There were Cheltenham clues, big winners and a major surprise in just seven days for Welsh racing. The Racing Post’s James Stevens has more…
A Welsh-trained horse was at the centre of the week’s big betting story with a huge gamble coming off at Uttoxeter on Saturday.
Owl Of Athens had been well beaten in seven starts, by a total of 277 lengths, and was priced up at 80-1 to win the 2m4f handicap hurdle for Evan Williams. Yet he was backed like victory was out of the question in the afternoon and went off 85-40 favourite.
The market support was clearly warranted as he bolted clear to record a first victory in comfortable fashion by eight lengths. His Glamorgan-based trainer said testing conditions helped him show his true form.
“It’ll be very interesting to know the ins and outs of it all,” the winning trainer told Racing Post. “One of the owners had £20 each-way, but I don’t know if that’s what people consider a gamble these days.
“He handled the ground and he jumped for the first time in his life. It wasn’t pretty but he kept plugging away. We hoped it would be hard work and it was. It enabled him to pop away and jump better.”
Cheltenham winner
The big meeting this week was at Cheltenham on Saturday where Sean Bowen proved exactly why he could be named champion jockey this season with an incredible winning ride on Moon D’Orange.
His mount, trained by John McConnell in Ireland, looked to be travelling strongly but made a complete mess of the final fence and Bowen did a superb job to keep on board before staying on to defeat Grandeur d’Ame by a short-head.
He also enjoyed winners at Warwick, Leicester and a Huntingdon double before finishing the weekend with a Fontwell success to maintain his position at the top of the jockey standings.
Ahead of Monday’s racing he is 12 clear of Harry Skelton and the hot favourite to land his first title.
Sean’s brother James has also been one of the success stories of the season and he was in the headlines in the other big weekend meeting at Doncaster.
He was given a first ride for leading Irish trainer Jessica Harrington and took full opportunity as he defeated favourite Kateira in a thrilling finish, just getting up by a head. There was drama too before the race as he was unseated on the way to the start.
Legendary colours
Top young rider Callum Pritchard continues to impress and he looked good in the most famous jump racing silks of JP McManus at Doncaster on Friday.
He had the pressure on aboard 1-2 favourite Meetmebythesea in the 2m½f novice hurdle but he managed to get it right to win by a neck on a windy day in Yorkshire.
That completed a hat-trick for the Ben Pauling-trained five-year-old and he could be one to follow in bigger races.
Festival focus
The latest entries for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival races were revealed on Tuesday with Wales having a few entries among the Grade 1 novice races.
Rebecca Cutis has a hugely exciting talent in Haiti Couleurs, an impressive winner at Cheltenham in December, and he was entered for the Brown Advisory for which he is 33-1 with DragonBet.
But that might not be his main target as he looks tailormade for the National Hunt Chase, for which entries are revealed on February 18.
Curtis also has the exciting Newton Tornado entered in the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle and Albert Bartlett, for which he is 100-1 and 50-1 with DragonBet.
Sam Thomas also gave Celtic Dino an entry in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and he is 66-1 for DragonBet.