The Creselly meeting was held on the Bank Holiday with a bumper crowd in attendance. The threatening clouds that hovered over the picturesque course moved away and were replaced by clear skies and sunshine but left a strong wind as a reminder that the weather was not too far away.
It isn’t too often that you see a horse and rider of the same age entering the winner’s enclosure. But this was the case in the opener, the Hunt Members, when seventeen-year-old Harry Llewellyn partnered his family’s Astracad to victory. This was very much a local victory, and they received a rowdy reception on their return to the paddock enclosure. This was Harry’s first ride, so having given himself a 100% strike rate he has set the bar high for his future endeavours. The Cadoudal gelding has only had four starts in point to points and didn’t embark upon his point-to-point career until the grand old age of sixteen. Rhian Howells chased them home in second aboard Candy Burg after the departure of Where Eagles Dare on the approach to the final bend left it a two-horse contest.
It had been a very early start for the Bradley Gibbs team having left their Hertfordshire base in the early hours to get to the track with four of their charges. The first of these to put in an appearance was Sleek’N’Chic for Ratkacha Racing, the six-year-old daughter of Mahler saw off her rivals to score by three lengths from Stopbeatingyourgums and James King. M’Lady May was a further ten lengths back in third.
Voodoo Doll had amassed some seventy-six thousand pounds in prize money in his career under rules before he turned his attention to Point to Pointing and has carried both daughters of Evan Williams at some point in the last few years. Monday saw the first of his wins between the flags when taking the Ladies Open at 7/4 favourite by six lengths. Anna Lewis had to settle for second on Sunset Showdown with Souriyan back in third.
It wasn’t too long before Anna Lewis had the chance to ride into the winners spot herself as she took the Intermediate contest with Frankie Faulkner with the even money favourite Honey I’m Good from the Bradley Gibbs yard in second. The Malinos gelding had run well at Howick back in March and was an easy winner on this reappearance. The six-year-old is still lightly raced having had only seven starts between the flags. Howick winner Debacle was unable to mount a challenge to the first two coming home in third.
James King had a full book of rides at the meeting and would probably have hoped for more than his one winner on the day. The win came in the form of two to one favourite All Thumbs Up for Luke Price and Ynsybwl farmer David Van Poucke. This was the gelding’s first start between the flags having gained experience under Irish rules when trained by Tom Lacey and last seen in a Southwell Handicap Chase. Merry Dreamer and Inca Rose filled the minor positions.
The Men’s Open saw the return to Wales of Highway Jewel who romped home in a time that matched that of the Ladies race to score easily under Bradley Gibbs being fifteen lengths ahead of her nearest rival. Coquin Mans and James King were her nearest challengers with Staple Head back in third. This win gave Bradley a double on the day and made the long journey home more bearable. The mare has only one way of running and her jockey has little option in the matter, she has been little seen in the past couple of seasons but hopefully luck will be on her side in this year’s campaign.