The festive period is one of the busiest in the racing calendar including the highlight of the Welsh season. The Racing Post’s James Stevens looks through an incredible week and some of the standout chances for Wales
Welcome to Wales’ biggest raceday
All eyes on Friday are on Chepstow for the Welsh Grand National, the biggest horse race held in Wales.
Over 10,000 will attend the track only a few miles from the Severn Bridge and many more thousands watching one of the stiffest stamina tests of the season, with runners taking on 23 fences over three and a quarter miles on the undulating track.
There is a chance of a Welsh-trained winner of the race too. That had not happened for over half a century before Potters Corner won in 2019 for Christian Williams but the most recent was Iwilldoit in 2021 who is among this year’s runners.
Trained near Cardiff by Sam Thomas, he has not been on a racecourse since February but he did win at Chepstow off a long break. But his stablemate Jubilee Express represents Wales’ best chance of winning its own National.
The seven-year-old is 6-1 with DragonBet could prove one of the stories of the season if he wins the race for Thomas and owner Dai Walters, just over two years after the pair were involved in a helicopter crash. He won nicely on his last start in March and top young Welsh jockey Callum Pritchard takes the ride.
Bridgend-based David Brace will also be bidding for glory with outsiders Paint The Dream and Classic Concorde entered.
Five Welsh ones to watch over Christmas
Range
12.45 Kempton, Boxing Day
A boatload of ITV races can kick off with a Welsh winner with recent winner Range among the main fancies. He fell when in contention at Chepstow on his first start of the season but put that well in the past when he won impressively at the track a month later.
Celtic Dino
1.05 Aintree, Boxing Day
It could be a quickfire double for the Glamorgan trainer with the impressive five-year-old going for Grade 1 glory in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle. He was a good winner at Wincanton and beat some fancied types at Ascot, so looks a solid contender here.
The Jukebox Man
1.20 Kempton, Boxing Day
Ben Jones had a few days to forget last week but a Grade 1 success and step towards the Cheltenham Festival will surely bring him some festive cheer. Trained in Cheltenham by Ben Pauling, he made a brilliant debut over fences at Newbury and could emerge as a live contender in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival in 2025.
Lump Sum
1.55 Kempton, Boxing Day
The Christmas Hurdle is billed to be the best race of the season with Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth but perhaps a Welsh raider can spoil the party. Lump Sum, also for Thomas, is a good horse in his own right and was a good second to Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth. He needs to improve a lot to win but should maintain his consistency. Welsh jockey Lorcan Williams also has a ride on Golden Ace.
Kalium
12.00 Chepstow, Friday
A £100,000 buy for Tim Vaughan who looked like a smart prospect when winning at Wetherby last time. He beat some decent performers that day and is among the ones to beat in a competitive novice hurdle. Evan Williams, Wales’ top jump trainer, won this two years ago and has three entered too.
