The Welsh Point to Point season kicks off this weekend at Lydstep, with organisers so far doing a sterling job to fight the weather, enabling them to prep the course, writes Maria Evans.

Entries have been a plenty, with some trainers entering from across the border hoping to get a run into their horses. Dunraven Studs David Brace has a handful of entries, including Irish import, and current leading horses for the season, Doctor Braveheart. The 7 year old and jockey Byron Moorcroft have already notched up three wins for the season.

Local trainer Amber Griffiths has entries in all races, and she and partner John Mathias will be hoping to get some winners on the board, to start their season off good and proper. Mathias will be looking to get his first winner of the season, and the Irish import, Glenteen Easaigh looks an interesting contender in the Open Maiden. He was last seen when falling at the last fence at Trecoed last June. The prolific Rosies Peacock holds an entry in the Men’s Open, and could be Mathias’ most likely winner of the day.

Refreshingly, the West Wales Area sees two young jockeys making their debuts on the Point to Point scene this season, in Ben Jones and Lorcan Williams, both of whom have come up the Pony Racing ranks. Lorcan and his family have a handful of entries, where he’ll be hoping for his first Point to Point completion on either of ones he and connections have entered. Tullyraine and Nicholasville have both run under him this season, so here’s hoping he can get around safely on one of them come Sunday.

GCSE student Ben Jones comes from a well-known racing family, with father Dai and mother Emma having both ridden in Point to Points. Having spent this summer at trainer Jamie Osbourne’s yard in Lambourn, the summer before with Peter Bowen and whenever possible with Amber Griffiths and John Mathias, Ben has done all he can to get the experience necessary to help him in his first season. His first season as a jockey has come as a real family effort, with the whole family, including younger sister Hannah, riding the horses out in the dark mornings and evenings, hunting them since October and even team chasing them last season to get to know the horses. Even Ben’s grandad, Keith Pearce, has had to get back in the saddle to give a help in hand!

This meeting is the first of five for the West Wales Area with the next coming up on Easter Monday, again at Lydstep.