The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything. Mia Hamm
It’s over for another year! The third running of our local race meeting couldn’t have been blessed with better weather, and as I looked out across the track from our temporary stables at all the cars lined across the bank and the huge crowd stood in the sun between the bar and bookies, I couldn’t help but feel that we were finally seeing the fruits of our labours. For this is the meeting that The Boss, Mrs B and myself help to organise (for our sins). I’ve made reference to it throughout my posts for some time, always holding off explaining our involvement fully in case the weather decided to interfere and we were forced to abandon (a constant threat for all grass track race committees). Thankfully, mercifully, last night probably couldn’t have gone much better (naturally there were a few kinks that will hopefully be ironed out for next year, but we really are trying our best). Now, the day after, I can look back at it and say that I did actually enjoy myself on the night!
Background: The Boss was getting fed up of having to travel an hour/an hour and a half every week just to race (excluding Boughrood which is roughly half an hour away), and had identified a field on his son-in-law’s farm that he felt would be suitable to run a meeting on. Somehow he managed to convince Kevin that this was a good idea, and the committee was formed. The first meeting was run in June 2011, and I helped as much as possible on the day. As far as turnout was concerned, we had a bumper crowd and the racing was a great spectacle, however several issues were identified and certain things were changed for the following year.
I was invited to join the committee in December 2011, and one of the first things we did as a committee was agree to run heats and a final at the second meeting in 2012. Last summer we were very lucky to get a dry evening for the racing, however due to the terrible weather in the days leading up to the meeting we lost out on some local spectators as there was shearing that needed to be done! The track also suffered slightly and we just managed to get the racing finished before the heavens opened again. As I said, we were very lucky as the grass meetings both the weekend before and after were both cancelled due to the inclement weather. Last year we ran handicap heats and an open preferred handicap final, which the BHRC were not in agreement with (although they advertised it on their website for three weeks before ringing Mrs B two days before the meeting to say we couldn't run the races in this format). It turned out that there was no rule against this format and it went ahead, with Howards Contender getting up from the 10 hole to beat Another Toto (drawn 9) in a very close finish. Despite the competitive racing and good finishes, there was some talk after the meeting that Grade 2 horses (those drawn 1/2 on the gate) could never beat a Grade 9 or 10 horse (drawn 9/10 on the gate), although if the people who criticised it had been at the meeting and seen the job that Howards Contender had on his hands to actually win, perhaps they wouldn't have been so quick to slate it.
Fast forward to this year - due to the workload it was decided to ask a couple more people to join the committee. Stephen, a local lad whose parents run the pub in Cilmery and who is interested in harness racing as a spectator/punter, and Geannette, the driver Jamie Davies' sister, were both asked to join and both accepted. The overall format was agreed to be the same as last year, however the heats would be for Grade 1+ horses, and the top ten handicapped horses that entered would be removed from the heats and run in their own £1000 preferred FFA. This was on top of the £1000 open preferred handicap final.
We had over 100 entries, which were split into two qualifiers, three maiden races, one novice race, five heats, a PFFA and a final. Yesterday Smarty and me got to the track at 10am, pottered about for the morning down the track and in the house (Julie, Geannette and me were on sandwich duty for the sponsors tent), had lunch in the garden and then I sorted numbercloths before sitting on the gate for an hour to catch the lorries arriving. As always, Trefor Morgans was the first one in; 1:45pm he arrived, with the first qualifier due to go off at 5pm! Mervyn (Sammy, Bongo and Hamish's owner) and Geraint (Julie's husband) took over once The Boss and Julie came back from the yard with the horses, and we set up camp in Kevin's block of stables just above the track.
Mac was in the first race drawn 3; the two horses inside him started badly and getting to the first corner he was clear to take the inside rail...and then he galloped. Not just a skip, or a stumble, but full on galloping. I could see The Boss trying to get him back but he was fighting it and I am genuinely surprised he didn't snap his hobbles. In the space of an eighth of a mile he'd gone from first to last. He half-rallied but the same thing happened again on the second lap and that was his race truly over. The Boss came back up 'the chute' (our own private roped off walkway back to the stables) and said something didn't feel right; Mac hasn't done anything like that on the track before so I knew too that something was up. I washed him down with the help of my apprentice, Meg* and set about quietly harnessing up Sammy and Jingo ready for races six and seven.
*Meg came on the visit with the Pony Club and took a real interest in the horses and racing. Instead of coming to the races and just watching she was keen to help me with the horses, and I won't turn down an extra pair of hands on a busy evening! She's also coming to Allensmore on Sunday with us, so she must have enjoyed herself!
