AUGUST Bank Holiday Monday has been the Llandrindod Wells fixture for many decades. Nowadays the races are held at the Penybont track and this year the weather was glorious and the racing provided some wonderful finishes.

The afternoon began as usual with the nursery races in which either horses or drivers new to sport gain experience before moving into the competitive races. In the first nursery the young horse Brywins Awesome (Hardwick, Brecon) beat the top grade Krakatoa (Knox Pandy) while Evenwood Predator (Duggan, Howey) was third. Dernol Yankee (Wozencraft, Llangurig) won the second nursery from Talavary Crown (Greenway, Michaelchurch Eskley) and Cool Runner (Lloyd, Kingswood).

Both Baby Novice races were won by backmarkers so qualifying them into the Novice section. In the first Mel Langford with her own Jets Girl claimed victory from the always competitive Hilltop Recon (Lloyd New Radnor) while the impressive Bets All Off (Sargent, Newbridge) was third. The reliable Turn the Paige (Miles, Merthyr) driven by Janet Thomas took the second Baby Novice from the front running C U Maggie (Bevan Llanddewi) while the exciting Beg for Mercy (Tromas, Newcastle Emlyn) was third.

Derek Pritchard added to his season’s winning drives with both Novice heats from his own training stables. In the first Cool Ice (Gething, Ewyas Harold) won from the spirited Greenhill Lillian (Thomas, Rhymney) with Hurrican Howard (Duggan, Llangunllo) in third. Stablemate Rhyds Panalulah (Gething Ewyas Harold) took the second Novice from last week’s winner The Chancer (Knox, Pandy) while the lightly raced Second Affair (Morgan Rhymney) was third.

Fold the Notes (Perks, Presteigne) despite his twenty yard handicap took the first heat of the grade B from Brywins Jo Jo (Jones, Ammanford) while the speedy Lakeview Meg (Atherton-Rees, Narberth) was third. Made in Wales (Hawkes, Llanddewi) has been right in form over the last few weeks and added another success in the second Grade B heat with Mathew Tromans in the seat while Tyssul Pearl (Thomas, Llanbister) just returning to the track was second with third prize going to Chinatown Samuel (Moorhouse, Llandinam).

Habberley Playboy (Gittins & Johns Shrewsbury) has looked overdue for a win over the last few weeks and his trainer driver Mathew Tromans motivated him to a win in the first Grade A heat ahead of the much loved backmarker Lakeside Pan belonging to the Elder family of New Quay who made nothing of his fifty yard trail while the lightly raced Camden Callen (Langford, Onibury) was third. Rebus (Thomas Rhymney) is enjoying a purple patch at the moment having won last week he continued with a triumph in the second Grade A heat partnered as usual by Mark Evans in second was a horse gaining in reputation Ayr Hero (Bevan Llanddewi) while the marvellous Ithon Inmate (Price Brecon) was third.

After the break, the afternoon continued with the traditional saddle race in which Jayne Bevan sustained her reputation as a jockey, with the help of No Mercy (Weigel, Llanddewi Velfrey) in second was Dernol Duke a horse with some racing issues who ran on well for his enthusiastic owner Fran Morgan from Knighton while Nia Patrol and Myfanwy Miles was third.

The finals completed the afternoon of competitive racing, the Novice final provided an enthusiastic win for Wellfield Wally and owner Andrew Bevan from Builth as they led the way to claim victory from The Chancer (Knox, Pandy) while Rhyds Panalulah (Gething, Ewyas Harold) despite a mistake on the last corner claimed third.

In the Grade B final the enthusiastic Moorhouse from Llandinam family welcomed home their own Chinatown Samuel with leading driver Mel Langford on board in second was Lakeview Meg (Atherton-Rees, Narberth) while Tyssul Pearl (Thomas Llanbister) was third.

The grade A final completed the afternoon when the diminutive Rebus (Thomas Rhymney) driven by Mark Evans repeated their last week’s success coming home in front of the two greys, the people’s favourite Scoobys Dream (Williams-Pugh, Brecon) and Ayr Hero (Bevan, Llanddewi).

At the end of a splendid afternoon of racing the season continues with racing at Almeley on Saturday September 2nd starting at 1.30pm.Nursery – race 1

1 Brywins Awesome (Andrew Hardwick) owned & trained Hardwick Brecon 2 Krakatoa 3 Evenwood Predator Time: 2:32.26

Nursery – race 2

1 Dernol Yankee (Lynne Boxhall) owned Wozencraft Llangurig trained Hardwick Brecon 2 Talavary Crown 3 Cool Runner Time: 2:43.71

Baby Novice – race 1

1 Jets Girl (Melanie Langford) owned & trained Langford Onibury 2 Hilltop Recon 3 Bets All Off Time: 2:34.91

Baby Novice – race 2

1 Turn the Paige (Janet Thomas) owned & trained Miles Merthyr 2 C U Maggie 3 Beg for Mercy Time: 2:33.39

Novice – heat 1

1 Cool Ice (Derek Pritchard) owned Gething Ewyas Harold trained Pritchard Rhosgoch 2 Greenhill Lillian 3 Hurrican Howard Time: 2:33.30

Novice – heat 2

1 Rhyds Panalulah (Derek Pritchard) owned Gething Ewyas Harold trained Pritchard Rhosgoch 2 The Chancer 3 Second Affair Time: 2:30.45

Grade B – heat 1

1 Fold the Notes (Rebecca Williams) owned & trained Perks Presteigne 2 Brywins Jo Jo 3 Lakeview Meg Time: 2:30.84

Grade B – heat 2

1 Made in Wales (Mathew Tromans) owned & trained Hawkes Llanddewi 2 Tyssul Pearl 3 Chinatown Samual Time: 2:31.76

Grade A – heat 1

1 Habberley Playboy (Mathew Tromans) owned Gittins & Johns Shrewsbury 2 Lakeside Pan 3 Camden Callen Time: 2:32.79

Grade A – heat 2

1 Rebus (Mark Evans) owned & trained Thomas Rhymney 2 Ayr Hero 3 Ithon Inmate Time: 2:28.97

Saddle

1 No mercy (Jayne Bevan) owned & trained Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey 2 Dernol Duke 3 Nia Patrol Time: 2:37.83

Novice Final

1Wellfield Wally (Andrew Bevan) owned & trained Bevan Builth 2 The Chancer 3 Rhyds Panalulah Time: 2:32.25

Grade B Final

1 Chinatown Samuel (Mel Langford) owned & trained Moorhouse Llandinam 2 Lakeview Meg 3 Tyssul Pearl Time: 2:29.46

Grade A Final

1 Rebus (Mark Evans) owned & trained Thomas Rhymney 2 Scoobys Dream 3 Ayr Hero Time: 2:28.25