There were few complaints for Welsh racing supporters about the small fields at Ascot on Saturday.
The five expected runners for the 1965 Chase were reduced to two due to concerns about the going. The outsider of the pair that remained was the Evan Williams-trained veteran Coole Cody. Last week at Cheltenham, where he has enjoyed several big race successes in the past, he made an early mistake and Adam Wedge pulled him up before long. His jumping at Ascot left something to be desired – he repeatedly went over to his right – but his sole rival Saint Calvados ran much too freely in the lead and ran out of steam in the last two or three furlongs. Coole Cody motored past him and trotted up by ten lengths. The decision not to persevere with him in the Cheltenham race paid dividends at Ascot – netting his owners a prize of £39,865.
Lorcan Williams (photographed) rode the easiest winner of his career in the second race on the Ascot programme, which became a walkover when four of the five declared runners were withdrawn. He was partnering Milan Bridge for Paul Nicholls in a 3m novices chase, but instead of jumping 20 fences all he had to do was go down to the landing side of the final fence, turn and canter along the run-in and pass the winning post. Williams reported afterwards, “He travelled superbly, and saw it out really well.” His other rides yielded a second and a third, so it wasn’t a bad day at the office for him.
On Sunday at Uttoxeter James Davies had fortune on his side when riding Boys Of Wexford in his debut over fences. The 16/1 shot – backed from 40/1 the night before – made the running, jumping badly to the right at times, till being passed by a horse that was travelling much better at the fourth last fence. However, that one came down at the next and left Boys Of Wexford back in front. Davies was in no mood to throw away the second chance and the horse stayed on determinedly to break his duck.
Lisnagar Oscar, the Rebecca Curtis-trained winner of the Stayers Hurdle in 2020, has been retired. He had shown smart form as a novice in 2018/19, only to disappoint when tried over fences the next season. Relishing a return to the smaller obstacles, he finished third in the Cleeve Hurdle before producing far and away his best effort in a strongly-run Stayers Hurdle. The odds on favourite Paisley Park, going for his eighth consecutive win, was well beaten.
Since then Lisnagar Oscar was rarely able to show his best form and Curtis suspects a heavy fall in the 2021 Stayers Hurdle affected his confidence subsequently. He was unplaced in a Cheltenham handicap a week ago and that prompted connections to announce that he’d run his final race.
Our next meeting at Ffos Las is this Friday 25th November when you will be able to combine live horse racing and the Wales World Cup game against Iran live on our TV screens. And best of all – it’s free admission if you book in advance. The gates open at 9am and the match kicks-off at 10am. There are seven races from 12.20pm.
