Welsh Classic festival of harness racing report by Kayleigh Evans

The Tregaron Trotting Club committee welcomed the return of the prestigious Welsh Classic festival of harness racing over the weekend with Welsh connections ensuring they got a slice of the action.

The popular event attracts racegoers from across the UK and Ireland with the best of the best descending on the fields of Dolyrychain.

Coalford Tetrick, the 10-year-old wonder horse who cost only £550 as a yearling and has won in excess of £40,000, took out the Electric mile free for all in a gutsy performance for South Wales based owner/trainer Steve Jones in the hands of Andrew Cairns.

Cliff Beaumont Dowse made a return to the Tregaron winner’s enclosure having won the 1993 Welsh Classic on Extra Spring, this time it was with the Michael O’Mahony trained and driven Be Like Me who took out a heat of the Strata Florida on Saturday, causing an upset in the betting market.

Another local success was that of Alan ‘postman’ Jones who once again delivered over the weekend as owner, trainer and driver with his homebred Ffos B Hasty.

My Buddy also gave him a tremendous run in the highlight of the weekend, the Welsh Classic final to finish in third place.

On Saturday it was anti-post favourite Wye Johnny who landed the spoils for County Durham based trainer Alexis Laidler in the Strata Florida final.

She also trained a further four winners over the weekend including a win with Evenwood Sonofagun who was having his first run back on UK soil having returned from a successful trip to Canada.

He was bidding to be the first horse to win the Welsh Classic final twice.

He put up a valiant effort, coming off a 60 yards trail to finish second by a fast-diminishing neck.

Evenwood Sonofagun’s conqueror and winner of the weekend’s main event was Laneside Logic for Scottish trainer Keir Cullen, driven by his brother Grant.

The same connections also won the Welsh Classic last year when the meeting was moved to Tir Prince due to Covid restrictions, but I am sure they would be the first to admit nothing compares to winning this race in its rightful home.