Welsh riders  Connor Brace, Lorcan Williams and Sean Bowen all caught the judge’s eye at Exeter. Brace took the opening handicap hurdle on Phillip Hobbs’s Smarty Wild.  Just over 40 minutes later, Williams was successful on the top weighted Truckers Lodge for Paul Nicholls  and later in the afternoon Sean Bowen won the principal race […]

Tim Vaughan and Christian Williams, who both train in the Vale of Glamorgan, had winners this week (writes Brian Lee).  Vaughan’s Glimpse Of Gold, partnered by stable jockey Alan Johns, landed the Selling Handicap Hurdle at Southwell coming home eight lengths in front of Kilcaragh Boy. Williams’ Fifty Shades, at six the youngest horse in the […]

Former Welsh pony racing champion Connor Brace put his flat racing experience to good use when landing the Racing TV Standard Open Flat Race over two miles at Huntingdon (writes Brian Lee). Riding A Book Of Intrigue, a 40-1 chance, for his guv’nor Fergal O’Brien, who trains in the Cotswolds, the six-year-old, racing for the […]

Conditional jockey Connor Brace from Porthcawl came in for plenty of praise when scoring on Fergal O’Brien’s Carrolls Milan at Ludlow (writes Brian Lee). Connor, a former national champion novice point-to-point rider, got his mount home by a length from Gold Chain in the mares’ handicap hurdle much to the delight of O’Brien, who trains […]

Landsman, trained by Aberthin’s Tim Vaughan and ridden by stable jockey Alan Johns, landed the maiden hurdle at far flung Musselburgh. His backers had little to fear as the strongly fancied six-year-old  came home 12 lengths ahead of Animore ridden by Ross Chapman. Vale of Glamorgan trainer Vaughan, his stable jockey Alan Johns and Andrew […]

Jack Tudor, a 16-year-old from Merthyr Mawr, chalked up his second winner under rules when landing the RacingTV.Com Hands And Heels Handicap Hurdle at Warwick Races over three miles and two furlongs (writes Brian Lee). Tudor was on the top weighted Uno Mas, trained by Ogmore-By-Sea’s Christian Williams. Uno Mas, winning for the third time […]

Brian Lee’s book ‘The Welsh Grand National from Deerstalker to Emperor’s Choice’ is published by The History Press. Here the Dai-Sport horse racing expert offers his thoughts on a meeting which started in Cardiff during 1895. Lester Piggott, widely regarded as the greatest jockey of all time, has strong links to Cardiff’s Ely Racecourse, which closed 80 years ago […]

Welsh trainers Tim Vaughan and Grace Harris earned success at Musselburgh following the equine flu lockdown (writes Brian Lee). Vaughan’s Copper Gone West, trained at Aberthin in the Vale of Glamorgan, made the a 381 mile trip to the Scottish track was backed from 6-1 to 9-2 in the Betway Mares’ Maiden Hurdle. Copper Gone West […]

Pembrokeshire’s Peter Bowen landed another big race win when when his six -year-old Lord Napier, partnered by his son Sean Bowen, came home a nine lengths winner (writes Brian Lee). Lord Napier’s success, ahead of Coole Cody in the 888Sport Heroes Handicap Hurdle, was at Sandown Park. It was worth £56,270 to the winner. In a field […]

Welsh trainers Peter Bowen and Evan Williams both saddled winners (writes Brian Lee). Bowen’s eight-year-old Cougar’s Gold won the Sky Bet Extra Places Handicap Chase at Doncaster when coming home one-and-a-half lengths from the top weighted Mahlermade. And at Uttoxeter, Williams’ bottom-weighted Skewiff had three lengths to spare over the top-weighted Graceful Legend in the Momentum […]

Peterston-super-Ely farmer Philip Dando saw his  seven-year-old IfAndBut win the Call Star Sports On 8000 521 321 Handicap Hurdle at Exeter (writes Brian Lee).   In a field of 14 runners, IfAndBut, ridden by 5lbs claiming jockey Mitchell Bastyan, won by two-and-three quarter lengths from Micras and was returned at odds of 7-1. Former point-to-point […]

Vale of Glamorgan trainer Tim Vaughan’s band wagon keeps rolling on (writes Brian Lee).  A 295 miles journey to Sedgefield from Aberthin paid handsome dividends when his Briac won the RaceBets Money Back 2nd All Races Handicap Chase. Ridden by stable jockey Alan Johns, from west Wales, eight-year-old Briac made the 11-10 favourite in a […]

Have horses will travel seems to be the motto of Aberthin trainer Tim Vaughan (writes Brian Lee). He sent two horses on a 760-miles round-trip to Kelso in Scotland and landed a Sunday winner. Vaughan then secured a first place at Ffos Las on Monday, Briac taking the honours, and on Tuesday thanks to Debece […]

Four of the six races held at Hereford Racecourse went to trainers  based in Wales (writes Brian Lee). Bridgend’s Christian Williams took the opening Conditional Jockeys’ Novice’ Handicap Hurdle with 9-1 chance Uno Mas, ridden by Rex Dingle. Uno Mas which won by a length from the top weighted Bahama Moon and then, after Vale […]

Chepstow’s Robert Stephens and Cowbridge’s Evan Williams both saddled winners at Taunton (writes Brian Lee). Stephens, like Williams a former amateur rider, won the Invest South West Handicap Hurdle with Beltor, who was racing in public for the first time in 624 days, and Williams scored with recent winner Railroad Junkie in the Age UK […]

By dai-sport racing writer Brian Lee at Chepstow Racecourse The Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow was won by the 3-1 favourite Elegant Escape, but the loudest cheers of the day came in the previous race. Llancarfan’s Isabel Williams, aged 21 and riding her mother Catherine’s six-year-old French-bred Virginia Chick, won the ‘Smart Money’s On Coral’ Handicap Hurdle. Chick […]

Coral Welsh Grand National winner Elegant Escape could now be pointed towards Gold Cup glory after leading them all home with his triumph at Chepstow. The biggest race in the Welsh calendar was won by the 3-1 favourite on Thursday, giving trainer Colin Tizzard his second success in three years. Now, Tizzard – who won with Native River in 2016 – says the second season chaser is heading towards other major races such as the Gold Cup.

Raz De Maree can achieve a rare feat at Chepstow on Thursday by winning the Coral Welsh Grand National for the second time in the same calendar year. The biggest race in the Welsh diary takes place on December 27, less than 12 months since the veteran horse triumphed in the postponed race back in January. Raz De Maree made headlines when winning last year given the horse was only three years younger than his 16-year-old jockey, rising Welsh star James Bowen.

Ynysbwl’s Bradley Gibbs was in cracking form at the Carmarthenshire Hunt Point-To-Point Steeplechases held at Ffos Las Racecourse (writes Brian Lee). He won the Mares Maiden race on Highway Jewell, the Restricted Open on Captain McGinley and the Conditions race on TheGirlFromMilan. Highway Jewell, a four-year-old chestnut filly and the youngest of the seven starters, finished […]

Brian Lee wrote ‘The Welsh Grand National from Deerstalker to Emperor’s Choice (History Press) and in his foreword National Hunt racing legend Peter Scudamore wrote, “it is an engrossing study that documents the history of the great race and charts the development of National Hunt racing.” The big event in the Welsh sporting calendar arrives […]