PREVIEW: Wales Area Club at Lower Machen (Sunday 9th November)

In the summer, when horses were out grazing and racing was far from the minds of most people, a group of point-to-point enthusiasts met in a room at the Heronston Hotel, Bridgend. The reason behind this meeting was simple, to secure more point-to-point races in Wales. Thanks to the generosity of Dai Walters and the tireless efforts of members of that group: Tim Jones, John Tudor, Will Pugh to name but a few,  the Machen racecourse has been resurrected and the first of the two scheduled meetings will take place this Sunday, 9th November when the flag drops at the inaugural Wales Area Club Meeting.

The work that has gone into preparing the course cannot be over exaggerated and it has been a happy band of volunteers that have turned up every weekend until the course was fit for action. The input of Mr Walters has seen the erection of a purpose-built Owners and Trainers pavilion where racing can be viewed from a permanent structure while enjoying the hospitality on offer. Breakfast is going to be provided courtesy of Jonathan Tudor, for all owners and staff as they arrive at the course. No stone has been left unturned to make sure that the best experience possible is on offer for sponsors, owners, trainers, and spectators alike. The input of a Gold Cup winning jockey doesn’t go amiss either as Sam Thomas has been on hand to offer his opinion and his support throughout the process and will be officiating on the day. Machen may be a step away from the hallowed hills of Cheltenham but the attention to detail has been just as intense and the recent drone footage showed a rolling course with plenty of green grass cover. There is no substitute for experience and with several ex-jockeys and a few trainers on the committee no nothing has been left to chance. Hats must be taken off to Tim Jones who has been tireless in his pursuit of excellence and also to his wife Cathy who has taken on the task of feeding the volunteers every week. An open day was held for trainers and jockeys with an opportunity to see the new course in its fresh state and of course, Cathy and Jonathan Tudor were ready to feed the crowd.

In excess of seventy horses have thrown their names into the hat to take a share of the excellent prize money on offer.

The day starts at twelve p.m. with the Restricted race where the ten-year-old Ask Dai heads the ratings. His owner and trainer, another Dai (Gibbs) has been part of the course preparation and building team and no one will begrudge him standing down from duty to provide the sport. Next up in the ratings is the Ledbury raider Baunmore Jet who will be receiving five pounds from Ask Dai which may well offset the two-point difference in their rating. One that does catch the eye is Harry Ryalls’ Posh Chick. The daughter of Jack Hobbs won on her only outing last year and will be carrying the lowest weight on the card, eleven stone.

The GB Pointing Bonus Young Horse Maiden comes next and has fifteen entries set to tackle the shorter distance of two and a half miles. Only three of the fifteen have enough runs in Britain to score a rating. Plenty are having their first visit to a racecourse while Sailor McKay and River Don have both run between the flags across the water in Ireland. On form Chris Barber’s Peter De L Orme seems to hold the aces having finished second at a Ston Easton maiden in March.

Both the Men’s and Ladies’ Open have big prize money to be won and have drawn fourteen and eleven entries, respectively. It’s good to see the traditional format of these races being adhered to and the move to have two separate contests rather than a Mixed Open seems to have paid off. The winning most horse in the Men’s contest is Harry Ryall’s Another Furlough, who has won seven of his seventeen starts; the Shirocco gelding is set to be partnered by Will Biddick.  St Cuthbert’s Cave has the most recent form; the Joseph O’Shea gelding was in the winner’s circle after winning a steeplechase at Uttoxeter in September. In the Ladies contest David Brace’s Gats and Co holds pole position for winning the most races however Williewonga (Joseph O’Shea) is hot on his heels having won six of his starts. If St Cuthberts Cave takes this route, then he, again, will be the horse with most recent form.

There is good opportunity for young horses on the card and the Maiden (NWFAA) is next and has attracted fifteen entries including one for local trainer Tim Vaughan who swapped yard boots for dancing shoes on Sundays Strictly Come Dancing in aid of Racing Welfare. While the judges definitely preferred wife Abbi’s dancing, Tim’s enthusiasm was something to behold. He will be hoping that son Ed can steer his Another Notion to the first place. The ratings give the Lily Bradstock trained Kalipso His the nod while the recent form goes to Alan Hills campaigner Papa Barns who contested a Newton Abbot Steeplechase in September.

The day closes with a Point-to-Point Flat Race for four- and five-year-olds. All but two of the fifteen entries are having their racecourse debut. Regular Welsh racegoers will remember ThegirlfromMilan, who ran her last race at the Lower Machen course. Her four-year-old by Jack Hobbs, I’m Like a Lion, will make the journey from Bradley Gibbs Hertfordshire yard with the hope of giving one of the driving forces behind Welsh Point to Pointing Beverley Thomas a winner on the day. 

Racing starts at twelve noon, and the course is located at Lower Machen four miles west of Newport, Junction 28 of the M4. 

  NP10 8GH. 

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