racing_news/

Le Beau Bai Prevails in Coral Welsh National
27/12/11

1 Le Beau Bai 10/1
2 Giles Cross 15/2
3 Cappa Bleu 25/1
4 Bench Warrent 50/1
20 ran Distances: 7l, 15l, 5l
TIME 7m 54.70s (slow by 29.70s)

Le Beau Bai, trained by Richard Lee and ridden by Charlie Poste, won a war of attrition for the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.

Le Beau Bai
© Racehorse Photos

Last season's runner-up Giles Cross took them along for most of the way in the marathon test and the opposition dropped away one by one in the very testing conditions.

Le Beau Bai was the only one still in touch coming down the long straight and as the distress signals finally went out on Giles Cross, the 10-1 shot plugged on past to score by seven lengths, with a further 15 to Cappa Bleu in third.

Poste said: "He's been a good servant to me. Beforehand I spoke to the owners and I picked out Giles Cross as the one I really thought was the one we had to beat.

"We rode him in similar style when he won here earlier this month. I never thought it was a foregone conclusion and he's toughed it out really well."

Lee added: "It's a race I've always wanted to win. We didn't run in it last year, but he was third two years ago and it all went to plan this time. I was worried the ground wasn't going to be soft enough for him, but Charlie got some great leaps out of him.

"We train on the Welsh borders to come here and win the Welsh National is fantastic. It's a fairytale."

Trainer Victor Dartnall said of Giles Cross: "He's run his heart out, but he was on his own in front for a long way and I think that might have gone against him."

Evan Williams said of Cappa Bleu: "I seem to be making a habit of being placed in Nationals, but it was great to be part of it. I'd say the first race that comes to mind now would be the National itself and I suppose that will be something to think about in the spring."

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Le Beau Bai R Lee	C Poste 10st 1lbs	10 - 1 Winner
2	Giles Cross V R A Dartnall	D F O'Regan 10st 6lbs	15 - 2 7 lengths
3	Cappa Bleu Evan Williams	Paul Moloney 11st 3lbs	25 - 1 15 lengths
4	Bench Warrent C J Mann	Gavin Sheehan 10st 0lbs	50 - 1 5 lengths
5	Cannington Brook C L Tizzard	T J O'Brien 10st 2lbs	15 - 2 4 lengths
6	Our Island Tim Vaughan	Aidan Coleman 10st 0lbs	10 - 1 16 lengths
7	Or Noir De Somoza D Pipe	Conor O'Farrell 10st 6lbs	50 - 1 1 length
8	Knighton Combe Jamie Snowden	Brendan Powell 10st 2lbs	66 - 1 23 lengths
Fell	Hey Big Spender C L Tizzard	J Tizzard 11st 12lbs	33 - 1
PulledUp	Carruthers M Bradstock	Matthew Batchelor 11st 8lbs	8 - 1
PulledUp	Blazing Bailey A King	W Hutchinson 11st 5lbs	25 - 1
PulledUp	Galaxy Rock Jonjo O'Neill	D C Costello 11st 2lbs	12 - 1
PulledUp	Viking Blond N A Twiston-Davies	S Twiston-Davies 10st 9lbs	6 - 1
PulledUp	As De Fer A J Honeyball	S Thomas 10st 9lbs	10 - 1
PulledUp	Any Currency M Keighley	A P Cawley 10st 3lbs	10 - 1
PulledUp	Indifference Curve Miss M M O'Sullivan	W Kennedy 10st 0lbs	33 - 1
PulledUp	Master Overseer D Pipe	T Scudamore 10st 0lbs	14 - 1
UnseatedRider	Mumbles Head P Bowen	D Crosse 10st 0lbs	66 - 1
PulledUp	Ballyfitz N A Twiston-Davies	David England 10st 0lbs	20 - 1
PulledUp	Heathcliff R Lee	T Messenger 10st 0lbs	50 - 1