SCARLETS TIE MORGAN TO A NEW CONTRACT
LOCK Morgan Jones has become the latest highly-rated youngster to sign a new contract with the Scarlets.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Parc y Scarlets, featuring in 11 competitive matches.
Those games include the Champions Cup win over Bath when he produced a late try-saving tackle to help secure a memorable victory.
The 6ft 7in lock was born in Nuneaton in Warwickshire, but qualifies for Wales through his grandfather, who was born and bred in Llanelli.
He joined the Scarlets Academy in 2017, has been capped for Wales at under-18 level and was a member of the Wales U20s side who beat New Zealand at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Argentina.
Jones made his senior Scarlets debut in a pre-season encounter in Jersey just a couple of months later.
Scarlets head coach Glenn Delaney said: “Morgan has played something like 640 minutes for us this year, which he probably wouldn’t have expected at the start of the season.
“He has proved he can make the step up in the PRO14 and also in Europe, where he was outstanding coming on for Jake (Ball) against Bath.
“He is one of a group of exciting young players who we believe have big futures in the game.
“He is still young, but he is someone who is looking to get better every day.
“We are hugely excited by what he can achieve.”
The deal is Jones’s first professional contract.
He said: “I supported the Scarlets as a kid so to be playing for them now and running out with players I grew up watching is a bit surreal, to be honest.
“It has been great for me to get so many games under my belt this season and also to have played alongside boys who I have come through the academy and the 20s with.
“I know how important it is not to look too far ahead.
“It is about working hard to improve my game; keep learning off the senior players, who have been a big help and taking my opportunities when they come.”
Saron Juniors Under-12s are pictured in their new kit kindly sponsored by Prime Architecture.
Morgan Jones pictured in training with the Scarlets. Picture: Huw Evans Agency
SEAN Bowen finished the jumps season as the leading Welsh rider in terms of winners.
He notched up 68 victories and won £540,000 in prize money. His link-up with trainer Harry Fry among a host of others, which includes his father Peter, Evan Williams and Paul Nicholls, has proved fruitful.
Sean rode Metier to win his first three races for Fry, notably the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. He also partnered Nicholls’s unbeaten Monmiral in two of his four victories, won four races on The Late Legend for Tom Weston and three on the Fry pair of Momella and Ask Me Early.
Adam Wedge rode 45 winners including Silver Streak in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Secret Reprieve in the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow, but his season was impacted by injury.
James Bowen had 35 winners, with Jack Tudor on 27. Lorcan Williams and Richard Patrick both had 21 successes, Connor Brace 18 and Ben Jones 17. Isabel Williams won four races in a row on Memphis Belle.
Isabel’s father, Evan, was the leading Welsh trainer with 44 winners and £676,000 in prize money. As well as the successes of Silver Streak and Secret Reprieve, he sent out Coole Cody to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
The drama surrounding Saturday’s Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown had to be seen to be believed. Ogmore-by-Sea trainer Christian Williams will have to wait a long time to train a more unlucky loser than Kitty’s Light, who was hampered in the closing stages by Enrilo, who was first to pass the post.
Without the interference it looked certain that Jack Tudor’s mount would have won, but unfortunately the partnership only ended in third place as Potterman finished strongly on the other side of Enrilo to claim second for James Potter, a leading owner based in Welshpool and sponsor of the Welsh Champion Hurdle.
After a stewards’ enquiry, Enrilo was placed third, with Potterman promoted to first and Kitty’s Light up to second.
On the positive side, Kitty’s Light has been a revelation this season, winning four times, and is still only five years old.
Last Friday’s jumps meeting at Chepstow was the last until October and it proved to be a night to remember for Pontypool-based permit holder Daniel Bourne. He had his first winner under rules when Nikki Steel took the handicap hurdle at odds of 33-1.
The next meeting at Ffos Las is on Monday, May 10.