26 May 2010 Preview: Flint & Denbigh - Bangor-on-Dee
by Arthur Shone
The Flint & Denbigh Hunt have attracted 118 entries for their fixture between the flags at Bangor-on-Dee (LL13 0DA) this Saturday May 29th 2010.
This fixture brings the curtain down on a very successful season in the North Western Area, which has resulted in not a single meeting being lost to the weather, although the Tanaside fixture had to be rescheduled for the following week due to snow on the day of the meeting.
Racing comes under starter's orders at 2.00pm with the Open Maiden race, and is set to conclude at 5.30pm with the PPORA Club Members Conditions contest.
Admission to this popular Welsh course is only £25 per car. For single occupancy the cost will be £15 and pedestrians will be charged £8.
The feature race on the card is the Mixed Open, for the James Griffith Perpetual Challenge Cup, which is named after the late rider from Trefnant, who lost his life tragically in a car accident some years ago. He will always been associated with the prolific winning hunter chaser Eastern Destiny, who used to be trained by his mother Jill Griffith at Trefnant.
Heading the 23 entries is the David Easterby trained My Old Piano who runs in the well known colours of Tom Bannister. The Dr Massini gelding has won eight races from eleven starts between the flags. His last victory came at the Cheshire meeting at Alpraham last month, when he beat the Richard Hewitt trained Le Seychellois by three parts of a length; an interesting rematch could be on the cards as the runner up has since bolted up at Tabley, when accounting for the notable scalp of the 2007 Cheltenham Foxhunter winner Amicelli. David Easterby's sister Cherry Coward has entered the useful Cottam Phantom and the prolific Sonevafushi, another prolific winning pointer that is owned by Tom Bannister. Gary Hanmer's horses are in good form at present and his charge Proud Andees is very useful on his day and a good race is in prospect.
