David Probert (photographed) landed a high-profile winner on racing’s version of Super Saturday.
While there was also top-level action at Newmarket and York, Wales’ top flat jockey was in action at the valuable card at Ascot. And he struck in the opening contest when steering Dubai Bling to a narrow success in a sprint handicap.
Hugo Palmer’s four-year-old was slowly away, but he moved into contention entering the last furlong and Probert timed his effort perfectly, getting his mount to take up the running in the final strides to capture the first prize of more than £51,000 by a short-head.
It was not Probert’s only success of the week. The Bargoed-born rider was on the mark at Kempton’s midweek card when partnering Between Me and U to win a mile handicap. The 2-1 shot is trained by Michael Herrington. It is perhaps worth noting that Probert’s last three rides for Herrington have all been winners.
Probert won’t be riding at the Ffos Las meeting on Tuesday afternoon, but there will still be plenty of Welsh representation.
Leading trainers David Evans, Christopher Mason, Barry Murphy, Thomas Faulkner and Bernard Llewellyn all have runners engaged. The yards of Ed Walker and Ralph Beckett are also represented.
Kieran Shoemark, who has already ridden a treble at Ffos Las this summer, has three rides on the six-race card which gets under way at 2.30pm.
Our sister track Chepstow staged an evening meeting last week where Callum Rodriguez and Owen Burrows teamed up to collect a short-priced double courtesy of warm favourites Escape Magic and Mr Tony. There was a surprise ending to the night as 33-1 shot Aravalli took the concluding 12-furlong handicap for Devon trainer Joe Tickle.
Sean Bowen’s long trip to Perth on Sunday failed to produce any winners – he had to make do with two second places from his four rides – but there are signs that he is starting to go through the gears in his defence of the jump jockeys’ title.
He has ridden eight winners in the past fortnight and recorded a double at Worcester’s evening meeting on Friday. His first success came on Lucy the Wire for regular ally James Owen in a two-mile handicap hurdle, then he was back in the winner’s enclosure barely half-an-hour later when taking a staying hurdle on Stiletto for Sophie Leech.
There was also success on the card for James Davies, who teamed up with Gary Hanmer to win the feature race of the night, a Class 2 handicap hurdle over two-and-a-half miles, with Miss Maverick.
The mare was two lengths clear at the last, but Davies had to get serious on the run-in to drive her home by a fast-diminishing head.
Sean may have been out of luck on Sunday, but brother James was on the mark at Stratford, taking a novices’ handicap chase in good style on Artiste d’Ainay, who stormed away to win by 11 lengths.
