28 April 2008 Chepstow - Dunraven Bowl
Rhys Flint: out rode James Tudor to secure the prize
If ever there was a bargain buy, it was Lady Myfanwy, purchased as an unbroken three-year-old from Leominster Market for £500. The winner of the 2007 Weatherbys Chase Young Horse championship currently lies second in the standings in this season's table, and still has every chance of taking the title again. She already has six Point-to-Point victories under her girth this season as well as a Bangor Hunter Chase, and on Friday, under a superb ride from Rhys Flint, she added the prestigious Dunraven Bowl to her tally.
Bargains are not only measured in monetary terms, and the Dunraven success was a huge boost to owner Myfanwy Miles, who goes into hospital on May 5th to undergo reconstructive surgery after suffering breast cancer three years ago, and is looking forward to having "a tummy tuck and two new boobs!"
Myfanwy found herself the subject of some quizzical looks as she was cheering her mare to victory. "I started shouting ‘Go on Ruby' [Lady Myfanwy's stable name]," she laughed, "and people around me were thinking ‘Who the hell is Ruby?'"
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Not many riders would get the better of reigning national champion James Tudor in a tight finish, but Rhys Flint, who was 17 on April 10th, proved more than equal to the task, something which his father John attributed to his son's involvement with first pony racing and then Arab racing. "He wouldn't have ridden a finish like that if he hadn't done the Arab racing," he said. "It's really tightened him up. You've got to pinch yourself to believe it," he added.
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Another 17-year-old, John Mathias, holder of the Wilkinson Sword, was a close fourth on Tokpela, trained by his father Philip for Chrissie Toy, and will be hoping for another smooth passage on June 2nd, when he takes his driving test.
It was an unforgettable week for Chrissie, who the previous Saturday had ridden her initial winner between the flags on Howdydoody, the horse which launched John on the road to success last year. Tokpela, who was found for Chrissie by Philip's brother Richard, is the first horse she has owned, and Philip's wife Jan was quick to point out to her "It isn't always like this!"
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If there was an unlucky horse in the race, it was third-placed Chesnut Annie, who had led from flagfall until making a horlicks of the last fence, but owner Beth Roberts was offering no excuses. "That's racing, and she was brilliant," was her verdict. Annie had shown she was up for a battle when being tacked up. "She tried to kick down the saddling box so I knew she was feeling well," Beth smiled.
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Equally delighted was Jonathan Tudor, owner-trainer of runner-up Minsgill Mans. "I've kept him to Point-to-Points this season to make sure he was eligible to run in this, and he's run a great race," said Jonathan, who described the race as "a great advert for Welsh Pointing."
"I bought him for Tom David's parents to have at home, but he was a bit sharp then and Tom's mother wanted something quieter that she could ride herself, so I bought him back," explained Jonathan. "He's so good now, you can lead the children off him."
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Trainer Robert Scrine saddled four runners, but none distinguished itself, with stable jockey Rhys Hughes living up to a jockey's reputation of picking the wrong one - his mount Hume Theatre was struggling from an early stage.
The quartet should have been five, but Little Ed, a six-times winner between the flags, was not in the field. "I spoke to the owner after ten o'clock yesterday and he said ‘I'm going to declare him by 10.30,'" said Scrine's assistant John Moore, "so I said to him ‘No, you're not.' ‘Yes I am,' he insisted, so I said ‘No you're not - entries closed at ten!'"
