Welsh National glory for Potters Corner, Blackmore wins again – as it happened

Potters Corner winning the Welsh National for Wales is quite some yarn again for the Chesptow marathon ...

And there’s also the involvement of Welsh rugby international Jonathan Davies ...

Meanwhile, at Leopardstown commentator Jerry Hannon goes for the top note after Roaring Bull gets up on the line to win the Paddy Power Chase.

1 Potters Corner (Jack Tudor) 8-1
2 Truckers Lodge (Lorcan Williams) 10-1
3 Yala Enki (Bryony Frost) 8-1
4 Prime Venture (Adam Wedge) 11-1
17 ran
Also: 9-4 Fav Elegant Escape

And they’re off ... Space Cadet has made a mistake at the first already ... Yala Enki leads in the early stages ... The Two Amigos joins the leader but it’s very early days ... Elegant Escape is in midfield ... Potters Corner travels well in third ... Captain Chaos and Looks Like Power are towards the rear ... Arthur’s Gift blunders but no fallers so far ... up front nothing has changed and they now still have a circuit to go ... Captain Chaos has made a move and The Two Amigos goes into the lead ... all 17 are still standing ... The Two Amigos and Yala Enki still at the front with Looks Like Power at the back ... Space Cadet is tailing off ... Elegant Escape is getting close to the leading trio ... in line for home now ... Potters Corner moves up to second ... Potters Corner has the lead but it’s close ... Truckers Lodge is challenging ... Potters Corner wins the Welsh Grand National for Wales!

27 Dec 201909.43 EST

Welsh Grand National (Chepstow, 2.50) preview

Greg Wood

It is 30 years since Bonanza Boy lugged 11st 11lb to victory in the Welsh National, becoming the first and so far only horse to win the race in successive years since it moved to Chepstow in 1949.

Rarely has his sole ownership of that record faced as stern a threat as it does on Friday, however, as Elegant Escape, a one-and-a-quarter-length winner off a 9lb lower mark last year, could not be returning in better form. He was only two lengths behind De Rasher Counter, who was getting 11lb, in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury last time and should improve again for Friday’s marathon trip.

The ground is more testing this year, however, and 11st 12lb could leave him vulnerable to a progressive rival. Now McGinty and Potters Corner both have strong claims and marginal preference is for the latter at around 7-1. Christian Williams has kept him to hurdles since his win in the Midlands National in March, and his handicap win this month suggests he remains on a very fair mark.

On to Kempton (2.30) now for the Desert Orchid Chase. This is Christmas without the feast as Altior, who was due to run here, is absent with an abscess. Bun Doran has lead all the way, kicks clear after the last and holds off the late challenges of Duc des Genievres and Sceau Royal. Underwhelmed by that and another blanket finish. I think the best thing to say is Get Well Soon, Altior!

Result:
1 Bun Doran (J J Burke) 4-1
2 Duc Des Genievres (James Bowen) 3-1
3 Sceau Royal (Thomas Bellamy) 7-2
5 ran

It’s just over half an hour to the Welsh National and Elegant Escape is all the rage for the race. A Bookmakers.tv spokesman said: “The market has sprung to life at Chepstow and the only horse the public want to be with at the front end is the hot favourite and last year’s winner Elegant Escape.

“Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power were out of luck in yesterday’s feature but punters are convinced they’ll go one better today and last night’s 7-2 looks long gone as the top weight has fallen to 11-4 in places, while it would be no surprise to see him go off shorter still. The remainder of the field have largely been ignored but one at longer odds attracting support is Irish raider Space Cadet who has halved from 40-1 to 20-1 despite racing from out of the handicap.”

Back to Leopardstown (1.45) for the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle ... All eyes here are on favourite Abacadabras ... and he’s going well just behind the leaders on the home turn ... he’s coming to challenge Heaven Help Us at the last and runs out the winner. Abacadabras is a clumsy jumper and will need to improve in that sphere but he’s certainly got ability. Betfair were impressed and go 7-2 favourite for the Supreme Novice Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival from 6-1. Given his hurdling technique I would be looking elsewhere presently at those odds.

