Coral Welsh National
Handicap Chase, Chepstow 15:10
Grade 3, £150,000 added,
5yo plus,
3m 6f 130y, Class 1 
Saturday 9th January 2021

Boylesports

1 Secret Reprieve 5/2F
2 The Two Amigos 9/1
3 Yala Enki 12/1
4 Captain Drake 28/1
18 ran Distances: 3l, nk, 2¾l
Time: 8m 7.80s (slow by 14.80s)

An impressive winner of the Welsh Grand National Trial at the Monmouthshire circuit in early December, the Evan Williams-trained Secret Reprieve had been strongly fancied for the big race itself ever since.

And while the three-mile-five-furlong contest had to be abandoned due to a waterlogged track over the Christmas period, he was still allowed to line up under a 4lb penalty, meaning he was 8lb well-in at the weights.

With just 10st 1lb on his back, Secret Reprieve was all the rage as the 5-2 favourite, and his supporters will have had few concerns throughout the stamina-sapping feature, with the lightly-raced seven-year-old always travelling strongly and jumped accurately.

Despite having suffered two heavy falls earlier in the day, Adam Wedge cut a confident figure in the saddle rounding the home turn – and while The Two Amigos refused to go down without a fight and made a race of it, the market leader proved three lengths too strong.

Just as he was in 2019, top-weight Yala Enki was third.

Victory was going to a Welsh-trained runner for the second season in succession, with Potters Corner, trained by Christian Williams, becoming the first Welsh winner since Norther in 1965 when triumphing last term.

Boylesports

Coral Welsh Grand National (A Handicap Chase) (Grade 3)
£150,000 added, 4yo plus, 3m 6f 130y, Class 1
18 ran
Going: Heavy

POS DIST FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1      Secret Reprieve 7 10-1 4ex Evan Williams Adam Wedge 5/2F
2 3 The Two Amigos 9 10-9 Nicky Martin Matt Griffiths 9/1
3 nk Yala Enki 11 11-12 Paul Nicholls Bryony Frost 12/1
4 2¾ Captain Drake 8 10-7 Harry Fry Bryan Carver 28/1
5 2¼ Prime Venture 10 10-6 Evan Williams Tom O'Brien 16/1
6 ¾ Bobo Mac 10 10-2 Tom Symonds A P Heskin 16/1
7 10 Truckers Lodge 9 11-8 Paul Nicholls Lorcan Williams 14/1
8 hd Big River 11 10-8 Lucinda Russell Derek Fox 28/1
9 nk Lord Du Mesnil 8 11-5 Richard Hobson Paul O'Brien 20/1
10 4¼ Vieux Lion Rouge 12 10-11 4ex David Pipe Conor O'Farrell 18/1
11 28 Cloudy Glen 8 10-12 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 20/1
12 3¼ Ramses De Teillee 9 11-6 David Pipe Tom Scudamore 16/1
13 1¼ Dominateur 8 10-8 Oliver Sherwood Gavin Sheehan 16/1
PU Joe Farrell 12 10-4 Rebecca Curtis James Best 80/1
PU Springfield Fox 8 10-9 Tom George Sean Bowen 8/1
PU Christmas In April 9 10-3 Colin Tizzard Brendan Powell 9/1
PU Calipso Collonges 9 9-11 Olly Murphy Jack Tudor 40/1
UR The Hollow Ginge 8 10-11 Nigel Twiston-Davies Jamie Bargary 50/1

Odds catcher