Banwen Miners Most impressive winner at the Banwen Miners Bank Holiday meeting which attracted the usual big crowd-who incidentally were on their best behaviour this year-was Dai Rees's five-year-old bay gelding Rimini which won the intermediate race by an official four lengths from Failte Arais. Never off the bridle, Rimini, the youngest horse in the race, gave John Mathias' his 27th win of the season and was winning for the third time. Bought from Mark Gichero, this Irish-bred horse will eventually,according to his amicable owner/trainer Dai Rees, run under Rules. The ladies' open race was a real thriller with less than two lengths covering the first three home.First past the post after making all the running was Fruitfull Citizen well ridden by Lucy Jones who wasn't sure that she had just held on. Lucy and her husband Simon (take a look at their website ww.cleddauracing.co.uk ) bought the mare from a Horse and Hound advertisement in 2006. The runner-up was Warsaw Pact(Isabel Tompsett) which had earlier walked over under John Norman for the members' race.Third place went to the favourite Petit Lord (Angela Rucker). However, the day's riding honours went to Mike Byrne who rode his first ever double on Overlut (men's open) and Princesse De Rome ( restricted). The former made all to win by four lengths from Misamon and the latter won in similar style coming home eight lengths ahead of Bless Me Father with the odds-on Frenchfurze Lad a further ten lengths away in third place. Mike was fined £40 by the stewards after failing to weigh-in after finishing fourth on Kimi in the restricted won by Mister Trigger. Owned by Mr Bert-Llewellyn, and ridden by his daughter Ruth, Mister Trigger's task was made easier when the favourite Clover Rock (John Mathias), who was disputing the lead, came down at the penultimate fence. Mister Trigger was bred by the owner's cousin Derrick Llewellin who back in 1959 won a division of the Lady Dudley Cup on Clover Bud which later went on to win the Welsh Gand National with David Nicholson in the saddle. Jason Parfitt's Turbulance landed a gamble in the confined under John Lewis Llewellyn who had lost his irons at the second last.John, who rode his 50th winner between-the-flags last season, said: "I nearly fell off passing the winning post and I had been told by the owner: The only way this horse will get beat is by you.''
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