Our hopes are high for return of spectators

WE are hoping that our next fixture at Ffos Las this Saturday will be the last without spectators in attendance.

We have been racing behind closed doors since October, although owners have been back with us since our meeting on May 10.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that positive news will come on June 4, the day of the next Welsh Government update on the roadmap out of Covid.

It is likely that timings for the return of spectators at sports grounds will be announced on this date so we are hoping to see customers at our meeting on Thursday, June 17. Keep an eye on our social media feeds and our website for the latest news.

It’s been a memorable few days for Monmouthshire trainer David Evans, who operates from a yard close to Abergavenny.

His two-year-old filly Choux made a winning debut at Thirsk last week having been the subject of a gamble from 40-1 into 100-30 in the space of just 10 minutes before the race. The daughter of Exceed And Excel won easily under jockey Shane Kelly.

On Saturday, Evans sent Rohaan to Haydock for the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes and the gelding took the £51,000 first prize by a nose from Dragon Symbol. The starting price was 33-1, which is remarkable given the three-year-old won the Group 3 Pavilion Stakes at Ascot recently.

Good luck to champion lady point-to-point rider Jodie Hughes, who has announced her retirement from the saddle.

She started riding aged 16, racing alongside the likes of Dai Jones – now clerk of the course at Ffos Las – Evan Williams and Bridget Lewis. In the last few years she’s been riding alongside their children Ben Jones, Isabel Williams and Anna Lewis.

Her first winner was on her father’s horse Sip Of Brandy at Ludlow in a hunter chase in 2003. She’s had around 500 rides and ridden 90 winners – 78 in point-to-points and 12 under rules.

One of her most memorable wins was beating AP Mccoy at Worcester in a two-mile hurdle at odds of 100-1 on Panache for Angela Clarke.

Her last win under rules was at Cartmel in July 2018 for trainer Peter Bowen on Wells De Lune in a ladies’ hurdle race. Among the highlights of her career were nine wins on the recently retired Patricktom Boru.

Jodie was five-times Welsh champion lady pointto-point rider. Her final ride was in a handicap hurdle at Southwell on Morehurrylesshaste, owned by her father, last week.