IT was another glorious day of racing at the tranquil track at Burfa farm near Evenjobb last Saturday, with a lovely afternoon of summer sunshine.
The two Nursery races started the afternoon’s activities with first time out this season Ithon Legacy from the Hardwick stable at Llanbister coming home in the first in front of Evenwood Predator (Duggan, Howey) and Pegasus Dream (Meaney, Merthyr). In the second Luminite (Atherton Rees, Narberth) won from Hyar Friction (Thomas, Tregroes) while Talavary Crown (Greenway, Michaelchurch Eskley) was third.
The three novice heats were the first races for the punters, with Cool Ice driven by his trainer Derek [Mr Cool] Pritchard for the Gething family from Ewyas Harold winning from Kite Hallmighty (Williams, Pencader) with Kentucky Roam (Perks, Presteigne) in third. The Chancer driven by host Oliver Jones for the Jones & Hitchcock partnership from Haverfordwest took the second heat from Lady Lisleen (Jones & Harries, Merthyr) while the backmarker Talavary Activator (Roberts, Dinmore) was third. Ook Whos Coming with owner Mark Evans from Brecon at the controls dictated the third heat to win comfortably ahead of Meadowland Olympic (Jones, Llanllwni) with Rhyd Panalulah (Gething, Ewyas Harold) third.
The first Grade B heat saw a confident run from Rhyds Backchat (Elder, Blaencelyn) with Derek Pritchard on board winning from the fast finishing Second Affair (Morgan, Rhymney) while Lakeview Meg (Atherton Rees, Narberth) was third. Tillies Laag with owner Mark Evans from Brecon in the seat went one better than last week by winning the second B heat from well turned-out Meadowland Maverick (Jones, Evenjobb) with Chinatown Samuel (Moorhouse, Llanidloes) in third.
Woodstone Jingo belonging to the Harris Meaney partnership from Merthyr shot to the front with the experienced Andrew Hardwick in the seat to dominate the first heat of the grade A winning from the grey Ayr Hero (Bevan, Llanddewi) closely followed by Chinatown Kolt (Jones, Llanllwni). In the second Grade A heat the people’s favourite grey, Scoobys Dream pulled out on the back straight to claim the prize for the Williams-Pugh family from Brecon driven as always by his biggest fan and trainer, Lynne Boxhall while long time leader Fold the Notes (Perks Presteigne) had to settle for second with the closing Camden Casanova (Jones, Evenjobb) in third.
Talavara Zara driven by her owner Oliver (OJ) Jones on her home ground claimed the first Baby Novice race so earning promotion into the Novice section, in second was the improving Bets All Off (Sargent, Llanyre) while new entrant Greenhill Gus (Thomas, Rhymney) was third. In the second Baby Novice Dernol Yankee with trainer Andrew Hardwick on board, made the most of their sole presence on the gate to dictate the race for Edward Wozencraft from Llangurig, claiming first prize, from Beg for Mercy (Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn) while Llwyns Mercy and Liz Collingwood from Huntington added to last week’s spoils by coming third.
In the Novice final it was the in-form Derek Pritchard and the talented little mare Cool Ice belonging to the Gething family from Ewyas Harold who won comfortably from Meadowland Olympic (Jones, Llanllwni) while stablemate The Chancer (Jones & Hitchcock, Llanllwni & Haverfordwest) was third.
The Dash was the next race on the card with the Gething family supporting their other horse Rhyds Panalulah again driven by Derek Pritchard, he wove his magic and the mare came home in front of a fast finishing Ayr Fella (Lloyd, Painscastle) while Danny Blue (Peters, Upper Longwood) ran a cracking race in third. Rhyds Panalulah now moves up into open racing.
In the Grade B final Rhyds Backchat (Elder, Blaencelyn) made her trip from her seaside stable worthwhile by adding to her heat win again piloted by Derek Pritchard so gaining him treble back to back wins and bringing his day’s total to five wins, in close second was Chinatown Samuel (Moorhouse, Llanidloes) while Second Affair (Morgan, Rhymney) was third.
In the Junior Saunders Mach 3 repeated his last week’s win with jockey Ceri Bevan from Llanddewi while Luminite (Atherton Rees, Narberth) with Ellie Tromans on board ran a gallant race to be second.
