rules for 15 years, had won the richest race ever held at a Welsh unlicensed meeting at the Ely Valley Racing Club races at Llysworney, near Cowbridge, on Saturday.
“Griffiths a greengrocer from Mid-Glamorgan, won the £1,000 first prize when his eight-year-old Alpha got home by a neck from Little Saint.’’
■ If you have any flapping stories or pictures, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please email your racing news and views to brianlee4@virginmedia.com or phone 029 2073 6438