Gelligaer Farmers Rhys Flint, 16, riding his father John's Bobosh at the Gelligaer Farmers Steeplechases on Sunday made every post a winning one in the mixed open race and chalked-up his first point-to-point winner in just six rides.
Horse mad Rhys, a graduate of the Llangeinor Hunt Pony Club and a top pony racing competitor, brought the eleven-year-old bay gelding home eight lengths clear of Twilight Dancer. Tim Vaughan landed a double with Kings Euro (confined) and Lough Rynn (aged maiden). Kings Euro got home by three parts of a length from the pace making Iceberge and Lough Rynn, owned by Cardiff sales director Diana Abuzaid, made most of the running to win by a distance from Some Time Apart.
Former rider Robert Porter from Pentyrch had his first win as a trainer when Valerie Griffiths's Valuso, partnered by Dai Jones, came home three lengths ahead of Classic Chance in the first division of the split maiden and Adrian Simpson's Carraig, well ridden by Jodie Hughes, took the second by the same distance from Inissam Storm.
What A Biscuit, bought from Paul Riddick by Pembroke trainer Marc Barber after finishing unplaced in his only other race earlier this season, and ridden by Kyle Yates, 18, won the members' race by three quarters of a length from Brave Lad after both horses had jumped the last together.
Cowbridge's James Tudor, who is making a bold bid to win the national riders' championship, won the restricted on Gary Perkins's Johnsair who scored by three lengths from Onemoredeal.
It would be nice if Welsh owners supported James with the offer of rides during the few remaining meetings. Meanwhile, congratulations to him on chalking-up his 100th point-to-point winner on Gillie's Nephew at Kingston Blount recently. He also scored a hat-track at last Saturday's Golden Valley meeting with Devil's Teardrop, Giveusawave and Make It Plain. The men's open here was won by John Mathias, 16, on his mother's Corkan who beat the odds-on Euryalus. John who has ridden five winners this season has won the Wilkinson Sword (male) Weekender Novice Riders' title and Paul and Myfanwy Miles's Lady Myfanwy has won the Weatherbys sponsored young horse national championship. Eric Clough's 15-year-old Longstone Boy, a 12-1 outsider in a field of fifteen, won the hunter chase at Ludlow last Thursday beating the hot-favourite Le Passing trained by top National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls by a short head in an exciting finish. Well ridden by Will Biddick, this grand old campaigner was winning for the thirteenth time. He has missed three seasons owing to injuries and Mr Clough, who bought him as an unbroken five-year-old,told me that he was once advised to have to have the horse put down. Trained at Narberth in Pembrokeshire by Mr Clough, Longstone Boy has been ridden by a number of different jockeys during his long and esteemed racing career and he is “just brilliant to train.” Kilrossanty, owned and trained by Bridgend's Robert Flint and backed from 33-1 to 20-1, won the Red Dragon Novices Handicap Hurdle at Bangor-on-Dee last Saturday. GELLIGAER FARMERS WINNERS Members: What A Biscuit (Kyle Yates) 2-1 Confined: Kings Euro (Tim Vaughan) evens fav Mixed open: Bobosh (Rhys Flint) 8-1 Restricted: Johnsair (James Tudor) 9-4 fav Young Horse Maiden Div.1: Valuso (Dai Jones) 3-1 Young Horse Maiden Div.2: Carraig (Jodie Hughes) 9-4 Aged Maiden: Lough Rynn (Tim Vaughan) 7-4
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