Coral Welsh National |
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| Handicap Chase, Chepstow Grade 3, £150,000 added, 5yo plus, 3m 5f 110y, Class 1  |
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| Thursday 27th December 2018 | |
1 Elegant Escape 3/1F
2 Ramses De Teillee 10/1
3 Yala Enki 12/1
4 Rons Dream 16/1
5 Raz De Maree
25/1
20 ran Distances: 1¼l, 4l, 11l
Time: 7m 48.21s (slow by 17.21s)
Elegant Escape wins the Welsh Grand National!
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Colin Tizzard’s Elegant Escape staked a major claim for future major races, as he took one of the most competitive handicaps in the calendar.
The six-year-old had advertised his ability when runner-up behind stable companion Sizing Tennessee in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury four weeks ago – and showed he had improved again to land this prestigious prize.
Sent off the 3-1 favourite, Elegant Escape barely gave his supporters an anxious moment, with Tom O’Brien enjoying an armchair ride from the start.
O’Brien had him perfectly-placed in fourth place as Vieux Lion Rouge and Yala Enki set a searching gallop. When Vieux Lion Rouge had enough, his David Pipe-trained stablemate Ramses De Teillee joined in.
O’Brien asked his mount to take closer order in the straight, however, and Elegant Escape did not shirk the issue.
Challenging for supremacy from the fourth-last fence, Elegant Escape went on to win by a length and a quarter from Ramses De Teillee, with Yala Enki four lengths back in third place. Rons Dream was a further 11 lengths away in fourth.
Coral Welsh Grand National (A Handicap Chase) (Grade 3)
£150,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 5f 110y, Class 1
20 ran
Going: Soft
| Pos | D | Horse SP | Jockey Weight | Trainer | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Elegant Escape (IRE) 3/1f | T J O'Brien 11-8 |
C L Tizzard | 6 | |
| 2nd | 1¼ | Ramses De Teillee (FR) (ex4) 10/1 | David Noonan 11-1 |
D Pipe | 6 |
| 3rd | 4 | Yala Enki (FR) 12/1 | Charlie Deutsch 11-11 |
Miss V Williams | 8 |
| 4th | 11 | Rons Dream 16/1 | Sean Bowen 10-10 |
P Bowen | 8 |
| 5th | 8 | Raz De Maree (FR) 25/1 | Conor Orr (5) 10-13 |
G P Cromwell | 13 |
| 6th | 2¼ | Ballyoptic (IRE) 20/1 | Thomas Bellamy 11-12 |
N A Twiston-Davies | 8 |
| 7th | 1 | Dawson City 16/1 | James Best 10-4 |
P Gundry | 9 |
| 8th | 3¼ | Folsom Blue (IRE) 7/1 | Mr J J Codd 11-2 |
G Elliott | 11 |
| 9th | s.h | Mysteree (IRE) 50/1 | Brendan Powell 10-4 |
M Scudamore | 10 |
| 10th | 18 | Regal Flow 33/1 | Sean Houlihan (5) 10-11 |
R H Buckler | 11 |
| PU | Vyta Du Roc (FR) 33/1 | D A Jacob 11-4 |
N J Henderson | 9 | |
| PU | Vintage Clouds (IRE) 8/1 | Danny Cook 11-3 |
Mrs S J Smith | 8 | |
| PU | Vieux Lion Rouge (FR) 12/1 | T Scudamore 11-3 |
D Pipe | 9 | |
| PU | Baie Des Iles (FR) 20/1 | M A Enright 11-1 |
Ross O'Sullivan | 7 | |
| PU | Looksnowtlikebrian (IRE) 12/1 | Alan Johns 10-9 |
Tim Vaughan | 7 | |
| PU | Final Nudge (IRE) 12/1 | Sam Twiston-Davies 10-9 |
David Dennis | 9 | |
| PU | Lieutenant Colonel 100/1 | M G Nolan 10-8 |
Mrs S Leech | 9 | |
| PU | Kansas City Chief (IRE) 25/1 | R T Dunne 10-6 |
N P Mulholland | 9 | |
| PU | Jennys Surprise (IRE) (ex4) 25/1 | P J Brennan 10-5 |
F O'Brien | 10 | |
| PU | Holly Bush Henry (IRE) 25/1 | James Bowen 10-4 |
P W Middleton | 7 |
