28 May 2009 Report: Countryside Alliance Club (Wales) - Bonvilston
by Brian Lee
MISAMON: under Nick Williams, winning his third race of the season
photo: Alun Sedgmore
Local National Hunt trainer Evan Williams's right-hand men, Nick Williams and James Tudor, both rode winners at the Countryside Alliance Point-To-Point at Bonvilston on Bank Holiday Monday where, despite the attraction of a flat racing fixture nearby Chepstow, a good crowd enjoyed a splendid day's racing over the popular Redlands Farm Racecourse.
The course had been watered daily leading up to the races by land owner Tudor Harris and his band of happy workers.
It was Pembrokeshire's Kyle Yates, 20, who stole the day's riding honours with a first ever double - on Manormouse (Restricted) and Holmwood Legend (Intermediate); more on Kyle later.
Tudor, riding Musique En Tete, trained by his cousin Jonathan Tudor and owned by The WhiteBirdPryor Group (Jeffrey Bird, Colin White and Victoria Prior), jumped the last two lengths ahead of Iron Bay to take the Open Maiden race, coincidentally sponsored by Tudor's boss Evan Williams.
Nick Williams, standing in for the injured John Mathias, won the Mens Open, which was sponsored by bookie bashing National Hunt trainer Tim Vaughan, on the odds-on favourite Misamon, who had five lengths to spare over Esters Boy at the finish. The French-bred Misamon, who was winning for the third time this season, is owned by The Supreme Racing Club headed by West Wales National Hunt trainer Dai Rees, and trained by Kristal Harris.
Manormouse is owned by Adrian Simpson who has a high opinion of this six-year-old bay gelding by Luso, and the gelding confirmed his owner's opinion of him, drawing clear three fences from home to win the Restricted by five lengths from Treasured Coin. Manormouse's handler Beverley Thomas stated that this could have been her last winner as she will not be training Point-to-Pointers next season.
Mrs Janet Underwood's Holmwood Legend, a 1,600 guineas buy at Ascot three years ago, had his task in the Intermediate made easier when the odds-on favourite Micks Prospect fell at the first fence. A real old fashioned type of steeplechaser, this eight-year-old son of Midnight Legend finished a fence in front of the only other finisher Danny's Last.
Trained by Mrs Underwood's son David, Holmwood Legend had been runner-up in his previous two starts and was Kyle ‘The Style' Yates' ninth winner of the season - his best yet.
Ruth Birt Llewellin, riding her father's Usk Valley - at fourteen the oldest horse in the six runner field - arrived late on the scene to win the Club Members' race for Novice Riders by three lengths from the pacemaking Verchoyles Lad, with the favourite Up The Boreen a further one and a half lengths back in third. Bought at Ascot four years ago for 3,500 guineas, Usk Valley gave his 23 year-old rider her third career success, and her first for nearly three years.
In the Ladies Open race, Noadibou, a former inmate of Evan Williams's Llancarfan yard, opened up a 4-6 odds-on favourite but drifted to 7-4 to share favouritism with Chandlers Cross. The latter, partnered by Lucy Pearce Rowsell, actually led at the last but the giant 17.1hh Noadibou ran on strongly to win by an official length with Colorado Storm, the early leader, a further two lengths back in third place. "He's a real fun family horse'' said a delighted Sally Thomas, who bought the horse on the recommendation of her daughter's boyfriend Andrew Hardacre, an employee of Evan Williams.
