A group of Welsh point-to-point fans are resurrecting a course to help maintain the sport in their part of Britain.
Lower Machen, which is ten minutes from the M4 motorway near Newport in South Wales, last staged racing in 2019, but the land has subsequently been bought by well-known racehorse owner Dai Walters. Head of the Walters Group, a civil engineering, plant and development company, he created Ffos Las, the racecourse which opened in 2009 on the site of a former open-cast coal mine.
Tim Jones, who lives near Lower Machen and who was involved in the running of it from its re-opening in 2002 until its now temporary closure, says: “We are very, very fortunate that Dai Walters bought the land and mentioned holding some point-to-points. He asked us what we felt could be done to improve the course and he has since carried out work that no farmer could do. He has the machinery to shift tons in a day.
“We were ready to open last year, but couldn’t get dates, but we are now set to hold a meeting on Sunday, November 9 and another on Sunday, April 19.”
The number of fixtures in Wales has fallen sharply in the past decade, but the reopening of Lower Machen bring meetings in Wales back up to five, with two set to be held at Howick near Chepstow, while The Welsh International meeting takes place at Ffynnon Druidion near the Pembrokeshire coast.
Jones says: “We’ve put together a committee of proven point-to-point fans with years of experience. Jonathan Tudor’s family are involved with William Tudor as chairman, Billy Pugh [trainer] is there and Sam Thomas [the racehorse trainer and Gold Cup winning former jockey] is joint clerk of the course with me.
“We didn’t want people saying in years to come, ‘Why didn’t you keep point-to-pointing going in Wales?’.”
Tim Jones (above) is grateful to Dai Walters for helping to resurrect Lower Machen (Ce)
Jones says the aim is to get the November meeting run and then take readings from participants and spectators. He says: “You won’t notice many changes when we reopen, but the running line has definitely improved. In time I’d like to think we could hold three or four meetings, and that should encourage Welsh people to have horses again.”
Keen to attract runners, Jones says a hospitality tent for owners, trainers and stable staff will be in operation at each meeting, and to help with that cost a fund-raiser is being held at Haven Hill, Rudry, on Sunday, August 24, at 6.30pm.
More details of that event can be found here: https://www.pointtopoint.co.uk/news_articles/south-wales-area-point-to-point-fundraiser