We had a bumper crowd of more than 5000 for Bank Holiday Monday’s Superhero Family Race Day. Thankfully the weather was fine and we got through the day without a drop of rain. The families had a great afternoon with all the entertainment – including fun fair rides, go karts, bouncy castles, face painters – all included in the ticket price. Our guest of honour was Noah Herniman, from Chepstow, who despite suffering from an inoperable brain tumour is carrying out plenty of fund raising to support a holiday home for families in a similar situation as his own. He is a remarkable young man.
Our final flat meeting of 2023 is next Monday 4th September. We then have a short break until the Unibet Jump Season Opener on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th October. There is £400,000 of prize money on offer and top class racing – as well as live music and a darts challenge with former world champion Keith Deller and legend of the sport John Lowe.
Our leading Welsh flat jockey David Probert won aboard Adaay In Devon at Goodwood on Saturday. Six furlongs on soft ground held no terrors for the filly, who had won in similar conditions earlier in the month. Fittingly, Adaay In Devon was bred in that county by her five owners. One of them set off from his farm at 5am to get to the racecourse in good time, even though it meant he had to forgo his daily supervision of the milking of his herd of 550 cows.
Probert had won at Ffos Las’s Ladies Day meeting on Friday, where there was a good turnout of around 4500 spectators. Many of them had sensibly brought umbrellas in case of rain. It duly arrived in mid-afternoon, but spirits were not dampened. Probert, the course’s most successful flat jockey, drove Between Me And U to a hard-fought success. Nottinghamshire trainer Ivan Furtado is a rare visitor to the track and he was keen to make use of Probert’s expertise there.
Sean Bowen (photographed) was in good form at Cartmel over the weekend.
He rode a double on Saturday with the John McConnell trained Duleek Street in the maiden hurdle and Fairlawn Flyer for his father Peter. The unseasonal soft ground and a trip in excess of three miles one furlong were in Fairlawn Flyer’s favour.
Ffos Las, where he has won four times, suits him, but the next jumping there is not until DragonBet Welsh Champion Hurdle Day on Saturday 15 October. Sean completed an excellent weekend at the Lake District track when he rode Landofsmiles to victory on Monday – again for his father Peter. He’s now on 73 winners for the season – 29 ahead of Brian Hughes.
