Top trainers, ghost horses and a jockey who got back on top
For more than 40 years now I have had the pleasure of reporting on the Welsh horseracing scene for the Western Mail. And as this is the time of the year that one looks back on the past, I have been taking a look through the yellowing pages of my Western Mail press cuttings scrapbooks.
These days, Chepstow’s Milton Bradley is known as a flat racing trainer and the best horse he has ever trained was The Tatling, a winner at Royal Ascot.
However, my cuttings book for January 18, 1977 revealed: “Given the choice, Chepstow trainer Milton Bradley would prefer to win the Grand National to the Gold Cup. But for the past few months he’s been too busy turning out winners from Fontwell to Newton Abbot to give the thought much consideration. Last year, for instance, he trained nine flat winners and 24 jumpers. Not bad for someone who took out a licence only six years ago.
“Bradley’s success probably comes from his shrewd placing of his horses. He says: ‘What’s the use of finishing second or third at Ascot when you can be a winner at Plumpton?’ Pride of his Sedbury yard is eightyear-old Mighty Marine, a hardground specialist who has won 17 races, seven of them in succession.
“Mighty Marine is owned by Mrs Phyllis Lothian, of Reynoldstown, near Swansea. Stable jockey Mike Williams has been with Bradley ever since he left school, and at 21, there are not many jockeys his age who can claim to have ridden winners on the flat, over hurdles and in steeplechases. Mike, who has ridden 34 winners, prefers riding over obstacles to the flat.
“Bradley is helped by his wife Ruth, who does all the secretarial work. No mean task with some 30-40 horses in the yard. One horse Bradley will always find room for is 15-year-old Octroi. This brave mare won 24 point-to-points for him before he took out a trainer’s licence.”
The Mike Willams I referred to was not the late Welsh champion point-to-point rider from Bassaleg. Perhaps one of my readers can provide me with information on the Mike Williams I was writing about all those years ago?
Under the heading “Owner Misses National Victory – But Leads in £40 Winner”, I revealed on April 25, 1977, that: “Fishguard racehorse owner Mrs Jennifer Watts should have been at Uttoxeter on Saturday to lead in her No Scotch, who had landed the £4,000 Midlands Grand National. Instead she was at Lydstep cheering home her Trefelyn Heather, who won the Vale of Clettwr Hunt Open race worth £40. Mrs Watts’ husband was too busy to make the trip to Uttoxeter, so Mrs Watts watched the race on a portable television set. Trefelyn Heather completed a double for Vernon Beynon, who earlier had scored on East Of Eden.”
One story of mine which got me into trouble with some of the bookies appeared on May 3, 1977 under the heading “Horse on Bookies’ Boards Was Miles Away at Home in Her Stable’. It read: “GHOST RUNNERS at some Welsh point-to-points are costing racegoers money. Take the recent Tredegar Farmers’ meeting. Several punters backed Starletta to win the Maiden event – but they had no chance of collecting. Sevenyear-old Starletta was miles away in her Llanmartin stable, suffering with corns.
“So how did Starletta’s name get on those bookmakers’ boards? One explanation is that the owner of a horse called Star Choice declared the wrong number. Surely someone should have checked the list of entries. The same type of incident occurred in the first race for which there were only five runners. No excuse here. Bookmakers were taking bets on a horse that wasn’t running. The horse they had on their boards was Royal Refuge. In fact, it should have been Westlawn Hill.
“When I pointed out the mistake to one bookmaker, the error was corrected. One punter who realised he had backed Starletta was apparently refused his money back. Point-to-point officials must ensure in future that mistakes of this nature don’t happen again. Punters would also be wise to make sure their fancy is in the paddock before putting their money down.”
These days, jockeys who take a fall or who are unseated during a race are not allowed to remount, but under the heading “James Is Down, But Not Out”, I reported on April 4, 1983 that: “Violet Higgs’ Magic Rock fell twice during the Members’ race at the Monmouthshire Hunt Steeplechases on Saturday and still emerged the winner.
“Magic Rock, riddden by farrier Andrew James, was leading Kanda Fair, ridden by Andrew’s apprentice Rodway Heathfield, when it fell at the 10th fence, leaving Kanda Fair with a clear lead. Quickly remounting, Andrew chased after Kanda Fair and was closing the gap only to fall again at the 14th fence.
“Not to be outshone by his apprentice, Andrew got back in the saddle again and rode with such gusto that by the time Kanda Fair had reached the last fence he was alongside him and sprinting away on the run-in. Magic Rock scored by eight lengths.”
Sadly, these days Andrew is wheelchair-bound owing to a race-riding accident he was involved in some time later. But he is always in good spirits and has been taking the mick out of me now for more years than I care to remember.
Email your racing news, views or pictures to brianlee4@virginmedia.com or call 029 2073 6438.