Point-To-Point: Brian Lee Looks Back Three Decades

The Welsh point-to-point season starts with the Curre & Llangibby fixture at Howick near Chepstow on Sunday (November 25). Brian Lee, who has been reporting on the Welsh hunt racing scene for more than half-a-century, takes a look at one of his many press cuttings books. This time for 1989.

My press cuttings scrapbook for 1989 reveal that Cowbridge farmer John Llewellyn notched-up his 200th winner and Llancarfan farmer’s son Evan Williams his first win between-the-flags.

Under the heading ‘ A First For Evan’ my report in a Sunday Newspaper read: “Evan Williams of Llancarfan notched up his first winner in only his second ride in the first division of the restricted open at the Llangibby point-to-point steeplechases on his father’s ten-year-old Cuckoo Mill.

The 6-1 chance won by 12 lengths from Matt Mulcahy in a field of 11 runners. John Llewellyn, as it happened, took the second division on Remember Dewi, the horse which gave him his 200th win.”

Under the heading ‘History Man Llewellyn’ this is what I had to say: “Cowbridge farmer John Llewellyn made Welsh point-to-point history at the Brecon Hunt Steeplechases when notching up his 200th winner on Keith Huntley’s Remember Dewi (maiden division 1).

“Llewellyn, aged 42, needed three wins to join the four English riders who have ridden 200 winners, went one better and landed his first four-timer.”

Llewellyn also won the men’s open division 1 on Solid Oak, a division of the restricted on Goose Green and the second division of the maiden on LC Monro.

St Athan’s John Thomas took the second division of the open on Castle Shepherd and Kevin Cousins a division of the restricted on Sparkling Lord.

At the South Pembrokeshire meet, 18-year-old Joanne Eddy from Porthcawl, a nurse at Bridgend Hospital, landed her first success when winning the adjacent on Norman Jones’s Luchgello, an 8-1 chance who beat the favourite Reay Royal.

Two other Vale of Glamorgan riders who had winners at the meeting were Jonathan Tudor, who won the second division of the maiden on Cheek Major and John Llewellyn who took the first on Earthbound.

I was invited to attend a meeting of point-to-point bookmakers at the Crest Hotel in Cardiff and my report read: ‘Heated arguments about allowing English bookmakers to stand at Welsh point-to-points broke out when 30 of them, mostly Welsh, met with the aim of forming the South and West Wales Point-To-Point Bookmakers Association.

Betting without the favourite, double sized betting boards and the availability of pitches were other topics that had the gentlemen of the turf hot under the collar.

Cardiff bookmaker John Lovell said: “The formation of the association would bring Wales into line with all the other areas in the country and would be of mutual benefit to all concerned.”

John who was responsible for bringing computerised betting to Great Britain was later sadly killed in a motoring accident . He is still sadly missed and his son James has taken over his role.

Butcher Brings Home The Bacon’ was the heading under my report on the Monmouthshire meeting and I wrote: “Bridgend butcher Jonathan Tudor, aged 24, is certainly bringing the bacon home these days.

“He was successful on his uncle’s St Helen’s Boy in a hunter chase at Ludlow and on Saturday he scored an impressive win on Gwyn Davies’ Jimsleeves in the second division of the maiden race at the Monmouthshire Hunt Point-To-Point Steeplechases.

In the winners enclosure after the race, Davies praised Jonathan for giving his mare a super ride.

The former Cowbridge rugby player is making quite a name for himself and is enjoying his best season since he notched up his first winner six years ago.

Jonathan also won a division of the maiden on Jimsleeves.

The large crowd had 38 bookmakerss in attendance to choose from and racecards were soon sold out.

Andrew James had a double with Dashalong and Crumpet Catcher and Karen Bryan, now wife of leading Welsh trainer Peter Bowen, won the ladies’ open race with Green Blossom.

‘Brilliant Angela Grabs Verdict’ was the heading on my report of the Pentyrch meeting which read: “Angela Rucker, aged 24, rode a brilliant finish on her own Powerless to land the Western Mail Ladies’ Open.

The former hurdler was third over the last fence, but got up to win by a head.

It was even closer in the Welsh Point-To-Point Grand National over four miles. Katesville, ridden by Tim Jones, finished

strongly to dead-heat with the 1988 winner Knock On The Head.

The races are held on land owned by Mr and Mrs Rhys Williams’ and their Scottish Grand National winner Roll-A-Joint was paraded in the ring.

Jones was also successful on Suikerbos (Members), and Matt Six (Maiden division 1) and St Athan’s John Thomas won a division of the maiden on Willow Wood.

It was also the year that John’s grandfather Jack Thomas, a stalwart of the Glamorgan Hunt who had his first win on Black Peter at the Pentych Hunt Point-To-Point in 1929 sadly died.

He had been involved in the sport for 60 years.

These days, Emily Jones is well known in horse racing circles and has ridden winners on the flat, over hurdles ,over jumps and has been a successful Arabian horse racing competitor. Back then, though, Emily was unknown and under

the heading ‘Emily Leads Men Merry Dance’ I reported: “Emily Jones, aged 17, led her male rivals a merry dance when landing the second division of the maiden at the Glamorgan Hunt Point-To-Point Steeplechases on her mother’s Come On Sonny.

Emily, the only female rider in the race, made every yard of the running on 10-year-old Come On Sonny, who is qualified with the Tredegar Farmers’ Hunt.

Emily was having only her fourth ride in a point-to-point and judging by the way she handled her mount further success should soon be coming her way.”

There were wins for John Thomas, who won the members’ on Tom Penny, and the second division of the restricted open on Sally Haven.

John Llewellyn won the men’s open on Remember Dewy after Tim Rooney’s mount the unbeaten Sir Noddy took a tumble at the third fence and Phil Williams had a lucky win on Sucre Noire in the first division of the maiden.

The unluckiest rider at the Llandeilo Farmers meeting was John Thomas, who had a brand new jacket stolen from the jockeys’ tent.

It was at this meeting that Tim Jones rode a brilliant finish on Percy Thomas’s Norton’s Coin to win the adjacent by a length from the strongly fancied One For Mammy.

Nortons Coin, of course, went on to win the 1990 Cheltenham Gold Cup at odds of 100-1.

‘Second Could Win By A Nose’ was the heading under my report which read: “Mistress Rock, the Gwent point-to-pointer who finished a distant second to Jymario in the women’s open race at the Llangeinor Hunt Steeplechases earlier this year, could be awarded the race.

Jymario’s owner, Bill Howells, has found himself at odds with the Jockey Club for rubbing Vick on his horse’s nose to prevent it catching a cold before the race.

The Jockey Club’s dope testing unit turned up at St Mary Hill Racecourse near Bridgend on the day Jymario led from start to finish to win by a street from Mistress Rock with 21-year-old Anabel Butler in the saddle.

After the race the dope testing unit took a blood sample from the 11-year-old bay gelding Jymario which proved positive. A

Jockey Club inquiry is due to decide on the issue.”

And finally, I had a dig at some owners when I wrote: “The biggest disappointment of the season came in the members’ race at the Gelligaer Farmers meeting when Bernard Llewellyn’s Merry Tom was allowed a walk-over.

Llewellyn would be the first to admit that Merry Tom is no World-beater yet three other Gelligaer Farmers horses – Likely Tale, Penny Kiron and Hillgate Lady – ran in other races which they had no chance of winning, rather than take him on.

This lack of forethought denied the paying customers a race of sorts.

Let us hope members of the hunt will get their act together in time for next year.’

2018-19 Point to Point fixtures:

NOVEMBER

Saturday 24

Sunday 25

Sunday 25