Welsh Grand National
Premier Handicap race | |
Location | Chepstow Racecourse Chepstow, Wales |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1895 |
Race type | Chase |
Sponsor | Coral |
Website | Chepstow |
Race information | |
Distance | 3m 6½f (6,154 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Four-years-old and up |
Weight | Handicap |
Purse | £150,000 (2019) 1st: £85,425 |
2023 | ||
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Nassalam | Iron Bridge | Iwilldoit |
Previous years | ||
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2022 | ||
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The Two Amigos | The Big Breakaway | The Big Dog |
2021 | ||
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Iwilldoit | Highland Hunter | Truckers Lodge |
The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 6½ furlongs (3 miles 6 furlongs and 130 yards, or 6,154 metres), and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on 27 December.
The race was first run in 1895, and it originally took place at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. It remained at this venue until the closure of the course in 1939. After World War II it was transferred to Newport Racecourse in 1948, and it was then moved to its present venue in 1949. Dick Francis, the famous jockey turned author, rode the first Chepstow winner of the race, Fighting Line. David Nicholson, later a successful racehorse trainer, rode three successive Welsh National winners in 1959, 1960 and 1961.
Originally run on Easter Tuesday, it was moved to February in 1969 with the aim of attracting better horses, albeit with the increased risk of bad weather forcing its cancellation. It has been sponsored by bookmakers Coral from 1973 and is now the longest running sponsorship in jump racing. The race was given Grade 3 status when the National Hunt Pattern was revised in 1989 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2022 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the British Horseracing Authority.[1]
It was moved to late December in 1979, after that year's original fixture was abandoned due to snow. The meeting is now held the day after Boxing Day and since then the class of runners has improved further, making it an informative guide to future races such as the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The race distance was extended from 3 miles 5 furlongs and 110 yards to its present distance in 2019, to allow a longer run to the first bend; this also meant that field now jumps 23 fences rather than the previous 22.[2]
Among the winners were Burrough Hill Lad in 1983, who went on to land the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup less than three months later. Trainer Jenny Pitman had the previous season saddled Corbière to win the Welsh and Aintree Nationals. In the late 80s and early 90s, the race was dominated by Somerset trainer Martin Pipe. Bonanza Boy achieved consecutive successes in 1988 and 1989, and in 1991 the giant Carvill's Hill became one of the easiest winners in the history of the race.[3][4]
More recent winners of both the Welsh and the Aintree Grand National are Bindaree and Silver Birch. The 2010 winner, Synchronised, went on to win the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 2016 winner Native River, ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, went on to win the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Winners since 1948
[edit]Year |
Winner |
Age |
Weight |
Jockey |
Trainer |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1948 | Bora's Cottage | 10 | 10-02 | Eddie Reavey | Ryan Price |
1949 | Fighting Line | 10 | 10-09 | Dick Francis | Ken Cundell |
1950 | Gallery | 12 | 10-08 | Alf Mullins | William "Rip" Bissill |
1951 | Skyreholme | 8 | 10-13 | Arthur Thompson | Neville Crump |
1952 | Dinton Lass | 10 | 10-00 | Alf Mullins | J Roberts |
1953 | Stalbridge Rock | 10 | 11-03 | Bob McCreery | Harry Dufosee |
1954 | Blow Horn | 10 | 10-06 | John Hunter | T Jarvis |
1955 | Monaleen | 10 | 09-07 | Paddy Fitzgerald | H T Smith |
1956 | Crudwell | 10 | 11-06 | Dick Francis | Frank Cundell |
1957 | Creeola II | 9 | 10-05 | Michael Scudamore | Fred Rimell |
1958 | Oscar Wilde | 8 | 09-13 | Brian Lawrence | Bill Wightman |
1959 | Limonali | 8 | 10-02 | David Nicholson | Edward Morel |
1960 | Clover Bud | 10 | 10-10 | David Nicholson | G Llewellin |
1961 | Limonali | 10 | 11-12 | David Nicholson | I Lewis |
1962 | Forty Secrets | 8 | 10-11 | Josh Gifford | Earl Jones |
1963 | Motel | 9 | 10-06 | Paddy Cowley | W Lowe |
1964 | Rainbow Battle | 8 | 10-00 | Paddy Broderick | Arthur Stephenson |
1965 | Norther | 8 | 11-00 | Terry Biddlecombe | D Jenkins |
1966 | Kilburn | 8 | 11-02 | Tim Norman | Chris Nesfield |
1967 | Happy Spring | 11 | 10-04 | Ken White | Stan Wright |
1968 | Glenn | 7 | 10-04 | Eddie Harty | Fred Rimell |
