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Cardiff remembered: Memories of flapping races at ‘the Ascot of Wales’ in the 1950s

Author Brian Lee writes a weekly history and nostalgia column for the South Wales Echo.

Saffron Jenkins

Saffron Jenkins, InYourArea Community

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Cardiff remembered: Memories of flapping races at ‘the Ascot of Wales’ in the 1950s

Pictured is Brian's race card. Image: Brian Lee.

Written by Brian Lee

SOME 65 years ago, on May 6, 1954, I caught a bus to Castleton from Cardiff to attend a flapping (unlicensed) horse race meeting.

I recall the racecourse had been billed as “The Ascot of Wales” and, if I remember rightly, the bus stopped outside the Coach and Horses pub.

I cannot remember how much I paid to get on to the racecourse but the race card cost me a shilling, or 5p in today’s money.

It also informed its buyers that the clerk of the course was Councillor Layton Lougher and that one of the judges was the great lightweight boxer Jimmy Wilde, whom I once had the honour of meeting.

According to my pencil-marked race card, which I have kept all these years, the first race which was run over one mile for 15hh ponies was won by Dan Jones of Porth’s Highland Boy, which carried joint top weight of 9st 10lb and went off the 6-4 favourite. Unfortunately, the race card didn’t list the jockeys.

As for prize money, the winner picked up £32, the second £6 and the third £2.

The well-known Cardiff bookmaker WT “Billo” Griffiths presented a silver cup to the winner of the Farm Stakes Coronation owned by a Mr TH Morgan, of Cowbridge.

Horses came from Brecon, Whitland, Allensmoor, Merthyr, Machynlleth, Llandrindod Wells, Hereford and other places to race but, as far as I am aware, that was the only time a flapping meeting was held at Castleton.

Pictured is Brian's race card. Image: Brian Lee.

Four years later, in 1958, I found myself in Pontcanna Fields, Cardiff, attending another flapping meeting – this time organised by the Society of Sportsmen (Wales) in aid of the Empire Games Appeal Fund.

One trainer who had several entries at the meeting was Chepstow’s Milton Bradley who was recently presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Welsh Horse Racing Awards evening at Chepstow Racecourse.

Another now well-known Welsh trainer who had runners at this meeting was Ebbw Vale’s Dai Burchell and I have had the honour of reporting on the success of these two veteran Welsh trainers over many, many years.

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These days, of course, the Jockey Club or British Horse Racing Board do not tolerate those owners, riders and trainers taking part in these unrecognised meetings which appear to have disappeared from the Welsh scene.

One Welsh jockey who began his race-riding career at these meetings was Tyrone Williams, son of boxer Lenny The Lion Williams. He went on to win, among other big races, the Lincoln Handicap, the Ebor Handicap and the Royal Hunt Cup and when he handed in his jockey’s licence in 2005, he returned to his flapping roots and won the Trademen’s Handicap at Hawick in Scotland known as the Flappers’ Derby.

Front cover of Brian Lee book Racing Rogues.

For more information on these unrecognised race meetings, see my book Racing Rogues: The Scams, Scandals and Gambles of Horse Racing in Wales which was published by St David’s Press in 2016 and reprinted a year later.

  • Please send your pictures and stories to Brian Lee, Cardiff Remember, South Wales Echo, Six Park Street, Cardiff, CF10 1XR
  • or email brianlee4@virginmedia.com
  • If sending a letter, please include your phone number.

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