Result:
1 Abacadabras (J W Kennedy) 10-11 Fav
2 Heaven Help Us 25-1
4 ran

See what you think here:

Now off to Chepstow (1.35) for Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle, a race that has been won by useful types in the past. Allmankind has gone off like Rudolph at the front of the reindeer posse ... far too free ... let’s see if he can keep up this pace up ... he’s gone further clear ... Cerberus is staying on ... commentator Mark Johnson has gone too soon again but the winner hadn’t and that was pretty impressive from Allmankind. That was a very good Cheltenham Festival Triumph Hurdle pointer. The winner is 8-1 for the Triumph from 16-1 with Betfair – that seems fair.

Dan Skelton was impressed. “I was really relaxed watching him, especially when he went up the hill when Harry got hold of him,” the winning trainer told Sky Sports Racing. “I knew if Harry asked him to extend he would do so, and I thought he gave him a magic ride. The horse has got a great attitude. He loves to run.”

The winning rider, Harry Skelton, said: “I couldn’t believe how he picked up from three out - not many horses give you a feel like that. When we went up the hill he dropped the bridle a bit. When we went down the hill he took over and I thought, ‘they aren’t going to catch him now’. From three out, for a three-year-old to pick up like that it’s pretty good.”

Result:
1 Allmankind (Harry Skelton) 6-5 Fav
2 Cerberus (R M Power) 5-2
3 Nordano (Bryony Frost) 20-1
8 ran

View image in fullscreen

Over to Kempton (1.20) for the Wayward Lad Novice Chase. Global Citizen leads into the straight but it’s wide open. Al Dancer is trying to get there as is Rouge Vif ... but Global Citizen holds on. Now you could have thrown Santa’s blanket over the first five home and they can’t all be good ... Betfair go 16-1 Global Citizen (from 33-1) for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

Winning trainer Ben Pauling said: “If he didn’t win today he would probably have gone back for the Champion Hurdle, that’s why we threw him in at the deep end on ground that he would not necessarily love. He is good fresh, so you might not see him out until the spring. He has got to be one of the best of the British [for the Arkle].”

Result:
1 Global Citizen (David Bass) 8-1
2 Rouge Vif (G Sheehan) 11-2
3 Grand Sancy (H Cobden) 11-2
6 ran
Make your mind up on the strength of the form. Here’s the finish:

At Leopardstown (1.10) now it’s Chacun Pour Soi’s chance to strut his stuff in the Grade One Paddy’s Rewards Chase. He’s only run twice in four years but is an exciting prospect. Going well with four to go and leaps in the lead at the next ... he’s got a fight on his hooves now on the run-in ... A Plus Tard and the favourite battle it out and Rachael Blackmore’s mount gets up to pull off a surprise success. A Plus Tard now 6-1 from 33’s for the Champion Chase with Betfair.

Result:
1 A Plus Tard (Rachael Blackmore) 4-1
2 Chacun Pour Soi 8-15 Fav
3 Ordinary World 33-1
8 ran

Here’s all the late action. Terrific ride by Blackmore:

The top-class action is about to start with the exciting City Island set to make his chasing debut at Leopardstown in the Paddy Power Beginners Chase at 12.35 ... where he faces the former Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon. Hold on to your trilby, we’ll be busy ... Melon is 11-8 fav ... and City Island 2-1. That may look generous soon ... Cappucimix is down at the first ... Valdieu has now gone and Melon currently winning the jumping stakes against City Island, who has been slower over his obstacles ... City Island makes a shocking mistake and is virtually out of the race ... Melon also makes a very bad error at the last but gets up to beat Gallant John Joe in a fighting finish.

City Island needs to go back to the schooling grounds ... and Melon is tough and clearly potentially useful over fences. He is unchanged with Betfair at 14-1 for the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham.

