Almeley Races @ Tairgwaith
After a few weeks of cancellations due to the weather the trotting season resumed on Saturday in glorious sunshine on the all weather track at Tai’r gwaith near Ammanford. There was a jovial atmosphere of expectation with some of the most exciting racing of the season.
The nursery race which is the introduction to racing saw 3 first timers line up behind the car but it was the old stager Seren Penlan bred in Cardiganshire from the famous Vera Lynn family and now owned and trained by Robin Lloyd from Painscastle who has decided to settle to her job and win. In second was Evenjobb horse, John Gwatkin’s home bred first timer Golden Nugget while Hefin Evans from Talgarreg watched with enthusiasm as his two year old Glan Levit made a solid start to her career with a third.
The first grade B heat saw Mark Evans the mechanic from Brecon power away to a fast time with Gangster beating Maple Star (Prosser Libanus) and Meadowbranch Mike (Jones Llanllwni). In the second heat it was Blackfield Willy who crossed the line first with Robert Barton from Clunderwen while Falcon Lobell (Davies Huntington) notched up second and Topcat (Dugdale & Duggan Llangunllo) claimed third.
The first of the Grade A races proved a tactical race with Vodka Express dictating affairs to win for the Weigel family from Llanddewi Velfrey in second was Lady Sherman (Lloyd Kington) while Master T J (Gwatkin Evenjobb) was third. Fold Surprise (Perks Presteigne) stepped on the gas in the second race with Emma Langford in the seat to beat Blackbird (Lloyd Kington) and Ithon Ace (Williams Shrewsbury).
Two Novice heats followed with My Immortal (Evans Brecon) proving his credentials as the most talented youngster of the season, as he romped home in front of Duggans Domino (Gwatkin Evenjobb) and Glan Master (Price Guilsfield). In the second C U Boykin another impressive mover, belonging to the Hitchcock family from Haverfordwest, took top honours from Hasty Flight (Williams Llanafan) in second and Sam the Man (Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn) third.
The first Baby Novice race gave a deserved win to Aberelan driven by his trainer Andrew Hardwick from Brecon for the Morgan family from Rhymney with Ithon Artist (Wozencraft Llangurig) second and Ithon Eagle (Edwards Bromfield) in third. Hilltop Polly (Gittins Welshpool) earned her ticket into the Novice section by winning the second Baby novice race partnered as always by her trainer Alan Peters, in second was Ystwyth Gwynfor (Jones Church Stretton) with Ashbrooks Billy Boy (Ward Talsarn) running much improved to be third.
The Grade B final provided another class time but more importantly a great race as they battled it out to the line. The back marker Meadowbranch Mike swept past the opposition with pilot Debbie Hitchcock to give the Jones family from Llanllwni a deserved victory while Gangster (Evans Brecon) ran on well to be second with Family Circle (Barton Clunderwen) in third.
The Dash is always a popular feature on the card with Master T J (Gwatkin Evenjobb) driven by Emma Langford crossing the line first with in second Miss Muddy Paws (Davies Huntington) while Vodka Express (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) was third.
The Novice final saw the fastest time of the day as the four year old My Immortal produced a record breaking run for his owner / trainer Mark Evans from Llanfaes Brecon this homebred horse is the most exciting prospect for the future, a creditable second was C U Boykin (Hitchcock, Haverfordwest) while Duggan’s Domino (Gwatkin Evenjobb) was third.
The Free For All with a full complement of 9 runners was the ultimate racing experience, nine drivers with their race plans locked in their minds strove to claim one of the most prestigious races of the season, Believe had pole position, Ithon Ace led into the first corner, Lady Sherman was there, Purple Rain, but on the home straight Obi-Wan-Kenobi (Williams Llanafan) burst through the middle into the front driven by the ‘cool Cardi’ Mathew Tromans. In second was Purple Rain (Edwards Bromfield) while Believe (Crowther Llanidloes) was third. The race left spectators breathless as the final race of the day provided one of those rare occasions when sympathy goes to those who cannot say “I was there!”
Detailed Results
Race 1 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Seren Penlan | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Golden Nugget | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Glan Levit | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Zip Along | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Little Man II | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.196 | ||||
Race 2 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Aberelan | 10 | £60 | |
2 | Ithon Artist | 20 | £25 | |
3 | Ithon Eagle | 10 | £15 | |
99 | Todays Future | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Fold Tinto | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Hilltop W R | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.088 | ||||
Race 3 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Hilltop Polly | 20 | £60 | |
2 | Ystwyth Gwynfor | 10 | £25 | |
3 | Ashbrooks Billyboy | 10 | £15 | |
99 | Man Of The Day | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Flyover | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Shane II | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.178 | ||||
Race 4 - Novice Heat 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | My Immortal | Gate | £10 | |
2 | Duggans Domino | 10 | £0 | |
3 | Glan Master | 10 | £0 | |
4 | Ayr Force One | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Forgeside Mo | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Swifty | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.029 | ||||
Race 5 - Novice Heat 2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | C U Boykin | Gate | £10 | |
2 | Hasty Flight | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Sam the Man | 10 | £0 | |
4 | The Sizzler | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Miss Muddy Paws | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.093 | ||||
Race 6 - Novice Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | My Immortal | Gate | £80 | |
2 | C U Boykin | Gate | £30 | |
3 | Duggans Domino | 10 | £20 | |
99 | Ayr Force One | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Hasty Flight | Gate | £0 | |
99 | The Sizzler | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Glan Master | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Sam the Man | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.019 | ||||
Race 7 - Grade B Heat 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Gangster | Gate | £30 | |
2 | Maple Star | Gate | £20 | |
3 | Meadowbranch Mike | 20 | £10 | |
4 | Family Circle | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Bon Beti | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.037 | ||||
Race 8 - Grade B Heat 2 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Blackfield Willy | 10 | £30 | |
2 | Falcon Lobell | Gate | £20 | |
3 | Top Cat | Gate | £10 | |
4 | Leprechaun | Gate | £0 | |
5 | Hilltop Flame | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.058 | ||||
Race 9 - Grade B Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Meadowbranch Mike | 20 | £200 | |
2 | Gangster | Gate | £50 | |
3 | Family Circle | Gate | £25 | |
99 | Blackfield Willy | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Top Cat | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Falcon Lobell | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Maple Star | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.041 | ||||
Race 10 - Grade A | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Vodka Express | Gate | £200 | |
2 | Lady Sherman | Gate | £40 | |
3 | Master T J | Gate | £20 | |
99 | Fold Rajah | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Live the Dream | 40 | £0 | |
99 | Lucky Nipper | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Obi Wan Kenobi | 30 | £0 | |
Time: 2.075 | ||||
Race 11 - Grade A | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Fold Surprise | Gate | £200 | |
2 | Hilltop Blackbird | Gate | £40 | |
3 | Ithon Ace | 10 | £20 | |
99 | Bon Bethan | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Purple Rain | 50 | £0 | |
99 | Bellieve | 50 | £0 | |
Time: 2.038 | ||||
Race 12 - Dash | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Master T J | 20 | £80 | |
2 | Miss Muddy Paws | Gate | £30 | |
3 | Vodka Express | 20 | £20 | |
99 | Hilltop Polly | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Hilltop Blackbird | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 1.344 | ||||
Race 13 - FFA | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Obi Wan Kenobi | Gate | £150 | |
2 | Purple Rain | Gate | £50 | |
3 | Bellieve | Gate | £30 | |
99 | Ithon Ace | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Lady Sherman | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Lucky Nipper | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Live the Dream | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Fold Rajah | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.036 | ||||