SEVENTH HEAVEN AS PETER’S SHOW ON THE ROAD
HAVE horses will travel is certainly the motto of Pembrokeshire trainer Peter Bowen.
Last Saturday, July 17, at Market Rasen he landed the £22,780 Betway Summer Plate Handicap Chase for the seventh time in his training career when his eight-year-old Francky Du Berlais beat Exelerator Express by seven and a half lengths.
Another Welsh-trained horse, Dai Brace’s Pink Eyed Pedro, finished a gallant third.
Bowen’s wife, Karen, a former leading point-to-point rider, told the Press: “That’s what Peter does, he tries to find something for this race that will be suitable,” and added: “We always seem to do well here, it’s a lucky track for us, though it took us seven and a half hours to get here yesterday in the horsebox.
“He’s a nice horse, he obviously won a nice race at Uttoxeter but he’s one of these you’ve got to keep the lid on a bit, I’m not sure Cartmel suited him because there’s a fairground.’’
Francky Du Berlais was the intended ride of older brother Sean, but James was unable to make the weight for the other yard’s runner, Lord Bryan, so the brothers swapped rides with the lighter of the two legged up on the latter horse. Mrs Bowen added: “James was very excited and to be fair to the boys, they’re as excited as one another.
“Sean has won on the horse before but James wasn’t able to do the weight on the other one, but Sean will be happy for James as he would have been if he’d won it himself.’’
Late in the day, Sean had some consolation when scoring on his father’s Rooster Cogburn, and to make it a great day for Wales, Rebecca Curtis took the novices’ handicap chase with her Sunset.
Brian’s blast from the past
Under the heading Swansea Bay Wins Again! this is what I wrote on November 14 2002.
Swansea Bay, trained by Haverfordwest’s Peter Bowen, made it six wins out of seven starts this season, when landing the £50,000 listed feature race at Wincanton last Saturday.
Syndicate owner, Bill Evans, who is married to the Vale’s Mary Williams, was presented with the Badger Trophy after the exciting six-year-old came with a storming late run to beat Gola Cher by two and a half lengths - despite blundering at the last fence and leaving a trail of beaten horses in his wake.
A 14-1 outsider, Swansea Bay was ridden by Andrew Thornton, who had ridden a waiting race.
Ogmore’s Christian Williams notched up another winner when he won the John and Iris Watts Remembrance Handicap Chase at Chepstow on the Paul Nichollstrained Devon View.
There were eight runners and Christian was the only amateur rider in the race.
Carol Williams, aged 30, wife of Welsh jockey Tyrone, has won the the lady amateur riders’ title for the second season in succession.
She finished ten points clear of Serena Brotherton, despite missing out on a number of rides after breaking her pelvis after a fall returning from the Middleham gallops.
Showdown.