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Seven Summer Plates for Peter Bowen as James joins brother Sean on one apiece

Peter Bowen: won the Summer Plate for the seventh time
Peter Bowen: won the Summer Plate for the seventh timeCredit: David Dew (racingpost.com/photos)

Plenty of family days out included a sweaty seven-and-a-half-hour drive this sunny weekend but not many ended with collecting a cool £22,780 prize.

The Bowens from Pembrokeshire are always to be feared when they head east and trainer Peter landed the Betway Summer Plate for the seventh time as Francky Du Berlais made it three wins in his last four starts with a seven-and-a-half-length success.

It was a third triumph for owner Roddy Owen and a first for jockey James Bowen, matching brother Sean who was on board the pulled up Lord Bryan this time - and took the later 2m1f chase on Rooster Cogburn.

"We love this race," said their mother Karen. "Peter tries to find horses that are suitable and targets them. We seem to do well at the track – and it's nice prize-money. I'm delighted for Roddy, he's been a fantastically loyal owner for many years.

"The boys were as excited as each other. This is James's biggest win on one of our horses and Sean will still be as happy for James as he would have been for himself – they're competitive but they support each other."

Stonking Stonific

Swapping Beverley for Market Rasen paid off for the Hurn Racing Club – who were so excited they were probably heard back in their home town.

The enthusiastic syndicate has been going for a quarter of a century and landed its biggest success as Stonific reverted to jumping to land a thrilling Betway Summer Handicap Hurdle in which just a length and three-quarters covered the first six home.

"We've had our syndicate 25 years trying to get a winner at Beverley and he did it twice last year," said Steve Jessop, ex-groundsman at Beverley racecourse and founder member of a club which shares the David O'Meara-trained 40-1 shot with Welsh group Rasio Cymru 1.

"He was meant to run in the Watt Memorial there last Tuesday and we had a big private box but we decided we'd go for this. And bingo! It's unbelievable.

"We're working-class people. We all put £300 in 25 years ago and we started with Ken Hogg in the Isle of Man. We went to John Wainwright and Noel Wilson, we've been with David four years and this is tremendous. I had a few quid on but we'd have been very happy if he'd have finished in the first five – this is just a dream."

Steve Jessop and partner Donna Cooper, excited part-owners of Stonific
Steve Jessop and partner Donna Cooper, excited part-owners of StonificCredit: David Carr

Super Sid

Exciting times indeed. Alex Hales marked the imminent return of his stable stars by scoring a significant success with new recruit Sid Hoodie.

The trainer, whose For Pleasure was third in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and Millers Bank third in the Aintree Hurdle, was delighted to take the 2m½f handicap hurdle with Sid Hoodie.

"When Charlie Mann retired he very kindly asked his owners to send some horses our way and this was one of them," Hales said.

"I'm thankful because Charlie put a lot of faith in me to do the job and this is the first winner we've had."

Asked about his two novice chase prospects for 2021-22, Hales said: "They come back in tomorrow, I can't wait. They're both going to go chasing so it's exciting times. But we dare not dream too much!"


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David CarrReporter

Published on 17 July 2021inReports

Last updated 17:38, 17 July 2021

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