01 April 2008 Glamorgan - Ystradowen
Well Mick: one of Rhys Hughes' three winners on the day
Hengoed's Rhys Hughes chalked-up his second hat-trick of the season at the rain-soaked Glamorgan Hunt Point-to-Point with Well Mick (young horse Maiden), Little Ed (Confined) and Bob Bites Back (Restricted) - and all three are trained at Pyle by Robert Scrine.
Well Mick caught the pacemaking Up The Boreen at the last fence to win by one-and-a-half lengths, Little Ed made it five wins in a row when clocking the fastest time of the day and Bob Bites Back won by six lengths from My Beauty after the odds-on Joshua Squashaur, never a danger, was pulled-up.
However, Joshua Squashaur's owner/trainer David Brace was successful with Imperial Sam (older horse Maiden) and Mike Golden (Intermediate) and both were ridden by Lucy Pearce Rowsell.
Imperial Sam, who broke a pelvis last year, won by eight lengths from the odds-on favourite Leahy and Mike Golden scored by two lengths from Blazing Ember. Deano Coleman who finished third and last on Mvezo was fined £60 for failing to weigh-in.
Alan Johns, 19, who won the Mixed Open race on his mother's Adventurist, a former inmate of Peter Bowen's yard, came in for plenty of praise.
Alan, who is studying for his A Levels, was having only his second ride in a Point-to-Point having been unseated from Adventurist at the second fence in the Men's Open at the South Pembrokeshire on Easter Monday.
Adventurist took up the running three fences from the finish to win by 15 lengths from El Corredor. The odds-on Red Man never looked like winning and was eventually pulled up. Conditions were so bad during this race - heavy rain and a gale force wind - that race commentator Iain Mackenzie had difficulty in identifying the riders' colours and called Lanaken as the winner until realising his mistake.
Meanwhile, Rhys Flint, who won on Lady Myfanwy at the South Herefordshire on Easter Monday, notched-up his first win under rules on this game mare when landing a hunter chase at Bangor on Saturday.
Twenty-four hours later, at Sunday's Cattistock meeting at Littlewindsor, Rhys brought his season's tally of) Point-to-Point wins to 12 when winning on Iris's Prince (Men's Open) and Bobosh (Novice Riders). Nick Williams won the Maiden here on Range Rover.
Good news is that Kathryn Christopher, who was injured at the recent Curre & Llangibby meeting, is now out of hospital. It was also good to see former rider Marion Thomas striding out at muddy Ystradowen after having a knee operation. Marion was a leading rider in the 1950s and 60s and some enthusiasts will associate her with Tarawera and Red Rover 11 on whom she won numerous races.
