There was to be no fairytale victory for Zambezi Magic at Ffos Las last week. In the race named in his honour, Zambezi Magic could only trail in sixth of the eight runners in a 10-furlong handicap.
Bernard Llewellyn’s stable star is something of a standing dish at the Carmarthenshire course. He has run at the track no fewer than 18 times and his seven successes are a Ffos Las record. He has only tasted victory once elsewhere.
But he could not add to that tally last week as the race went to the 11-4 favourite Solanna under Billy Loughnane (photographed). It was one of two wins on the card for the title-chasing 20-year-old, who also landed the five-furlong sprint on board Isle of Lismore from the yard of Robert Cowell.
It was the second time in a row at Ffos Las that the home team had missed out on a winner, and the Welsh will be hoping for better fortune when the track stages a two-day meeting this week (June 29-30).
Monday’s card is the one carried over from last Wednesday, which was called off on safety grounds as a result of the intense heat that swept across the country.
Loughnane is due back in Carmarthenshire when he counts among his rides the promising This Moment, for trainer George Boughey and in the same colours he carried when partnering Bow Echo to success at Royal Ascot.
Tuesday evening’s card gets under way with a novice stakes over 10 furlongs, with William Haggas – a trainer with an incredible strike rate of 58 per cent at the course since the turn of the decade – set to run Adalo. The six-race card starts at 6.09pm.
Meanwhile, Ladies’ Night at Chepstow on Saturday attracted a healthy crowd and some excellent racing. The feature race of the evening went to Stardancer for trainer Clive Cox.
But arguably the most promising performance of the evening came from Super Tuscan in a six-furlong novice event. The two-year-old was getting off the mark at the third time of asking for Eve Johnson Houghton, doing it in style as he won by the best part of four lengths despite being eased towards the finish.
Gwent trainer Grace Harris was not among the winners at Chepstow, but she did strike elsewhere as Savannah Smiles took a six-furlong handicap at Lingfield.
David Probert ended the week on a high note when partnering Stardom Glory to a length win at Chester. And former champion apprentice Sean D Bowen, whose father hails from Carmarthenshire, secured a double courtesy of wins on Eagle Bay and Ruler Legend, a 33-1 outsider in a field of seven.
There was plenty of success for Wales at Uttoxeter’s meeting on Sunday. Mickey Bowen has his string in good form and he took the opening novices’ handicap chase with Tamarind Bay. The six-year-old claimed the prize in good style ahead of market rival Pony Soprano in the hands of Shane Fenelon.
And Cath Williams made it five victories for the season when Oakley picked up a winning purse of more than £10,000 by taking a Class 2 handicap hurdle over three miles. Conor Ring produced the eight-year-old to take up the running after the final flight and they held on to record a half-length success.
Sean Bowen, meanwhile, landed a winner for his regular ally Gordon Elliott at Cartmel on Friday courtesy of Loch Cuan in a novice hurdle. But he was out of luck on his seven rides at the Cumbria track on Sunday when a second place on board Star Turn for brother Mickey was his best placing.
The reigning champion jockey started this week 13 behind Harry Skelton at the top of the jump jockeys’ table, though there are 10 months of the season remaining.