The Boss was out with Sammy in race 6, drawn two on the gate. He couldn't get to the front like last year, but sat patiently in second for the biggest part of the race before trying to challenge down the back straight on the second lap. He was unable to pass the leader and was pipped on the line by a head to not qualify for the final (first two horses from each heat qualified). Still, a good run and still a few weeks from 100%, plus a rosette meant that we were relatively pleased. Sammy doesn't run badly, it's not something he knows how to do, and he didn't let us down at all. It was all systems go then to get Julie out for race 7 with Jingo. He was drawn three on the gate but as I was busy washing Sammy and walking him up and down the lane I missed the biggest part of the race. The commentator wasn't overly loud or enthusiastic so I couldn't hear where Jingo was placed, but as they headed down the back straight away from us for the second time I could see the back horses through the trees and Jingo wasn't one of them! That's when I heard Ray Jenkins say Woodstone Jingo was in the lead - I threw a sponge at Meg and pelted it up the lane and into the field. The track came into sight just as Julie and Jingo crossed the line in front of Stevie Lees, and I may have whooped and cheered and shouted Jingo's name at the top of my voice, and done a little dance on my own! I ran to let them back up the chute and saw some more of the Pony Clubber's who'd visited, and they were all so excited to see that Jingo had won (after having sat in the sulky behind him on the yard).
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| Woodstone Jingo winning his maiden - photos courtesy of Graham Rees |
I didn't have much time to celebrate with Julie as Hamish was straight out with The Boss in race 8. He was also drawn three, and although he ran well for the first lap and a half he faded coming up the home straight to finish. The Boss said he had little steering as Hamish has started clamping down on the one rein again, so it's back to the drawing board with him. A shame really, as he ran so well at Walton last week.
Once all my boys were washed, dried, walked and had had a drink, I headed straight to the bar :) figured I deserved a drink too, after running around like a headless chicken all day in the sweltering heat. Smarty was working away bookmaking and I found my friend Emma so we could watch the PFFA and final together. Alan Haythornthwaite drove a calm race to win the first £1000 prize, and then Sarah Allen and Huw Thomas fought it out with Elysium Lightning and Wellfield Earl in the final, but Huw had more horse coming up the slight incline and took the £1000 for Roy Sheedy with Early Wurly. You may recall one of my posts where I went to stay with Rachel, and I rode Earl for about three hours (and subsequently couldn't walk properly!). I'd like to say that ride had some impact on his performance, but it didn't and I'm just content to say I've ridden the Cilmery heat and final winner!
Full results:
Race 1 - Maiden
1st Blackfield Bling
2nd Hilltop Skipper
3rd Blue Bear
2.17.4 2 1/2 & 1L
Race 2 - Heat 1 Grade 1
1st Elysium Lightning
2nd Ontop Girlcharmer
3rd Billy Elliot
2.12.5 neck & 1L
Race 3 - Heat 2 Grade 1
1st Sams Teatime
2nd Ontop Wye Preach
3rd Hurricane Howard
2.13.9 head & nose
All three trained by Stevie Lees - winner driven by Stevie, second driven by Chris Nicol & third driven by Stevie's son, James
Race 4 - Heat 3 Grade 2 & 3
1st Wellfield Earl
2nd Caenwood Slipaway
3rd Gingerman
2.11.7 1 & 2 1/2L
Race 5 - Heat 4 Grade 3 & 4
1st Ladyford Desire
2nd Brywins Unicorn
3rd What About Me
2.12.4 head & neck
Race 6 - Heat 5 Grade 5 & 6
1st Krakatoa
2nd Ffynnon
3rd Dark Fox
2.09.8 4L & head
Race 7 - Maiden
1st Woodstone Jingo
2nd John Dillinger
3rd Wellfield Willy
2.11.3 3 1/2 & 4L
Race 8 - Maiden
1st Stuttgart
2nd Brywins Jewel
3rd Ynyston Lucky Cam
2.15.6 5 & 3/4L
Race 9 - Novice & Grade 1
1st Hanna Montana
2nd Caenwood Dafydd
3rd Rhyds Jigsaw
2.14.6 head & head
Race 10 - Preferred FFA
1st Brywinsmagicpotion
2nd Camden Casanova
3rd Rhyds Fivestar
2.06.7 3 1/2 & 1/2L
Race 11 - OPH Final
1st Wellfield Earl
2nd Elysium Lightning
3rd Ladyford Desire
2.10.7 3/4 & 1L
A quote for Wellfield Earl - Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character. John Wooden
Well done to connections of all winning horses, and thank you to all those who helped and contributed to make Cilmery Races such a success! See you all there next year!
Over and out,
Sarah (#1 [tired] Groom)
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