Rebecca Curtis (photographed) took the plaudits on the day Ffos Las honoured a Welsh racing legend. Curtis has been in fine form in the past few weeks and claimed her second Ffos Las double in as many months at Sunday’s meeting.
The Pembrokeshire trainer’s double was initiated by Genietoile, who relished the soft conditions as he led all the way to take a maiden hurdle in convincing fashion. A change of approach clearly worked, as it was the first time Genietoile had been over hurdles in almost three years.
Curtis and jockey Jamie Brace made it two on the day when River Voyage ran on strongly after the last flight to triumph in the staying handicap hurdle.
But Curtis and Brace were out of luck in the feature race of the day, the Norton’s Coin Handicap Chase, named after the horse trained in Nantgaredig by dairy farmer Sirrell Griffiths who shocked the racing world in 1990 when winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup at odds of 100-1. He beat a field including Desert Orchid in what remains the biggest shock in the race’s history.
The pair’s hopes of landing a treble rested with Slim Marvel. But the prize went the way of Impatient, ridden by Jonjo O’Neill Jr and trained by his father and brother, who held off Slim Marvel by two lengths.
It was the first part of a double for the O’Neills, who took the concluding two-mile handicap chase with Rula Bula.
Ffos Las stages its next jumps meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 18. Mickey Bowen has the Grand National as the long-term aim for Off the Jury after the seven-year-old made it three wins from three over fences at Aintree on Friday.
Off The Jury had already tasted victory at Cartmel and Worcester in the summer but raised his form to a new level when taking the novices’ handicap chase in good style. He jumped more fluently than his four rivals and held off the rallying Below The Radar after the final fence to win by two lengths under the trainer’s brother Sean.
The win was the start of a good weekend for the Welsh on Merseyside. Sean got on the scoresheet again when All In You landed the two-mile handicap hurdle for Warren Greatrex.
The second day of the meeting – which was transferred from Exeter and Wincanton because of the dry ground in the West Country – saw Ben Jones in the limelight. He partnered Taurus Bay to victory in the Grade 2 Rising Stars Novices’ Chase, taking the scalps of Talk To The Man and No Drama This End in the process.
Mickey Bowen’s good weekend continued at Sandown on Sunday when he saddled a double via Cowboy Casanova and promising novice hurdler Nimba. Both winners were partnered by former champion jockey Brian Hughes, with James Bowen sidelined until
next month after breaking his wrist in a fall at Bangor.
The midweek meeting at our sister track Chepstow provided a glimpse of the future with Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls both unveiling a number of promising youngsters. Cath Williams gave the home team a winner when Tour Ovalie triumphed in a two-mile novices’ handicap chase.
On the flat, Grace Harris has turned Macarone into a winning machine for owners Paul and Ann de Weck. He landed his fifth win on the bounce at Wolverhampton, claiming a six-furlong handicap with some ease.
