On a very hot and humid day last Saturday harness racing returned to the Herefordshire track at Ivington near Leominster.

It was a good day of racing although the intense heat reduced the number of races as owners wished to restrict their charges to one run, but the races produced some exciting results.

The Novice race was the first on the card where the unusually named Juicy Wiggle driven by owner/trainer Mark White from Porthcawl notched up another win to add to their previous two this season.

In second was the rather erratic Ellavafella (Bevan, Builth) while Henrys Best (Williams, Llanafan) was third.

In the Grade B race it was Beg For Mercy owned by Ellie Tromans from Newcastle Emlyn and driven by her father Mathew who claimed a calculated win from the inform Goodtime Hal (Staples, Brecon) while Ayr Major and owner Shane Eggerton from Norton Canon on their first appearance this season were in third.

Seven horses in the Grade A provided plenty of options for the punters with the reliable Whiskyandwater driven by trainer Lynne Boxhall for the Morgan family from Knighton coming home in front of Easy Company with his owner young Elin Bevan from Llanddewi in the plate, with last week’s hero Lakeside Pan (Elder,New Quay) in third.

The Nursery race is for inexperienced horses and this week the ever improving Red Regal with Andrew Hardwick on board added to his reputation for owner Ken Lloyd, from New Radnor. In second was the much improved Ithon Queen (Hawkes, Ludlow) while Brywins Saturn (Rowlands, Rhayader) was in third.

The racing concluded with the Baby Novice races.

In the first Ellavalad owned and trained by Lynne Boxhall from Brecon and driven by Andrew Hardwick won from Black Mambo (Meaney, Merthyr) with Mahogany Batman (Gale, Gorslas) in third.

In the second race Red Cash owned by Sargeant from Newbridge and driven by trainer Andrew Hardwick from Brecon was victorious, coming home in front of Ithon Prince (Duggan, Howey) on his season’s debut while close behind was Ithon Papa (Rowlands, Rhayader)

Next week the racing is again at Ivington, on Saturday 17 June, first race at 1.30pm.

Results:

Novice: 1, Juicy Wiggle (Mark White) owned & trained White Porthcawl; 2, Ellavafella; 3, Henrys Best

Grade B: 1, Beg For Mercy (Matthew Tromans) owned & trained Tromans, Newcastle Emlyn; 2, Goodtime Hal; 3, Ayr Major

Grade A: 1, Whiskyandwater (Lynne Boxhall) owned Morgan, Knighton trained Boxhall Brecon; 2, Easy Company; 3, Lakeside Pan

Nursery: 1, Red Regal (Andrew Hardwick) owned Lloyd, New Radnor trained Hardwick, Brecon; 2, Ithon Queen; 3, Brywins Saturn

Baby Novice – race 1: 1, Ellavalad (Andrew Hardwick) owned & trained Boxhall, Brecon; 2, Black Mambo; 3, Mahogany Batman

Baby Novice - race 2: 1, Red Cash (Andrew Hardwick) owned Sargeant, Newbridge trained Hardwick, Brecon; 2, Ithon Prince; 3, Ithon Papa