Joe Tizzard probably wouldn’t describe himself as a frequent visitor to Ffos Las, but he may be considering more regular trips to West Wales after saddling a four-timer at the track last week.
Tizzard and his stable jockey Brendan Powell (photographed) mopped up the first three races on the card, then struck again when the back-to-form Diamond Ri took the feature novices’ handicap chase in some style.
Tizzard had saddled fewer than 30 runners at Ffos Las in the previous four years. But his horses made the most of the softer conditions in Carmarthenshire, with other courses across the country still feeling the effects of the summer drought and dry autumn.
He and Powell got off the mark in the opener with Fairy Park, sent off at 2-7 after being placed in Grade 2 company at Aintree last term. The five-year-old came home unchallenged to score by eight lengths.
They doubled up when Spanish Stroll came with a storming late run between his rivals to land a two-mile novice hurdle. Mourne Crystal, one of last season’s most talked-about recruits from the point-to-point circuit, ran with credit in third.
The treble was brought up in the second division of the novice hurdle courtesy of The Walk.
But the Tizzard-Powell combo possibly had the most satisfaction from the victory of Diamond Ri, like Spanish Stroll and The Walk carrying the colours of The Wychwood Partnership. The seven-year-old had been a decent novice hurdler a few seasons back, but had lost his form completely since then.
Here, he looked near to his best again. He jumped well as he pulled clear without his jockey asking any questions of him to win by eight lengths.
The Welsh successes on the card were provided by Rebecca Curtis and Sean Bowen.
Trainer and jockey combined for a double courtesy of Gustapof in a handicap chase and impressive bumper scorer Pontofdifference. Both were given fine front-running rides by the champion jockey.
Ffos Las race again on Thursday, when the feature handicap chase over two-and-a-half miles is run for the Dai Walters Trophy.
The race is named in honour of the man whose vision and ambition helped create Ffos Las, which became Wales’ third racecourse when it opened its doors in the summer of 2009.
The prominent owner has enjoyed plenty of success at Ffos Las, with his big-race victories at the course including wins in the Welsh Champion Hurdle with Oscar Whisky in 2011 and Lump Sum two years ago.
It was a case of the Moore the merrier for Sean Bowen as he carried his good form into the weekend. He bagged one of the televised races on Saturday’s card at Cheltenham when he landed the novices’ handicap chase on 25-1 outside O’Moore Park. The following day he struck at Market Rasen on Moore Brion for Olly Murphy.
Also among the winners at Cheltenham was Ben Jones on promising staying novice hurdler Woodstock Octo.
