Jockey Paddy Brennan Rides Lac Sacre To Ffos Las Win

Dual purpose trainer John Flint took the M&M Green Haulage Handicap Chase at Ffos Las (writes Brian Lee).

His 10-year-old course and distance winner Lac Sacre finished 12 lengths ahead of the Evan Williams-trained Sutters Mill. 

Lac Sacre, a 9-1 chance, was partnered by Paddy Brennan.

Earlier in the day, Williams’ Flight To Milan had been beaten a head by Tim Vaughan’s Chosen in the Evans Race Handicap Chase. 

Chosen, a 4-1 chance who, like Flight To Milan is also trained in the Vale of Glamorgan, was ridden by stable jockey Alan Johns.

https://twitter.com/FfosLasRC/status/1114935425032966144

Pembrokeshire’s Dai Rees saw his Gone Platinum, an 11-1 chance ridden by Lorcan Williams, take the opening Llanelli Herald Handicap Hurdle by three-and-a-quarter lengths from the Colin Tizzard trained Sizing At Midnight. 

Cowbridge jockey Byron Moorcroft won the open maiden race on Jason Warner’s Diplomatic at Barbury Castle, while at Andoversford Pembrokeshire’s Matthew Barber took the intermediate race on Claire Jones’s Jungle Legend.

Two of Wales’ most promising amateur riders, Jack Tudor and Ben Jones, both rode winners at the North Ledbury Point-To-Point Steeplechases.

Jack, who comes from Merthyr Mawr and is a month shy of his 17th birthday, has already chalked-up three wins under Rules.

He landed the novice riders’ race on David Brace’s 12-year-old bay gelding William Money, who was in command throughout and won by six lengths from the hooded Cawdor House at Hereford Racecourse.

Congratulations to Sam Twiston, who rode his 100th winner of the season on Good Boy Bobby at Ffos Las.

In the following Conditions race, Carmarthen’s Ben Jones, aged 19 and riding Princely Player, was the winner.

Princely Player drew away from odds-on favourite Undisputed, ridden by Alex Edwards, at the second last fence to score by four lengths in a time which was three seconds faster than William Money had taken when winning the previous race.

Princely Player, trained by Karen Hobbs, was a fortunate winner in as much as his horsebox broke down on the way to Hereford and they arrived just in time to declare the horse.

Reigning National champion point-to-point rider Alex Edwards, who rode 42 winners last season, brought this season’s total 22 when winning the Timico Mixed Open Race on the Philip Rowley trained Now Ben, who came home six lengths ahead of Green Winter. 

Now Ben, an 11-year-old chestnut gelding by Benefical was also awarded the best turned out prize.

Welsh champion Bradley Gibbs’ mount Don Bersy made most of the early running, but eventually finished fourth of the six starters.

Pembrokeshire’s Robert Luke had plenty to smile about after his five-year-old bay mare Spark To A Flame, making her racecourse debut, came home a distance ahead of the Ben Jones-partnered Black Aphrodisiac in the Jockey Club Open Maiden Race For Mares and Fillies.

Spark To A Flame was ridden by Zac Baker, who for the last three seasons has been based at Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard.

Jockey Zac Baker (pictured) was a winner on Spark to a Flame at Hereford racecourse. Pembrokeshire man Robert Luke’s five-year-old bay Spark To A Flame was making her racecourse debut.

Bryan Carver from Cork, who has ridden four winners under Rules, won the Five, Six And Seven-Year-Old Open Maiden Race on the six-year-old Presenting gelding Salven who, prominent throughout, scored by five lengths from the Tredegar Farmers horse Samdibien.

Bryan also won the second division of the Four, Five And Six-Year-Olds Point-To-Point Flat Race on the four-year-old filly You Too Bonny Lass, trained by Heidi Brookshaw in North Shropshire. 

Jack Tudor rode runner-up Sing The Anthem trained by his father Jonathan and owned by The Anthem Partnership.

The First Division of the race went to the five-year-old bay gelding Durouyn, who had Zac Baker on board. Baker earlier been successful on Spark To A Flame.

Starting Prices of Winners at North Ledbury Point-To-Point Steeplechases.

Pony Race: The Mumbler (Ivor Herbert) 6-4

Members: In The Dock (Jamie Jeavons) 1-2 fav

Novice Riders: William Money (Jack Tudor) 1-3 fav

Conditions: Princely Player (Ben Jones) 7-2

Mixed Open: Now Ben (Alex Edwards) 6-4 fav

Mares Maiden: Spark To A Flame (Zac Baker) 2-1 joint fav

Open Maiden: Salven (Bryan Carver) 3-1

Flat Race Division One: Durouyn (Zac Baker) 5-2

Flat Race Division Two: You Too Bonny Las (Brian Carver) 5-1