3 minute read
Veteran trainer retired in January after more than 1000 winners.
Chepstow welcomed a crowd back for the first time since early 2020 – and took the opportunity too to remember the career of Milton Bradley, who retired at the age of 86 in January.
Bradley, who trained more than 1000 winners from his yard at Sedbury just a few miles from Chepstow, was not present – but the Welsh track made it a fitting meeting for a man whose career exceeded 50 years.
"I thought it was really important to recognise what he has done for racing – he trained three or four miles from here," Phil Bell, executive director South West for Arena Racing told Sky Sports Racing.
"We awarded him a lifetime achievement award at the Welsh racing awards in 2019. He hasn't been in great health, and it's important to remember those fantastic horses that ran up sequences over jumps – and a horse like The Tatling, who he claimed relatively cheaply.
"I thought 'let's give him time in the limelight'."
On the return of crowds as coronavirus restrictions ease, Bell said: "We got relatively short notice, only a week to sell the tickets for today, so we've only got three or four hundred here – but that's better than nobody, because it's been 18 months.
"It was January 2020 since we last had people here – a long time ago – and the weather's great."
Proceedings got under way with victory for Regulator (100-30), who recovered from a slow start to comfortably take the Milton Bradley Celebration Race Day Handicap by three lengths under Josh Bryan for Somerset trainer Alex Dunn.
Bryan was delighted to be successful on a card honouring Bradley.
He said: "I had a couple of winners for him, and he was a great trainer. It's brilliant."
The winning jockey added that the presence of a crowd, though small, added to the experience.
"I was here last weekend, and it was dead," he said.
"It always makes a difference when there's crowds here. The sport would not be the same without crowds."
Jockey honours were shared on the card between Ryan Tate and Tom Marquand, who completed doubles.
Mahagoni (15-2) showed the benefit of his debut run when sticking to his task gamely for Tate to land the Chepstow Plant International Mighty Marine EBF Maiden Stakes.
Sit Mark Prescott's youngster knuckled down to beat Cavalluccio by two lengths.
Tate doubled up on the Laura Mongan-trained Millions Memories (10-1) in the Sooty Tern Grey Dolphin Offa's Mead Handicap.
Tom Marquand won on both Equally Fast and Sea La Rosa.
He brought Equally Fast (5-2 favourite) with a late run to take the Chepstow Plant International Yangtse Kiang Handicap for trainer Ron Harris.
Marquand then made the running on Sea La Rosa (4-6 favourite) to outpoint market rival Red Square by two lengths in the Chepstow Plant International Brevity And Englishman Fillies' Novice Stakes.
