Horse racing in Wales
History
Organised horse racing in Wales originated with the gentry and aristocracy and among the earliest organised racing were point-to-point meetings.[1] By 1833 there were internationally recognised flat races at many locations around the country, including Cowbridge, Haverfordwest, Conwy, Aberystwyth, Brecon and Wrexham.[1] The Cowbridge races were very popular and attracted entries from as far away as Yorkshire. Steeplechasing began at Bangor-on-Dee racecourse in the 1850s and is still a racecourse to this day.
When diarist
The 20th century saw the Welsh working class embrace the sport, mainly due to newspaper coverage and the spread of off-course betting.
Harness racing
A popular, if unusual, form of horseracing in Wales is harness racing, known in Wales as 'trotting'.
Notable Welsh jockeys
Wales has produced several jockeys of note, including Jack Anthony who won the Grand National on three occasions (1911, 1915 and 1920),[6] Hywel Davies who won it in 1985 and Carl Llewellyn who won the race in 1992 and again in 1998. Another notable Welsh jockey was Dick Francis, who was British jump racing Champion Jockey in the 1953-54 season and was famous for riding Devon Loch when the horse slipped close to the winning post when leading the 1956 Grand National.[7] In retirement Francis became a best-selling author of crime novels set in the racing world.
Two jockeys have been inducted into the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame. Jack Anthony and Geoff Lewis, who in 1971 won both the Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Mill Reef.[8]
Racehorse training in Wales
Two horses trained in Wales have won Britain's premier steeplechase, the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Patron Saint in 1928 and Norton's Coin in 1990. Norton's Coin, at 100-1, is the longest-priced winner of the race and won in a then-record time. He was trained by his owner, Sirrel Griffiths, a dairy farmer from Nantgaredig in Carmarthenshire.[9]
In the first decade of the 21st century, several trainers based in Wales have made an impact in National Hunt racing. Evan Williams, based in the Vale of Glamorgan, and Peter Bowen from Pembrokeshire have established themselves as successful trainers while Tim Vaughan, also from the Vale of Glamorgan, has started out on a training career with some success. Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of two Grand National winners and Imperial Commander, the 2010 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, is Welsh, although his training stables are in England.[10]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h Davies (2008) p. 376
- ISBN 0-904730-05-0.
- ^ a b c Davies (2008) p. 377
- ^ Senior, David (26 September 2006). "Harness racing". BBC Wales. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
- ^ "Rasus". S4C. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
- ^ "Anthony, John Randolph (1890 - 1954)". Horse Racing History. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
- ^ Hayler, Will (14 February 2010). "Scars of Devon Loch's Grand National never healed for Dick Francis". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
- ^ "Geoff Lewis: Professional jockey and winner of the 1971 Derby on Mill Reef". BBC Wales. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
- ^ L Sullivan (18 August 2008). "Norton's Coin". thisissouthwales.co.uk.
- ^ Aly Rowell (8 September 2010). "Welsh racing celebrates its fantastic four". BBC Sport..
Bibliography
- ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.