The 2025 Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase

[Slim]

Interesting - I thought it ran the race of its life at Ascot last time out and I think the ground won't be dissimilar today.

It's getting out to 8/1 on the exchanges. It's getting priced in.

 

[WandererSkyLight]

Another Fine Mess putting in a really gutsy 6 furloughs, got blocked by not jumping the final hurdle. Also the particular jockey was the third choice, with the first at Kempton and the other one Injured

 

[Truncheon]

Mr Vango scratched

Right decision, looks a road to me on the chase course

 

[Gullible]

No logic No reason but Mr Vango for me

Bit harsh by the Bradstock’s to withdraw just because I said I was backing it

 

[Jayhawk]

Mr Vango scratched

Right decision, looks a road to me on the chase course

Looks like it is set to remain cold for the next two weeks with little rain so the long-distance race at Warwick on 10 January would be unlikely too. Back to Haydock for the Peter Marsh Chase if it is soft enough or a long break until the Grand National Trial or Midlands National again?

 

[Gullible]

Will now go for O’Connell

 

[pawras]

By far the best trial/pointer/prep race for the Welsh National is the Welsh National Trial, which is unusual because "offical trials" are often negative pointers.
I.e. since 2000, 29 runners have gone from the trial to the following Welsh National and 5 (17.2%) have won gving and lsp of £19.50. Within that set 8 winners of the trial have tried to go the main event and 4 (50.0%) have won giving an lsp of £19.50. But also within the 29, 13 (44.8%) have won or placed giving and lsp of £32.69

Anyway 3 of today's runners were in the last renewal of the trial, they and their positions in the trial are Collectors Item (2), Jubilee Express (1), Pats Fancy (6)

I had Mr Vango and Jubilee Express as my top 2 in my ratings , but the former is a non runner, so I'm going each way on Jubilee Express and Collectors Item for small tv bet money

 

[Truncheon]

Oyy Oyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

 

[pawras]

Well done winners , Haiti Couleurs was 3rd in my ratings

 

[Ian_Davies]

Cracking race, cracking winner.

 

[Slim]

Cracking race, cracking winner.

He led from start to finish. Cracking race it was not.

 

[Outsider]

What a great performance under 11 St 13lbs.

 

[maureen]

What a performance. I couldn’t have him after that last race but I’m so pleased for them. I think she’s always been an underrated trainer and if memory serves me correct I’m sure she won a race at the Punchestown festival but that would have been a long time ago.I wish I could remember who I think it was. What a brilliant couple of days racing we’ve had!

 

[jinnyj]

Used my last £2 on Haiti - #happyenoughwiththat

 

[Ian_Davies]

He led from start to finish. Cracking race it was not.

Well, I enjoyed it!

Typical Pepsi drinker remark!

 

[jinnyj]

Used my last £2 on Haiti - #happyenoughwiththat

And then a little saver on Olive Nicholls as she adores Viroflay (she falls off him most days but he's such a character)

 

[Desert Orchid]

I'm hugely respectful of RMW but have backed Uncle Bert and Haiti Couleurs against the field with some small sickness insurance on a couple of others.

Happy enough with an average of around 12/1 on the exchange. Tidy enough profit on the day.

 

[Gullible]

Used my last £2 on Haiti - #happyenoughwiththat

Pleased to hear this Jinnyj was getting worried that I was going to have to fund your “Funday Sunday”

 

[jinnyj]

Pleased to hear this Jinnyj was getting worried that I was going to have to fund your “Funday Sunday”

I was going to tap Dannyboy! He's been the one booting winners in quietly.

 

[edgt]

Few enough horse have led all the way in Welsh National.
Creola, Run And Skip, Carvills Hill. Bonanza Boy (help me here !) now Haiti.
Fair play to all concerned; my guy had the race lost as the tapes rose.

 

[Desert Orchid]

I reckon HC's defeat at Haydock was a blessing in disguise. Never had a hard race.

I reckon the form will prove strong. Uncle Bert was seriously fancied but HC had burned him off by the turn out of the back straight.

One of my savers was on Monbeg Genius which Junior opted for instead of the seemingly better handicapped and progressive Collector's Item but MG was kindly treated on its older form. I suspected they felt they had it back close to that and it ran very well.

O'Connell was easy to fancy after Sandown and going to the last I genuinely thought it was going to come and do me but HC responded well to the challenge.

The Welsh National is often a serious race and I reckon this was one of the better runnings. Maybe not quite on the same level as Carvill's Hill or Bonanza Boy but maybe not far off the admirable Run And Skip.

 

[Len Madeiros]

Is HC likely to run in a Cheltenham GC? He’d sneak a place in an attritional race. That was some weight-carrying performance.

 

[Basil Pinenuts]

Is HC likely to run in a Cheltenham GC? He’d sneak a place in an attritional race. That was some weight-carrying performance.

Last top weight winner Native River. Certainly fits into the Corach Rambler / Hedgehunter / Mon Mome bracket, and has the Cheltenham form.

 

[Ian_Davies]

Burrough Hill Lad, Master Oats, Native River - that's just off the top of my head.

He's "only" won off OR 154, but he's obviously better than that and will be going up plus he will stay every yard round a track he's won at.

 

[Len Madeiros]

And we forget Synchronised winning a WGN a season before he won a CGC.