Jamie Lynch, our Senior Kind Analyst, weighs up the credentials of ten of the highest candidates for Chepstow’s premier contest on Friday, reside on Sky Sports activities Racing.
The Coral Welsh Grand Nationwide, at 2.50pm on Friday, is a race with a wealthy historical past, applied within the nineteenth century, and it has stood the take a look at of time. It nonetheless has nice pulling energy, highlighted by this yr’s entries.
The trial on the monitor in early December has been the pivotal pointer to the race lately, however now we have no such clue this time after that assembly was misplaced to Storm Darragh, and so, to assist with the homework, this is a abstract of the primary contenders for the Chepstow showpiece and a (pre-declarations) verdict on the perfect guess.
Watch the Coral Welsh Grand Nationwide from Chepstow reside on Sky Sports activities Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Friday twenty seventh December.
Evies Vladimir
Coach: G P Cromwell
An intriguing contender from an Irish secure with a wonderful report with its British raiders (21 winners within the final three seasons). This lad sat on the sidelines for 18 months after laying the groundwork however took off final season whereas promising better heights sooner or later, and remained within the combine when falling on the third-last within the Porterstown on his comeback. He has hidden depths, however one factor that is clear from his report is that he loves the mud.
Fontaine Collanges
Miss V Williams
This runner returned with a bang at Haydock (beating Monbeg Genius and firm) however that is commonplace for her, given contemporary is mostly the perfect time to catch her, in distinction to her dimmer second begin again which have seen her path in fifth, fourth and ninth in earlier seasons – a problematic sample for Chepstow. On the face of it, an 8lb rise to 148 for her demolition job at Haydock is certainly not harsh, however historical past warns of a replica, and she or he has bought misplaced in large fields prior to now.
Galia Des Liteaux
D Skelton
Her two makes an attempt at marathons have arguably been her best-ever runs – second within the Traditional Chase (from the mark she’s again to now) and eighth within the Grand Nationwide when nonetheless within the thick of issues approaching the final. She hasn’t hit her prime line to date this season however the floor hasn’t been so delicate as fits her and she or he appeared nearly as good as new for a lot of the Coral Gold Cup. This race is tailored for her.
Iron Bridge
Jonjo & A J O’Neill
It is best to give attention to the 17 he beat somewhat than the one he could not (34 lengths behind runaway winner Nassalam) when assessing his second on this race final yr, and he is 6lbs decrease within the handicap now, by advantage of working in laborious races somewhat than any lack of means as such. His reappearance at Carlisle was hardly a enough stamina take a look at, subsequently shaping properly for third beneath 12st1lb behind Val Dancer, and all the pieces is in place for a giant run from him. He is gone just a little beneath the radar with the secure sending Monbeg Genius as properly.
Iwilldoit
S Thomas
He is been there, finished that and bought a number of t-shirts. The 2021 Welsh Nationwide hero, in addition to practically profitable the race with out Nassalam final yr (simply behind Iron Bridge) when having prime weight, partnered by a 7-lb conditional then as right here. He’ll be turning 12 in a couple of days however he is comparatively low mileage and, although lengthy absent, he is presumably been stored contemporary for this, remembering that he received the Traditional Chase first day out in 2023.
Jubilee Categorical
S Thomas
The least uncovered after simply ten runs, however he is already proven what he’s, a stamina-stacked mudlark, highlighted by the end result to final season when grinding it out over 3½m on not simply heavy however Haydock heavy. No sooner did he cross the road that day than Sam Thomas in all probability hatched a plan in the direction of the Welsh Nationwide, an acceptable staying take a look at, and the dearth of a prep run is not so off-putting with him given the first-time report of the secure which produced Iwilldoit to win a Traditional Chase after a yr out.
Monbeg Genius
Jonjo & A J O’Neill
What’s nonetheless implanted in my thoughts is his third within the 2023 Ultima behind none apart from Corach Rambler and Fastorslow, a marvel that he hasn’t managed to win since, however not less than he began this season higher than he ended the final one by ending second (to Fontaine Collonges) at Haydock. Together with his instruments and expertise, he may win this simply, however trusting him to do it’s one other matter, and the belief points prolong to stamina at Chepstow, his first ever marathon.
Stuzzikini
G Elliott
This contender has youth on his aspect at simply six years previous, of which there’ve been 5 winners within the final 20 years. He sprang one thing of a shock within the Troytown at odds of 20-1 final time when the yard had 9 runners however the situation for the Welsh Nationwide is much less the elevated take a look at (shapes like an intensive stayer) and extra the elevated mark, up 9lbs.
Stuzzikini
That appears extreme on the face of it given the shape did not actually match the title at Navan however what underpins his likelihood is the easy reality he is an unexposed horse from an Irish superpower secure.
The place It All Started
G Elliott
Winless in his first seven chases however lastly flexing his stamina muscle groups made the distinction within the Grand Nationwide Trial at Punchestown (received by 16 lengths on heavy floor) and possibly sacrificed his likelihood within the Irish Nationwide itself by working within the Kim Muir at Cheltenham the place he was a good fourth to Inothewayurthinkin. Nonetheless a way of unfinished enterprise about him, particularly in endurance phrases, but it surely’s a giant ask to return right here first day out even when we’re coping with Gordon Elliott.
Your Personal Story
Miss Lucinda V Russell
You do not want a level to diagnose the difficulty with Your Personal Story, a positive case of “seconditis,” ending runner-up on no fewer than eight events over fences, together with in endurance occasions at Punchestown final Might and Kelso, within the Borders Nationwide, final time. He’ll go properly for a good distance but when he could not win these how is he going to win this?
JAMIE LYNCH’S VERDICT
As soon as bitten twice shy, they are saying, however I put up GALIA DES LITEAUX for the Coral Gold Cup and assume that losses might be recouped right here within the face of a extra appropriate take a look at, the corporate rather less sizzling, the journey that for much longer and, crucially, the bottom appreciably softer. If Dan Skelton may have designed a race for her, I am fairly positive it could look lots like this.
Watch the Coral Welsh Grand Nationwide from Chepstow reside on Sky Sports activities Racing (Sky 415 | Virgin 519) on Friday twenty seventh December.
