REVIEW
SIR WW WYNN'S
BANGOR-ON-DEE
Sunday 2nd April 2006
by Arthur Shone
Sunday’s Wynnstay meeting between
the flags at Bangor on Dee attracted a massive crowd, so much so
that they had to open the overspill car park to accommodate all the
race goers. It was a day for the die hard for enthusiasts with the
bitterly cold weather and the driving rain. The racing was
excellent and one man not complaining was the current champion
national and area rider, Richard Burton, who completed a treble to
put him on the 24 winner mark and it was also a good day in the
office for his principal trainer, Sheila Crow from Hadnall, who
also trained a hat trick of winners.
Students of the form book would have noted
that the Richard Hewitt trained Curly Spencer was a good thing for
the opening Members race and punters never had an anxious moment.
The Yashgan gelding took up the running four out under Morville
rider Adam Wadlow and pulled clear to win by a distance from the
only other finisher, In Hot Pursuit, with Tessa Clarke in the
plate. The only surprise really about the winner was the price as
he drifted from 4-7 to 9-4. Hewitt, who trains at Benllych in
Anglesey, was granted a permit to train under rules the day before
and plans to have his first runner at Towcester on Easter Sunday
with Thornton Bridge.
Shrewsbury rider Richard Burton judged the
first division of the Maiden to perfection on the Sheila Crow
trained Will Wings. He stalked the leader, Steviebill under Oliver
Greenall, for the last circuit of the race before pouncing on the
run to last to win going away by a length and a half. Hot Chocolat
from the Gordie Edwards yard was a further 8 lengths back in third.
The winner ran in the well known colours of the trainer’s
husband Edward. Sheila Crow thinks very highly of the winner and
said,” He is a very good horse. I have always liked him and I
knew he would come on from the Eyton race. Don’t forget he is
only a young horse and he is one of the few horses in the yard that
will go on really soft ground.”
Thirty five minutes later the same
combination was back in the winner’s enclosure following the
very game success of the mare Saddlers Scene in the second division
of the Maiden. In one of the best finishes of the day,
“Burtie” got back up in the final few strides to win a
thriller by half a length from Pinot Grigio with Hardy Oliver a
further neck back in third. The winner was home bred by the
Crow’s and once again ran in the colours of Edward Crow.
Crow and Burton went on to complete a treble
when Lord Bush made every yard in the Intermediate to beat
Latzod’alm by 4 lengths. The son of Lord Americo jumped like
a stag throughout and is clearly a progressive type. The winner
provided co-owner Richard French from Eccleshall with a perfect
birthday present as it was his birthday yesterday; the other
co-owners are David and Anne Carding from Walcot.
It turned out to be a good day for the Crow
family at the North Wales course when 18 year old Charlie Huxley,
who is the grandson of her brother Roy Edwards, won on Times Past
in the novice rider’s race. He took up the running on the run
to last to beat Phyllis by a length and a half with Monsieur Tagel
a further 8 lengths back in third. The winner is trained by Peter
Morris at Malpas, his first this season, and the horse is owned
locally by a syndicate from the Cock O Barton pub Nr Fardon, which
includes the landlord Chris Swombow. This win would have meant a
lot to Morris as the race commemorated the late rider Michael
Worthington from Bronington, who was sadly killed in a car crash
five years and was well liked by everyone in the North western
area.
The Men’s Open was won in fine style by
the Jonathon Lee trained Dare, who found a decent turn of foot
between the final two fences under Adam Wadlow to win readily by 4
lengths from Atlantic Crossing with Guy Brewer in the plate. This
is Wadlow’s best season and his sixth winner and only his
second double in the saddle and both have come this season. The
winner is trained in Welshpool for owners James & Jean Potter
who are also from Welshpool. The Beveled gelding was following up
his recent win in the Members at the Tanatside fixture at
Eyton.
Another Welshpool trainer to find the
winner’s enclosure was Phil Jones, who won the Restricted
with Tom Brown under a confident ride from David Barlow, who beat
the well-backed Proud Andees by 7 lengths. Jones, who also owns the
gelding, has done a brilliant training job to get this horse back
on a course let alone win. He won his Maiden at Eyton in 2003 and
then split his leg open next time out at Chaddesley Corbett and it
has been a long road back but for the trainer a rewarding one.
The Ladies’ Open went to Stormy
Surprise under Victoria Stubbs, who was recording her first ever
winner in the plate. The Glacial Storm gelding ran on strongly from
the last to beat the rallying Benbow under Sarah Edwards by 5
lengths with Tregastel was a further two lengths back in third. The
winner is trained at Corwton, near Northwich by the riders mother
Elizabeth and the horse is owned by her father Philip. The 22 yr
old winning rider works full time as a physiotherapist, which will
come in handy as her mother broke her foot the day before.
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