Veteran rider Byron Moorcroft of Cowbridge seems to be riding better than ever, writes Brian Lee.

He chalked up the 24th winner this season at the well attended Banwen Point-To-Point Club Steeplechases..

Moorcroft was riding Jason Warner’s five-year-old chestnut gelding French Piece, which scored by three lengths from Gowell after making most of the running.
“He’s a nice horse, but he ran very green and he will kick or bite you given the chance,” said Moorcroft, who also trains the horse.
The day’s riding honours, however, went to Carmarthen’s Ben Jones, son of former leading Welsh champion rider Dai Jones.
Ben won the confined race on Gun Shy, the intermediate on Midnight Folie and the open maiden on Ardview Boy.

Byron Moorcroft. Pic: Getty Images.

Gun Shy, an 11-year-old bay gelding owned and trained by Chepstow’s Tommy Faulkner, won by two lengths from the pacemaking Moreece.
Midnight Folie, who was winning for the third time on the bounce, made all the running to beat solitary rival the blinkered Ruperra Tom by 25 lengths.

Ardview Boy led throughout to win by some 30 lengths from MoreHurryLessHaste.
Three runners went to post for the men’s open race and the odds-on Moral Hazard, under Bradley Gibbs, who is making a bold bid to win the national mens championship, came home four lengths ahead of the hooded WalkAbout Creek.

“The faster they go the better he is,” said Gibbs.

Patrick Tom Boru, owned and trained by Bridgend builder Roger Willcox, was made
favourite to land the ladies’ open race under Jodie Hughes.

However, the prolific winner couldn’t catch the pacemaking Tiger Rag and by the time the winning post was reached was a length-and-a-half in arrears.
Tiger Rag was well ridden by Anna Lewis, aged 18 and a student in her last year who
was winning for the first time this season.
BANWEN POINT-TO-POINT CLUB STARTING PRICES
Confined:  Gun Shy (Ben Jones) 5-4 fav.
Mens Open: Moral Hazard (Bradley Gibbs) 4-9 fav.
Ladies’ Open: Tiger Rag (Anna Lewis) 7-4.
Restricted: French Piece (Byron Moorcroft) evens fav.
Intermediate: Midnight  Folie (Ben Jones) 2-7 fav.
Maiden: Ardview Boy (Ben Jones) 2-1.

Jockey Bradley Gibbs in action. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Tom David, assistant trainer to Gloucestershire’s Ben Pauling, who hails from Llanharan, saddled his first winner as a trainer when 16-1 chance.

Ynysbwl’s Bradley Gibbs, the reigning Welsh point-to-point champion rider, celebrated his 25th birthday a day early when booting home three winners at the Ystrad Taf Fechan Point-To-Point Steeplechases at Bonvilston.

Only 27 horses lined up at the start during the afternoon.
Gibbs won opening club members conditions race on Highway Jewel, the restricted on Rio Bravo and the John Lovell national mens open on Yeats Ace.Welsh, Wales, 

All three winners were long odds-on favourites.
Highway Jewel finished alone after sole rival Union Jack D’Ycy had unseated Scot Malson at the sixth fence.
Rio Bravo, an eight-year-old bay gelding owned by Bradley’s fiance Claire Sherriff, made all the running to win by a distance from BlueBell Sally.

Yeats Ace, a seven-year-old bay mare by Yeats owned by Carol and Clive Banwell, won by a distance from the Byron Moorcroft, partnered Beneficial Joe who was awarded the best turned out award.
The day’s riding honours, however, went to Matthew Barber, 27, who was riding Isla Di Milano in the open maiden race and worked wonders to get his mount home by a neck from the Morgan Winstone partnered Full Of Roque.
Isla Di Milano, which gave Matthew his 50th winner between-the-flags, apart from almost slipping up and making a number of jumping errors, came from last to first  to give his trainer former National Hunt jockey, Bridgend’s Rhys Flint, his first win as a trainer with just his second runner.
Flint was full of praise for his rider and said: “That must be the ride of Matthew’s
career.”
In a match for the ladies’ open race, Kevin Salter’s 11-year-old bay gelding Spencer Moon, under Jodie Hughes, chalked-up win number 12 when making all the running to beat Golden Crisp, partnered by Rilly Goshen.

“This horse is awesome,” said Jodie, who was partnering the son of Dr Massini for the first time.
The two pony races were won by Edward Vaughan, 11-year-old son of Tim Vaughan, wh trains at nearby Aberthin.

Edward won the first race on Little Replacement which came home ahead of  Stretcholt Hermes (Jack Osborne) and Pennway Angharad (Evan Hughes) and in the second race, riding the best turned out White Water, Edward came home ahead of Heavenly Rose (Henry Pugh) and Don’t Tell Dai (Talor Hopkins).
Starting prices:
Conditions: Highway Jewel (Bradley Gibbs) 2-9 fav.
Restricted: Rio Bravo (Bradley Gibbs ) 2-5 fav.
Intermediate: Oscar Fian ( Morgan Winstone) 5-1
Mens Open: Yeats Ace (Bradley Gibbs) 1-4 fav.
Ladies’ Open: Spencer Moon (Jodie Hughes) 1-8 fav.
Open Maiden: Isla Di Milano (Matthew Barber) 3-1
138 CMS Pony Race: Little Replacement (Edward Vaughan)  1-3 fav.
148 CMS Pony Race: White Water (Edward Vaughan) 2-7 fav.

Aberthin trainer Tim Vaughan. Pic: Getty Images.

Tom David, assistant trainer to Gloucestershire’s Ben Pauling, and who hails from Llanharan, saddled his first winner as a trainer..Bishop’s Road, a 16-1 chance, ridden by Zac Baker, landed the Junior Jumpers Open Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham.
Eleven-year-old Bishops Road came home 39 lengths ahead of the odds-on favourite Risk A Fine, trained at Pyle by former rugby player Gareth Moore.
Tom, a former point-to-point rider himself, rode and trained a number of winners for Zara Phillips.
Delyth Thomas, of Aberkenfig, landed the Shadwell Arabian Stallions Maiden race worth £1,500 to the winner at Chepstow Racecourse with her Paramer Angel, who got home by a head from Abiyah Bah.
Paramer Angel was partnered by leading Arabian horse racing rider Charlie Price, who rides out for Vale of Glamorgan trainer Tim Vaughan.
Charlie still managed to get his mount home despite dropping his whip in the last furlong.