The first saddle race of the season provided a good spectacle as four ladies lined up and with a lap to go they were four in a line across the track, but the experience of specialist Jayne Bevan partnering the talented novice Evenwood Thumps Up prevailed, so qualifying him for open racing, in second was Ystwyth Valley partnered by young Fran Morgan for the Duggan family from Llangunllo while Josie Duggan on the quirky Hurricane Howard (Duggan, Llangunllo) was third.
The finale was as usual the Grade A final where Woodstone Jingo added to his heat win for the owner’s partnership of Roy (Pinkie) Harris and Michelle Meaney from Merthyr, the steering as usual was in the hands of Andrew Hardwick, in second was the fast finishing Ayr Hero (Bevan, Llanddewi) while Fold the Notes (Perks Presteigne) sneaked third.
We return next Saturday, June 16 for the Old Radnor committee meeting at Evenjobb track starting at 1.30pm.
Nursery race 1: 1 Ithon Legacy (Mathew Tromans) owned & trained Hardwick Llanbister 2 Evenwood Predator 3 Pegasus Dream Time: 2:24.16
Nursery race 2: 1 Luminite (Mathew Tromans) owned Atherton Rees, Narberth & trained Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn 2 Hyar Friction 3 Talavary Crown Time: 2:23.81
Novice heat 1: 1 Cool Ice (Derek Pritchard) owned Gething Ewyas Harold trained Pritchard Rhosgoch 2 Kite Hallmighty 3 Kentucky Roam Time: 2:40.35
Novice heat 2: 1 The Chancer (Oliver Jones) owned Hitchcock & Jones, trained Hitchcock, Haverfordwest 2 Lady Lisleen 3 Talavary Activator Time: 2:43.35
Novice heat 3: 1 Ook Whos Coming (Mark Evans) owned & trained Evans, Brecon 2 Meadowland Olympic 3 Rhyds Panalulah Time: 2:50.13
Grade B heat 1: 1 Rhyds Backchat (Derek Pritchard) owned & trained Elder Blaencelyn 2 Second Affair 3 Lakeview Meg Time: 2:42.22
Grade B heat 2: 1 Tillies Laag (Mark Evans) owned & trained Evans, Brecon 2 Meadowland Maverick 3 Chinatown Samuel Time: 2:47.28
Grade A heat 1: 1 Woodstone Jingo (Andrew Hardwick) owned & trained Meaney & Harris Merthyr 2 Ayr Hero 3 Chinatown Kolt Time: 2:44.25
Grade A heat 2: 1 Scoobys Dream (Lynne Boxhall) owned Williams-Pugh, Brecon trained Boxhall Brecon 2 Camden Casanova Time: 2:39.88
Baby Novice race 1: 1 Talavary Zara (Oliver Jones) owned & trained Jones, Evenjobb 2 Bets All Off 3 Greenhill Gus Time: 2:45.66
Baby Novice race 2: Dernol Yankee (Andrew Hardwick) owned Wozencraft Llangurig trained Hardwick Brecon 2 Beg for Mercy 3 Llwyns Mercy Time: 2:44.60
Novice Final: 1 Cool Ice (Derek Pritchard) owned Gething Ewyas Harold trained Pritchard Rhosgoch 2 Meadowland Olympic 3 The Chancer Time: 2:47.12
Dash: 1 Rhyds Panalulah (Derek Pritchard) owned Gething Ewyas Harold trained Pritchard, Rhosgoch 2 Ayr Fella 3 Danny Blue Time: 1:45.34
Grade B Final: 1 Rhyds Backchat (Derek Pritchard) owned & trained Elder Blaencelyn 2 Chinatown Samuel 3 Second Affair Time: 2:37.22
Junior: 1 Saunders Mach 3 (Ceri Bevan) owned & trained Bevan Llanddewi 2 Luminite (Ellie Tromans) Time: 1:57.50
Saddle: 1 Evenwood Thumps Up (Jayne Bevan) owned & trained Lewis Llanbister 2 Ystwyth Valley 3 Hurrican Howard Time: 2:43.91
Grade A Final: 1 Woodstone Jingo (Andrew Hardwick) owned & trained Meaney & Harris Merthyr 2 Ayr Hero 3 Fold the Notes Time: 2:43.84