Willie Mullins said of the winner: “I was very happy with the way he jumped early on, obviously he made a mistake at the last, but what particularly pleased me was the way he fought back when it looked like the game was up. He makes life difficult for himself, but he fought back well today.” He added on plans: “I’d imagine the Arkle is the likely target. He could come back here for the Dublin Racing Festival and will need more experience.”

Result:
1 Melon (P Townend) 5-4 Fav
2 Gallant John Joe 16-1
3 Chosen Mate 11-1
8 ran

You can see all the action here

Chris Cook is having a short Christmas break but he found time to meet Hollie Doyle for a quick chat on her stellar year, and talked with the female jockey of the year about weight-training, festive eating and getting her own back in the saddle. It’s a nice read before the action starts:

The BBC is in for a tough time but they’re not helping by ditching (sorry again) their racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght. When news of his exit surfaced, some opined that it may be because he was out of touch with the new-fangled social meeja. In fact he was one of the first to embrace Twitter – even if with semi-colons. He’s at Chepstow today for the Welsh National and just posted this:

Cyrname is likely to return to Ascot for his next appearance after finding stablemate Clan Des Obeaux too strong in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase. Cyrname was a hot favourite for the Boxing Day showpiece, having inflicted a first career defeat over jumps on Nicky Henderson’s superstar chaser Altior at Ascot last month.

However, he had to make do with the runner-up spot – beaten 21 lengths – as Clan Des Obeaux won the Kempton highlight for the second year in succession and provided Paul Nicholls with a record-breaking 11th victory in the race.

The Ditcheat handler reported Cyrname “a little bit stiff” on Friday morning, but expects him to be ready to defend his crown in the Ascot Chase in mid-February. Nicholls said: “Both horses that ran in the King George are fine – and Master Tommytucker, who had a heavy fall [in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase], is fine as well. Cyrname is a little bit stiff. I haven’t spoken to Johnny [de la Hey, owner] about it yet, but I think he’ll almost certainly go back to Ascot.” PA Media

View image in fullscreen

The most heartwarming performance yesterday was Faugheen’s, in stuffing (sorry) Samcro and proving he’s still ‘Faugheen The Machine’. The pair’s long, drawn out duel was genuinely gripping and many won’t have seen it. Here’s the race in full ...

... and here are the happy connections of the King George winner celebrating ... in McDonald’s!

... and King Clan is well ...

Yesterday, Paul Nicholls said he wouldn’t be surprised if the dual King George winner Clan Des Obeaux’s next appearance would be in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Well, the trainer’s had a change of mind:

27 Dec 201905.13 EST

Preamble

Greg Wood

Three of the last seven runnings of the Welsh National have been postponed until January after their original Christmas slot succumbed to waterlogging, but this year’s renewal has somehow survived one of the wettest spells that any of us can remember and will take its traditional place as the focus of the British action this afternoon.

The going at the Welsh track is not even heavy all round, with some patches of soft ground apparently clinging on at a few points on the circuit, but it will, as ever, be a thorough test for all concerned. Selections for the televised races at both Chepstow and Kempton Park, where the two-day Winter Festival meeting concludes, can be found here, and there are no non-runners anywhere on the ITV Racing schedule as yet.

But there is also plenty to consider in Ireland too, where the most interesting runner on day two of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting is surely Chacun Pour Soi in the two-mile Grade One chase at 1.10, the first of two Grade One events on the card.

Willie Mullins’s seven-year-old is already the favourite for the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March after just two runs for the stable last season, both of which saw him record impressive victories. It was his defeat of Defi Du Seuil at Punchestown, however, which shot him to the forefront of the Festival betting, as he cleared away from the JLT Novice Chase (and subsequent Tingle Creek) winner in the style of an exceptional chaser.

The second Grade One at Leopardstown is a two-mile novice hurdle with an odds-on favourite in Gordon Elliott’s Abacadabras, who was beaten fairly readily by his stable companion Envoi Allen in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse earlier this month, while the big betting race of the day in Ireland is the Paddy Power Chase at 2.55, in which a huge field will chase an equally impressive €200,000 prize.