Season starts on a high at 125th Llangadog races
The first race meeting of the season was a glorious day at the all weather track at Tairgwaith on Easter Monday. There cannot have been many better days either for weather or racing in the 125 years of Llangadog races’ history. A capacity crowd generated a wonderful atmosphere with spectacular racing and close finishes.
The nursery races which serve as introductions to racing for the young horses of the sport began the day. Sunnyside Geoff the youngster belonging to the Clark family from Brecon went under the wire first with first time on the track Alpine Heights (Ladek, Cleobury Mortimer) second and Radnor Halleluliah (Bevan Builth) was third. In the second race Seren Penlan with owner Robin Lloyd from Painscastle settled nicely into her stride to secure first place from Scarlet Lady (Bevan Builth) second and Fold Flight and ex junior champion Bethan Perks from Presteigne in third.
The Novice race of nine runners gave the punters plenty to choose from in the next race but C U Boykin rewarded favouritism for the Hitchcock family from Haverfordwest with Hasty Flight (Williams Llanafan) in second and the trotter Belleheir (Ladek, Cleobury Mortimer) in third.
The back marker Wellfield Xpense driven by Wayne Knox who returns from a back injury, and owned by Melanie Langford from Ludlow won his ticket into the premier division by winning the Grade B beating Blackfield Willy (Barton Clynderwen) into second while Chinatown Maori (Jones, Llanllwni) took third.
The first heat of the Grade A rewarded the Williams stable from Shrewsbury for their long journey when Ithon Ace claimed victory from newcomer Mahogany Duke (Edmunds North Cornelly) with Vodka Express (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) in third. In the second heat where the horses had a reduced handicap of twenty yards Bon Bethan (Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey) and pilot Louisa Myers made the most of their return to the gate by winning from in second place Obi-Wan-Kenobi (Williams Llanafan) with Purple Rain (Edwards, Bromfield) third.
Champion driver Derek Pritchard secured his first win of the new season driving Glan Minstrel for Danny Jones from Talgarreg, in the Baby Novice. Ithon Eagle (Edwards Bromfield) was second and the returning Welsh Cowboy (Evans, Red Roses) was third.
Seven horses qualified for the final of the Grade A and the Hitchcock family luck was in as Debbie and Meadowbranch Mike (Jones, Llanllwni) secured a place as the fastest fourth out of the heats. However it was not luck, but a well judged race which saw them surge past the post in front in another tight finish with Mahogany Duke (Edmunds, North Cornelly) just inches behind and Purple Rain (Edwards, Bromfield) in third.
So ended the first meeting of the season and if the day was an omen for the future the season looks set fair. The new commentator Neil Edmunds settling to the challenge of calling home the winners at this iconic meeting. The next meeting will again be at Tairgwaith on Saturday April 25th at 2pm.
Detailed Results
Race 1 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Sunnyside Geoff | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Alpine Heights | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Radnor Halleluliah | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Clares Own | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Brywins Snowflake | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.135 | ||||
Race 2 - Nursery | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Seren Penlan | Gate | £0 | |
2 | Scarlet Lady | Gate | £0 | |
3 | Fold Flight | 40 | £0 | |
99 | Dragon Penlan | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Luck Matters | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.165 | ||||
Race 3 - Baby Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Glan Minstrel | Gate | £60 | |
2 | Ithon Eagle | 10 | £30 | |
3 | Welsh Cowboy | 10 | £15 | |
99 | Highbrooks Teebeau | 10 | £0 | |
99 | True Grit II | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Aberelan | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Wellfield Inspired | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.151 | ||||
Race 4 - Novice | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | C U Boykin | Gate | £75 | |
2 | Hasty Flight | Gate | £30 | |
3 | Belle Heir | 10 | £15 | |
99 | Katie Blue | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Sam the Man | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Red Adair | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Blackfield Baz | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Ayr Force One | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Coalford Time | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.087 | ||||
Race 5 - Grade B | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Wellfield Xpense | 20 | £300 | |
2 | Blackfield Willy | 10 | £70 | |
3 | Chinatown Maori | Gate | £30 | |
99 | Miss Bogart II | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Fold Supreme | Gate | £0 | |
Time: 2.085 | ||||
Race 6 - Grade A Heat 1 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Ithon Ace | 10 | £30 | |
2 | Mahogany Duke | 10 | £20 | |
3 | Vodka Express | Gate | £10 | |
4 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Lucky Nipper | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Im Still the Man | 10 | £0 | |
Time: 2.059 | ||||
Race 7 - Grade A Heat 2 (R20) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Bon Bethan | Gate | £30 | |
2 | Obi Wan Kenobi | 10 | £20 | |
3 | Purple Rain | 20 | £10 | |
99 | Merrington Man | 40 | £0 | |
99 | Live the Dream | 20 | £0 | |
99 | Bellieve | 30 | £0 | |
Time: 2.069 | ||||
Race 8 - Grade A Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Meadowbranch Mike | Gate | £500 | |
2 | Mahogany Duke | 10 | £70 | |
3 | Purple Rain | 40 | £30 | |
99 | Ithon Ace | 10 | £0 | |
99 | Obi Wan Kenobi | 30 | £0 | |
99 | Vodka Express | Gate | £0 | |
99 | Bon Bethan | 20 | £0 | |
Time: 2.070 | ||||
Race 9 - Dash | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Position | Horse Name | Handicap | Prize | |
1 | Blackfield Willy | 10 | £50 | |
2 | Chinatown Maori | Gate | £25 | |
Time: 1.340 | ||||