January - Moment of the Month
The winner of the Moment of the Month for last month was Bea Coward who trained her first point to point winner at Larkhill with only her second ever runner. Bea, who trains just two horses from her base at Barrow Street near Mere on the Somerset/Wiltshire border, is a former work rider for Caroline Keevil but this season is her first as a trainer in her own right.
The horse that provided her victory was a nine year gelding called Arcal Fifty who prior to arriving in her yard had run fifteen times without winning a race. Starting his career in Ireland he was placed in a number of point-to-points before being sold to an English point-to-point stable where again he was placed. He again moved yards at the end of the season in 2017 where he was second in a race at Garthorpe. Bought on the recommendation of bloodstock agent Mel Smith, Will Shields the husband of Sarah Coward, Bea’s mother, became the gelding’s new owner together with Jon Pike. The horse has been running for the enthusiastic 12 strong Barrow Street Racing Club and on his first outing at Larkhill at the beginning of the month he was disputing the lead when the race was declared void. On his second outing for Bea again at Larkhill there was no mistake this time and under an excellent ride from Tommie O’Brien who followed Bea’s instructions to the letter he won easily with the winning margin being given as nine lengths.
To train any winner in the competitive Wessex area is a notable achievement but with only your second ever runner and having only one other unraced horse to work with Bea’s success is particularly noteworthy so the Wessex Public Relations Team were delighted to award January’s bottle of champagne to her. This was presented to her at the South Dorset meeting at Milborne St Andrew on 4th February by Bob Bracher.
