By James Stevens
It was heroes from the world of rugby as well as racing on track last week but all were celebrating. The Racing Post’s James Stevens on the week that was in Welsh racing…
Welsh rugby legends enjoyed a trip to the races this week and legendary centre Jamie Roberts enjoyed a winner… at the expense of Dragonbet.
Capped 94 times for Wales, Roberts was on prize-giving duty after the 7f handicap in which he backed the 13-2 winner Gilt Edge. He was joined on the day by greats from his playing days Mike Phillips and Jonathan Davies.
The winning horse, trained by Monmouthshire-based Christopher Mason, has been mentioned in the column before as the amber and black silks he carries are inspired from his owner Steve Bishop’ football team Newport County AFC.
Newport-born Roberts admits his winner was all guesswork but the man involved in three Six Nations-winning team still enjoyed being chased down with a handful of notes by Dragonbet’s founder James Lovell.
A cheery Roberts told the Racing Post: “It’s my first time at Chepstow but Jonathan won the Welsh National with Potters Corner [in 2019] which was pretty cool.Â
“I’ve been to Ascot and Cheltenham and it’s always been good. I think there’s a buzz to racing which is pretty cool, it’s very different to rugby where it’s a long 80 minutes. Here you get that minute or two of a real thrill six or seven times across the day which I really like.”
Galway history on the cards
As ex-pros enjoyed Chepstow, one of the younger members of Wales’ rugby setup was at Bath on Wednesday for a very special day.
U20s prop Zak Giannini toasted his graduation with a day at the races and his family could even more to cheer about as they look set to have a runner at Galway towards the end of the month.
Zak’s dad Salvo is involved in contender Fiveonefive who is set to appear in Ireland after his impressive Cartmel win last time.
And Salvo Giannini has made history at the seven-day bonanza in Ireland before. He owned Amlah who was the first British-trained winner of the Galway Plate in 1998.
The party was said to be so good, Giannini missed four flights and extended his Irish visit by a whole three days. Perhaps similar levels of craic will be enjoyed in the coming weeks?
Plate Peter only third
Peter and Michael Bowen could finish only third and fourth in their quest to deliver a ninth Summer Plate for the Pembrokeshire yard.
Statuario was the best of them, running well for a long way under Sean Bowen, and it continues a brilliant season for the nine-year-old which could get better.
Last week, he was given an entry in the Galway Plate, one of Ireland’s big races during the summer where he would look to be the first Welsh-trained winner of the race.
There was success for the Bowen family at the Market Rasen meeting they make such a effort to win at as Flying Fortune won the 2m4½f handicap hurdle. Sean’s brother James was aboard the good winner.
Championship goes close
Sean Bowen is continuing in the fight to become champion jockey this season and moved within one winner of leader Harry Skelton.
The rider, who finished second in the title race to Harry Cobden, kept the winner’s ticking with success at Worcester on Thursday night aboard Iron Heart.
He concluded the week in excellent style with victory aboard 11-4 favourite Grove Road at Newton Abbot.
You can see Bowen up close in this week’s episode of the primetime horseracing docuseries Champions: full gallop on Friday night. The show will go behind the scenes of the action in last season’s title race.
