Tim still able to deliver at the top level
OUR next fixture at Ffos Las is tomorrow (February 10).
We have seven races, with the first at 1.17pm. Tickets are £16 in advance and £18 on the gate. The bus service is operating from Llanelli Railway Station to the track, leaving at 11.30am. Covid passes are still required.
Tim Vaughan and Alan Johns led the way for the Welsh on Saturday, taking the threemile chase at Sandown, worth £26,164 to the winner. Their front-runner Le Milos stayed on determinedly to make a successful step up in grade.
It was Vaughan’s eighth winner of the season, a stark contrast to the 102 he rattled up 10 years ago. But, given the ammunition, he can still produce the goods. Johns said: “This horse shows what Tim can do.”
James Bowen was also on the mark at Sandown, riding the favourite Peejaybee to land the finale. He has now ridden a winner at every British jumps track – all 40 of them, plus the currently-closed Towcester. That’s an excellent achievement bearing in mind he is still only 20. His brother Sean has already completed the clean sweep.
James made the long trek to Musselburgh the next day, where he enjoyed another easy win on Nicky Henderson’s Impulsive One. Adam Wedge was there on Saturday for one mount, Socialist Agenda, which duly won the Scottish County Hurdle.
The horse’s trainer, Laura Morgan, has a small yard in Leicestershire but a long connection with the jockey, who used to be based in the Midlands. Wedge now needs to score at Kelso and Hexham to emulate the Bowens’ feat of riding winners at all of the British tracks.
He was back at Musselburgh on Sunday to ride the favourite in the last race for Morgan, but it finished unplaced. He was also booked to ride The Big Galloper in the Pertemps Qualifier for canny Irish trainer Charles Byrnes. The horse had little recent form yet was the subject of some support. Wedge made no mistake and The Big Galloper won with something in hand.
Lorcan Williams also made a profitable trip to Scotland, steering Glen Forsa to victory in a veterans’ chase for Charlie Longsdon.
On the flat, the David Probert winning machine rumbles on remorselessly. On Saturday at Kempton he rode Sleeping Lion to win a two-mile contest for Harry and Roger Charlton. Probert retains his leads in both the flat jockeys’ table for 2022 and this winter’s all-weather championships.