LLANDRINDOD Races were held on Bank Holiday Monday (August 27).

Llandrindod Races is one of those race meetings whose history reaches back into the 19th century and it still generates much interest held now at the renowned Penybont track. The welcome rain of the last few weeks brought a change of conditions from earlier in the season and that combined with the slightly longer track provided some interesting results.

In the nursery the well-known partnership of home-bred Hyar Friction and Janet Thomas was first passed the post from High Tops (Brightwell, Norfolk) on his first appearance while Samuri (Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn) ran on to be third.

In the first Baby Novice race the back marker C U Maggie (Bevan, Llanddewi) was rewarded for her persistence aided as usual by her driver Mel Langford, in second was Luminite (Atherton-Rees, Narberth) while Oakwood Rocket (Layton, Brecon) was third. C U Maggie now progresses into the Novice section. Dannys Gift (Perks, Presteigne) driven by Oliver (OJ) Jones of Evenjobb took the second Baby Novice race ahead of Hilltop Recon (Lloyd, New Radnor) while Talavari Zodiac (Staples & Thomas, Merthyr) were third.

The first Novice heat provided a refreshing win for the backmarker Talavary Activator who appreciated the conditions, driven as usual by his quiet owner/trainer Martin Roberts from Dinmore, in second was Howdya Likemenow for the Perks family from Presteigne while Lady Lisleen (Jones & Harries, Merthyr) was third. The long striding Dernol Yankee (Wozencraft, Llangurig) driven by his trainer Andrew Hardwick took the second Novice heat from The Chancer (Hitchcock & Jones, Haverfordwest) with Ook whos Coming (Evans, Brecon) in third.

In the first Grade B heat Ayr Major (Eggerton Builth Wells) driven by Andrew Hardwick was first passed the post from the well fancied Tillies Laag (Evans, Brecon) while Lakeview Meg (Atherton-Rees, Narberth) was third. Immortal Breeze (Williams Llanafan) has enjoyed a superb season so far this year and continued with a win in the second Grade B heat helped as usual by Janet Thomas from Tregroes, in second was the evergreen Habberley Haste (Lloyd, New Radnor) while the backmarker Cool Ice (Gething, Ewyas Harold) ran on well in third.

Camden Callen (Langford, Brynamman) with daughter Mel Langford in the seat ran one of his best races of the season to win the Grade A heat ahead of the highly-rated Saunders Mach 3 (Bevan, Llanddewi) while the brilliant Ithon Inmate (Price, Brecon) was third. In the second heat it was Lakeside Pan (Elder, New Quay) who showed them the way home with Wayne Elder at the controls from in second place the impressive grey Ayr Hero (Bevan, Llanddewi) with Second Affiar (Thomas, Rhymney) claiming third.

The Novice Final was claimed by the honest Talavary Activator who ran a superb race for owner Martin Roberts from Dinmore so claiming graduation into the open races, in second was the talented Ook whos Coming (Evans, Brecon) while Dernol Yankee (Wozencraft, Llangurig) was third.

The saddle race had to have a restart after a superficial accident and it was Habberley Playboy (Johns & Gittins, Shrewsbury) with saddle legend Jayne Bevan urging him on, who was first passed the post in front of No Stoppin (Greenway, Michaelchurch) with Hurricane Howard (Duggan, Llangunllo) in third.

The Grade B Final saw Ayr Ontario (Weigel, Llanddewi Velfrey) with Louisa Barton in the seat run an exceptional race to hold on to a narrow victory ahead of Immortal Breeze (Williams, Llanafan) while Cool Ice (Gething, Ewyas Harold) was third.

The Grade A Final is the culmination of the day’s racing and again it proved a race to remember as the ever popular superstar Lakeside Pan belonging to one of the oldest racing families, John Elder of New Quay with son Wayne at the controls swept up the home straight just in front of Second Affair (Thomas, Rhymney) while previous course winner Chinatown Kolt (Jones, Llanllwni) was third.

So from this prestigious Powys meeting the big prizes went to raiders from far and wide: the Novice to the east, Talavary Activator Roberts of Dinmore, Herefordshire the saddle to the north Habberley Playboy, Johns & Gittins, Shrewsbury, Salop, the Grade B to the south Ayr Ontario, Weigel, Llanddewi Velfrey, Pembrokeshire and the big one the Grade A to the west Lakeside Pan Elder,New Quay, Ceredigion.

Next Saturday we have our first visit to Herefordshire as Almeley meeting is on Saturday September 1st starting at 1.30pm.

Nursery

1 Hyar Friction (Janet Thomas) owned & trained Thomas Tregroes 2 High Tops 3 Samuri Time: 2:43.04

Baby Novice – race 1

1 C U Maggie (Mel Langford) owned & trained Bevan Llanddewi 2 Luminite 3 Oakwood Rocket Time: 2:39.01

Baby Novice – race 2

1 Dannys Gift (Oliver Jones) owned & trained Perks Presteigne 2 Hilltop Recon 3 Talavary Zodiac Time: 2:41.64

Novice – heat 1

1 Talavary Activator (Martin Roberts) owned & trained Roberts Dinmore 2 Howdya likemenow 3 Lady Lisleen Time: 2:39.78

Novice – heat 2

1 Dernol Yankee (Andrew Hardwick) owned Wozencraft Llangurig trained Hardwick Brecon 2 The Chancer 3 Ook whos coming Time: 2:39.80

Grade B – heat 1

Ayr Major (Andrew Hardwick) owned & trained Eggerton Builth Wells 2 Tillies Laag 3 Lakeview Meg Time: 2:35.81

Grade B – heat 2

1 Immortal Breeze (Janet Thomas) owned & trained Williams, Llanafan 2 Habberley Haste 3 Cool Ice Time: 2:39.58

Grade A – heat 1

1 Camden Callen (Mel Langford) owned & trained Langford Brynamman 2 Saunders Mach 3 3 Ithon Inmate Time: 2:35.10

Grade A – heat 2

1 Lakeside Pan (Wayne Elder) owned Elder New Quay trained Elder Blaencelyn 2 Ayr Hero 3 Second Affair Time: 2:33.91

Novice Final

1 Talavary Activator (Martin Roberts) owned & trained Roberts Dinmore 2 Ook whos coming 3 Dernol Yankee Time: 2:38.82

Saddle

Habberley Playboy (Jayne Bevan) owned Johns & Gittins Shrewsbury trained Tromans Newcastle Emlyn 2 No Stoppin 3 Hurricane Howard Time: 2:37.93

Grade B Final

1 Ayr Ontario (Louisa Barton) owned & trained Weigel Llanddewi Velfrey 2 Immortal Breeze 3 Cool Ice Time: 2:38.72

Grade A Final

1 Lakeside Pan (Wayne Elder) owned Elder New Quay trained Elder Blaencelyn 2 Second Affair 3 Chinatown Kolt Time: 2:34.23