1969 | Abandoned because of snow | ||||
1970 | French Excuse | 8 | 10-09 | Terry Biddlecombe | Fred Rimell |
1971 | Royal Toss | 9 | 10-12 | Paddy Cowley | Tim Handel |
1972 | Charlie H | 10 | 11-03 | Johnny Haine | Bob Turnell |
1973 | Deblin's Green | 10 | 09-12 | Nigel Wakley | George Yardley |
1974 | Pattered | 8 | 10-02 | Ken White | Earl Jones |
1975 | Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course | ||||
1976 | Rag Trade | 10 | 11-02 | John Burke | Fred Rimell |
1977 | Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course | ||||
1978 | Abandoned because of frost | ||||
1979 | Peter Scot | 8 | 10-02 | Paul Barton | David Gandolfo |
1980 | Narvik | 7 | 10-11 | John Francome | Neville Crump |
1981 | Peaty Sandy | 7 | 10-03 | Geordie Dun[a] | Helen Hamilton |
1982 | Corbiere | 7 | 10-10 | Ben de Haan | Jenny Pitman |
1983 | Burrough Hill Lad | 7 | 10-09 | John Francome | Jenny Pitman |
1984 | Righthand Man | 7 | 11-05 | Graham Bradley | Monica Dickinson |
1985 | Run and Skip | 7 | 10-08 | Peter Scudamore | John Spearing |
1986 | Stearsby | 7 | 11-05 | Graham Bradley | Jenny Pitman |
1987 | Playschool | 10 | 10-11 | Paul Nicholls | David Barons |
1988 | Bonanza Boy | 7 | 10-01 | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe |
1989 | Bonanza Boy | 8 | 11-11 | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe |
1990 | Cool Ground | 8 | 10-00 | Luke Harvey | Reg Akehurst |
1991 | Carvill's Hill | 9 | 11-12 | Peter Scudamore | Martin Pipe |
1992 | Run for Free | 8 | 10-09 | Mark Perrett | Martin Pipe |
1993 | Riverside Boy | 10 | 10-00 | Richard Dunwoody | Martin Pipe |
1994 | Master Oats[b] | 8 | 11-06 | Norman Williamson | Kim Bailey |
1995 | Abandoned because of frost | ||||
1996 | Abandoned because of frost | ||||
1997 | Earth Summit | 9 | 10-13 | Tom Jenks | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
1998 | Kendal Cavalier | 8 | 10-00 | Barry Fenton | Nigel Hawke |
1999 | Edmond | 7 | 10-00 | Richard Johnson | Henry Daly |
2000 | Jocks Cross | 9 | 10-04 | Brian Crowley | Venetia Williams |
2001 | Supreme Glory | 8 | 10-00 | Leighton Aspell | Pat Murphy |
2002 | Mini Sensation | 9 | 10-04 | Tony Dobbin | Jonjo O'Neill |
2003 | Bindaree | 9 | 10-09 | Carl Llewellyn | Nigel Twiston-Davies |
2004 | Silver Birch | 7 | 10-05 | Ruby Walsh | Paul Nicholls |
2005 | L'Aventure | 6 | 10-04 | Leighton Aspell | Paul Nicholls |
2006 | Halcon Genelardais | 6 | 11-03 | Wayne Hutchinson | Alan King |
2007 | Miko de Beauchene | 7 | 10-05 | Andrew Thornton | Robert Alner |
2008 | Notre Pere | 7 | 11-00 | Andrew Lynch | Jim Dreaper |
2009 | Dream Alliance | 8 | 10-08 | Tom O'Brien | Philip Hobbs |
2010 | Synchronised[c] | 8 | 11-06 | Tony McCoy | Jonjo O'Neill |
2011 | Le Beau Bai[5] | 8 | 10-01 | Charlie Poste | Richard Lee |
2012[d] | Monbeg Dude | 8 | 10-01 | Paul Carberry | Michael Scudamore |
2013 | Mountainous | 8 | 10-00 | Paul Moloney | Richard Lee |
2014 | Emperor's Choice | 7 | 10-08 | Aidan Coleman | Venetia Williams |
2015[e] | Mountainous | 11 | 10-06 | Jamie Moore | Kerry Lee |
2016 | Native River | 6 | 11-12 | Richard Johnson | Colin Tizzard |
2017[f] | Raz De Maree | 13 | 10-10 | James Bowen | Gavin Cromwell |
2018 | Elegant Escape | 6 | 11-08 | Tom O'Brien | Colin Tizzard |
2019 | Potters Corner | 9 | 10-04 | Jack Tudor | Christian Williams |
2020 | Secret Reprieve[g] | 7 | 10-01 | Adam Wedge | Evan Williams |
2021 | Iwilldoit | 8 | 10-00 | Stan Sheppard | Sam Thomas |
2022 | The Two Amigos | 10 | 10-01 | David Prichard | Nicky Martin |
2023 | Nassalam | 6 | 11-03 | Caoilin Quinn | Gary Moore |
- ^ amateur jockey
- ^ The 1994 running took place at Newbury
- ^ The "2010" running took place in January 2011 after the original fixture was postponed because of snow and frost
- ^ The "2012" running took place in January 2013 after the original fixture was postponed because of waterlogging
- ^ The "2015" running took place in January 2016 after the original fixture was postponed because of waterlogging
- ^ The "2017" running took place in January 2018 after the original fixture was postponed because of waterlogging
- ^ The "2020" running took place in January 2021 after the original fixture was postponed because of waterlogging
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Jump Pattern Committee update 22/23 season". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
- ^ "Amendments To Coral Welsh Grand National Distance". Arena Racing Company. 2 November 2019.
- ^ Lee, Brian. 2002. The Welsh Grand National. ISBN 0-7524-2728-8
- ^ Chepstow racecourse website
- ^ "Le Beau Bai lands Welsh National victory at Chepstow". BBC Sport. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- pedigreequery.com – Welsh National – Chepstow.
- Ladbrokes Pocket Companion 1990/91. Aesculus Press. 1990. p. 46. ISBN 1-871093-21-X.
- Race Recordings 1980–2009 [1]