Veteran rider Byron Moorcroft of Cowbridge is riding better than ever and on May Day Bank Holiday Monday at the well attended Banwen meeting at Llwyn DD,Glais near Swansea, he chalked-up his 24th winner of the season on Jason Warner's five-year-old chestnut gelding French Piece which scored by three lengths from Gowell after making most of the running. "He's a nice horse but he ran very green and he will kick or bite you given the chance" said Moorcroft who also trains the horse.
The day's riding honours however, went to Carmarthen's Ben Jones, son of former leading Welsh champion rider Dai Jones. Ben won the confined race on Gun Shy, the intermediate on Midnight Folie and the open maiden on Ardview Boy.
Gun Shy, an eleven-year-old bay gelding, owned and trained by Chepstow's Tommy Faulkner, won by two lengths from the pacemaking Moreece. Midnight Folie, who was winning for the third time on the bounce, made all to beat solitary rival the blinkered Ruperra Tom by 25 lengths and Ardview Boy led throughout to win by some 30 lengths from MoreHurryLessHaste.
Just three runners went to post for the men's open race and the odds-on Moral Hazard under Bradley Gibbs, who is making a bold bid to win the national mens championship, came home four lengths ahead of the hooded WalkAbout Creek. "The faster they go the better he is" said Gibbs.
PatrickTom Boru, owned and trained by Bridgend builder Roger Willcox, was made favourite to land the ladies' open race under Jodie Hughes. However,the prolific
winner just couldn't catch the pacemaking Tiger Rag and by the time the winning post was reached was a length-and-a-half in arrears. Tiger Rag was well ridden by Anna Lewis,aged 18, a student in her last year and who was winning her first race of the season.
STARTING PRICES
Confined: Gun Shy (Ben Jones) 5-4 fav
Mens Open: Moral Hazard (Bradley Gibbs) 4-9 fav
Ladies' Open: Tiger Rag (Anna Lewis) 7-4
Restricted: French Piece (Byron Moorcroft) evens fav
Intermediate: Midnight Folie (Ben Jones) 2-7 fav
Maiden: Ardview Boy (Ben Jones) 2-1