20 April 2009 Report: Tivyside - Lydstep
by Amanda Sloyan
MISAMON (right): and John Mathias win the Mens Open
photo: Alun Sedgmore
Chesnut Annie and Isabel Tompsett have a complete stranglehold on the Welsh Ladies Open races this year, with Beth Robert's 8 year old mare putting once again a distance between herself and her nearest rival.
Despite the Ladies Race being sponsored by Insurance Firm Brightwells, who provided an additional £720 to the prize money as part of their Order of Excellence race series, entries form outside the principality did not materialise, leaving the Llangeinor qualified Annie to record her eighth win of the season easily, increasing her lead in the National Champion Horse Title by four wins.
The Richard Nicholas-owned Intermediate winner Casey Tiles provided trainer Beverley Thomas with her fifth winner of the season. Kyle Yates comfortably put 28 lengths between himself and sole rival, John Mathias on Kinsale King.
The two jockeys were to reverse the order in the next race, the Men's Open. Mathias, aboard Misamon for owners ‘The Supreme Racing Club', this time got to the judge first by eight lengths, from Yates aboard Mary & Billy Evans' In The Frame. With the winner trading at 1-3 it was to prove wiser to wait and take the best price of the day for a Mathias winner in the Restricted when course and distance winner Rosies Peacock followed up his previous Easter Monday success, this time at 2-1. John recorded a treble on the day after taking the Members race in a walk over, aboard Dai Rees' Kisha King
Dancing Credit, another Easter Monday winner, made the most of the fine weather and similar ground conditions, coming home a distance clear in the Confined, Simon & Lucy Jones' mare will now be kept busy while conditions suit.
The Maiden with 14 runners was the biggest field of the day, Chandlers Cross and Dai Jones were sent off the 7-4 favourites but they may have been fortunate winners. When approaching the last ditch in fourth place and lying about 10 lengths off the lead, Keith Pritchard's gelding was able to capitalise on the three leaders all taking independent falls. This was just desserts for Dai, who had taken a heavy fall himself at the ditch when disputing the lead in the maiden on Easter Monday; he was able to come home by 5 lengths from the staying on Mac Two.
