Welsh raiders out of luck at Cheltenham

OUR next meeting at Ffos Las is on Friday, November 25, when spectators will be able to combine live horse racing and the Wales World Cup game against Iran live on our TV screens.

Best of all, it’s free admission if you book in advance.

The gates open at 9am and the match starts at 10am.

There are seven races from 12.20pm. The Welsh had some fancied runners in Saturday’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham but it wasn’t their day. Last year’s winner, the Evan Williams-trained Coole Cody, made a bad mistake early on and Adam Wedge pulled him up. Sam Thomas’s Stolen Silver, the 4-1 favourite, unseated his rider at the third-last fence. Richard Patrick made most of the running on Kerry Lee’s Storm Control, only to fade and finish eighth.

Meanwhile, David Probert won at Lingfield on Gurkha Girl, who has had only eight races in three seasons. The fragile filly won this mile handicap quite easily and if trainer Roger Teal can keep her in one piece, she should be able to win again.

Sean Bowen rode his 70th winner of the season at Uttoxeter. Strong Leader had finished first and second in his two bumpers. He was made odds-on favourite for his first run over hurdles and he jumped left on several occasions but was able to outclass his rivals to win comfortably by three lengths.

Bowen went close with a 12-1 shot in a novice hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday. Ukantango, who had won a bumper and his first two outings over timber, looked like winning when taking the lead turning into the straight. But he had to give best to an Irish-trained course winner, with half of the hurdles omitted due to the low sun.

Having ridden Grand National winner Noble Yeats to victory recently, Bowen added another unusual triumph to his record last week with a Lingfield all-weather bumper winner for Sir Mark Prescott, whose runners in the National Hunt code are rare.

In Cheltenham’s valuable 3m 3f chase on Sunday, Eva’s Oskar turned in his best performance for Tim Vaughan and Alan Johns by finishing second. After this he should be only a few pounds away from a mark that will get him a run in the Grand National. Second place here was worth £16,000.

Entries for the £150,000 Welsh Grand National close on Tuesday. Welsh-trained horses have won it for the last three years.