Local racehorse owners and breeders Robert and Nina Bailey had a big day out at Royal Ascot this week. On Tuesday their four-year-old filly Glamorous Anna ran in the King’s Stand Stakes, of one the most competitive sprint races in the calendar. The prize money for the winning owner was a shade under £200,000.
For Robert and Nina, the fact that Glamorous Anna was available at odds of 200-1 was irrelevant. They were pleased to have bred a runner considered good enough to enter such a prestigious event taking on some of the biggest owners in the sport. It was tribute to their small scale breeding operation in Chepstow which has prepared many winners over the years.
Robert has had horses in training with Milton Bradley, Ron Harris, Grace Harris and now Chris Mason at Caerwent who looks after Glamorous Anna. Anna has won three times but run consistently well in numerous high class races at courses including Chester, Newbury and York.
She ran her heart out on Tuesday but finished – as her odds suggested – down the field.
Spectators returned to Chepstow last Friday for the first time since January 2020 and this Thursday 17th June customers will be back at Ffos Las. There are seven jump races from 5.45pm.
Tickets are £15 and must be purchased in advance to adhere to track and trace guidelines. Welsh Government rules also specify that customers must all be located outside but the weather is looking positive so a lovely summer evening of racing is on the cards.
We are delighted to welcome two new sponsors to Ffos Las for this meeting. CP Civil Engineering and P.B.R. Abrasives are supporting the card.
The fine form of several Welsh trainers and jockeys continues. Sean Bowen has registered winners at Aintree and Hexham in recent days. He made virtually all of the running on the Rebecca Curtis trained chaser Ruthless Article to score at Aintree last Friday night and the following day he was successful aboard Kapsize at Hexham, trained by his Dad Peter and owned by his brother Mickey.
The seven-year-old Cotton End maintained her remarkable progress since joining the Shelia Lewis yard when also winning at Aintree on Friday with Ben Jones in the saddle. The mare has also won at Newton Abbot, Uttoxeter, Hereford and Ludlow since leaving the Margaret Mullins stable in Ireland.
The David Brace team struck with the 20-1 shot Shanandoa at Uttoxeter last Thursday. Jack Tudor brought the gelding with a tremendous late run to win by a short head.
The next meeting at Chepstow is next Monday 21st June. First race is off at 1.55pm.
We are waiting for the next Welsh Government Covid update on Friday 25th June before announcing some of our other plans for the summer. We are still unable to accommodate hospitality inside our buildings and we are hoping this position will change following the next review.
PHOTO – Glamorous Anna winning at Chepstow in 2019.
