TREGARON trotting Club chairman Huw Evans made a successful raid on the second harness racing meeting under BHRC rules at Allensmore last weekend and lugged home a sackful of spoils, including the Mike Strickland Memorial Trophy for the open handicap Final.

Huw partnered his homebred pacers Rockaround and Carousel - both out of his legendary mare Merry Go Round - to emphatic victories in two of the open handicap heats, and they took first and second in the final.

Evans opted to partner the better-handicapped Rockaround, securing Ammanford maestro, Huw Thomas' services for Carousel. He must have had mixed feelings when Carousel scorched off a 30-yard handicap to better Rockaround by a couple of lengths at the wire, with Take Flight (Paul Evans) and the gallant Wilbro Douglas (Patrick Morris) just behind.

This made a double for Thomas, who had earlier dominated the first division of the maiden with Andrew Williams' home-bred Family Circle.

Shenmore-based trainer Dave Shellam was a proud man when his beloved Wellfield Tartan Boy powered to an open handicap heat victory with Bret Strickland.

Tartan Boy missed all of the 2006 season through serious injury, and the emotional triumph was a tribute to the skills of his trainer. Bret went on to partner a double with Beachway Baby, making her seasonal debut for Berkeley owner/trainer Geoff Meachin in the Improver event.

Chaps Commander scored for the second consecutive week with Llangammarch Wells trainer Colin Bevan, while Ayr Again (Patrick Morris) got her name on the scoresheets for the Aberystwyth-based Richards family to frank her ticket into Open Handicap company.

Next meeting: Walton, Sunday, 2 pm.

RESULTS Going: Good (All races over 1 mile 50 yds) MIKE STRICKLAND MEMORIAL OPEN HANDICAP, HEAT 1:1 Rockaround (Huw Evans); 2 Donnybrook (Jed Strickland); 3 Take Flight (Paul Evans). 2:15.8. 2L, 1L, Owned & trained by Huw Evans, Tregaron.

HEAT 2 (Handicap reduced by 10 yds): 1 Wellfield Tartan Boy (Bret Strickland); 2 Southpark (Colin Bevan); 3 The Playboy (Keith Young).10 yds. 2:12.3. 1L, 1L. Owned & trained by Dave Shellam, Shenmore.

HEAT 3: 1 Carousel (Huw Evans) 10 yds; 2 Wilbro Douglas (Patrick Morris); 3 Free Contender (Colin Bevan). 2:12.8. 1L, 2L. Owned & trained by Huw Evans, Tregaron.

MAIDEN, DIV 1: 1 Family Circle (Huw Thomas); 2 Del Boy II (Alan Jones.); 3 Hogan's Dream (Joanne Taff). 2:16.1 1L, L. Owned & trained by Andrew Williams, Ammanford.

DIV 2: 1 Greenwood Pixie (Paul Evans); 2 Rhyds Millie (Shane Ward); 3 Talavary Mattie (John Wright). 2:18.2. 6L, 7L. Owned by The Always Trying Partnership, trained by Paul Evans, Pandy.

NOVICE: 1 Chaps Commander (Colin Bevan); 2 Saunders Magical (Huw Thomas); 3 Ayr Attack (Mark Pritchard). 2:17.8. Head, head. Owned by AA Jones, trained by Colin Bevan, Llangammarch Wella.

IMPROVER: 1 Beachway Baby (Bret Strickland); 2 Blackfield Bentley (Lee Morris); 3 Radnor Sheila (Mark Pritchard). 2:16.5. 1L, 1L. Owned & trained by Geoff Meachin, Berkeley.

INTERMEDIATE: 1 Ayr Again (Patrick Morris ); 2 What A Commotion (Paul Holland); 3 Wellfield Duchess (Sarah Mould). 2:15.2. 1L, neck. Owned by WM Richards, trained by MG Richards, Aberystwyth.

MIKE STRICKLAND OPEN HANDICAP FINAL: 1 Carousel (Huw Thomas) 30 yds; 2 Rockaround (Huw Evans); 3 Take Flight (Paul Evans); 4 Wilbro Douglas (Patrick Morris ). 2:13.2. 2L, L. Owned & trained by Huw Evans, Tregaron.