Alan Johns announced his retirement from the saddle on the morning of Sunday’s Ffos Las meeting. He’d spent most of his working life with Tim Vaughan and rode a total of 222 winners before his final day. The last race on the card was named after him and, appropriately, he won it on a Vaughan horse, the quirky Bumpy Evans. Backed in the half hour before the race from 15/8 to 8/13, he looked booked for fourth place only for his rivals to blunder or run out of stamina, and Bumpy forged ahead in the last furlong for number 223. Johns has been an active presence on social media for a while and will pursue that in the next stage of his career.
Elsewhere on the Ffos Las card, Rebecca Curtis’s Newton Tornado won a maiden hurdle after finishing second four times in a row. Under Ben Jones he outstayed opposition from a trio of big yards to come home three lengths ahead. And Evan Williams’ Mount Washington made a winning debut over fences for Conor Ring in the 2m chase.
Curtis’s The Boola Boss (photographed) had his ideal conditions at Chepstow on Saturday – three miles, good going – and although running off a mark higher than he’d won off before, he had Jamie Brace’s five-pound claim to help offset that. He enjoyed an uncontested lead and coasted home by twelve lengths.
Later Callum Pritchard rode the heavily-gambled Impecunious to win the 2m4f handicap hurdle. His backers had a scare on the run to the last, for though he was travelling the best his head was up and he was looking around, first to the right, then to the left, and he nearly tripped over the final flight. Pritchard kept him going to land the spoils by a length and a half.
Christian Williams and Jack Tudor combined to win the 3m handicap hurdle that opened Grand National Day at Aintree. The 28/1 shot Deep Cave had no fast ground form, but the trainer said, “At Windsor (where he ran well) Jack thought he’d be better on better ground. You could put a line through his last run.” That came too soon after Windsor. He added, “He’s going to be very special over fences next year.”
The Aintree stewards reported that Sean Bowen would be suspended for six days for careless riding on Strong Leader in the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle, but he is 33 clear in the title race with only three weeks left.
We were treated to one of those very special Bowen rides at Plumpton on Sunday. His mount Shared sulked round at the back of the five-runner field for most of the three-mile trip, but the jockey’s cajoling paid off in the final half-mile. One by one Shared got the better of three of his rivals. On the run to the last flight he challenged the leader and then, perversely showing great gameness, fought his way to the front in the final hundred yards.
Our next meeting at Chepstow is Easter Monday 21st March. As well as seven races there are a range of tribute acts including Abba, Becky Hill, Coldplay and Queen. The gates open at 11.50am and don’t forget under 17s go free.
