Coral Welsh National
Handicap Chase, Chepstow 14:50
£150,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
3m 6f 130y, Class 1 
Wednesday 27th December 2023

Boylesports

1 Nassalam 9/2J
2 Iron Bridge 8/1
3 Iwilldoit 15/2
4 Not Sure 28/1
5 Complete Unknown 10/1
19 ran NR: Iceo Madrik Distances: 34l, ¾l, 11l

Nassalam, ridden by Caoilin Quinn, convincingly won the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow. The six-year-old, trained by Gary Moore, started as the 9-2 joint-favorite with a 4lb penalty for winning the Welsh National Trial earlier in the month.

Nassalam tracked the pace set by front-running Amateur and as the grueling conditions took a toll, only Amateur and Paul Nicholls' Complete Unknown were recognizable as they approached the second lap.

Midway down the backstretch, Nassalam overtook Amateur, leading into the home straight for the final five fences. Despite a strong pursuit from Iwilldoit and Complete Unknown, a blunder from the latter took him out of contention.

Nassalam, unfazed, extended his lead in the home straight. Jumping two fences clear, he finished 34 lengths ahead, securing a comfortable victory.

Caoilin Quinn, who also won the Grade two Finale Juvenile Hurdle earlier, guided Nassalam to success. Iron Bridge claimed second place, with Iwilldoit in third. Nassalam's impressive performance prompted introductions at 25-1 for the Randox Grand National at Aintree by both QuinnBet and Betfair.

FormRatings

“I winged the first and got in the ideal position just behind the leaders and I couldn’t believe how well he travelled,” the winning rider told Sky Sports Racing. 

“We jumped the middle one down the back and we jumped into the lead and I was kind of thinking I don’t want to be there so soon, but he was going so well – I wish I’d had a look now, I won by quite a bit. What a great performance. 

“I think the ground is a big factor and I said to Gina (groom) when it was squishing on the ground, he loves this. He just seems to travel so much better on it, he properly loves the mud. 

“I’m delighted, over the moon, from winning the Grade Two the last race to this, I can’t believe it and I’m very emotional. It is all thanks to my boss and Mr and Mrs Stone for trusting me. I’ve ridden plenty of big winners for them and for them to keep me on, I’m very grateful.”

Boylesports

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

POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1    Nassalam 6 11-6 4ex Gary Moore Caoilin Quinn 9/2J
2 34 Iron Bridge 7 11-3 Jonjo O'Neill Jonjo O'Neill Jr 8/1
3 ¾ Iwilldoit 10 12-0 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 15/2
4 11 Not Sure 7 10-2 Kerry Lee Richard Patrick 28/1
5 39 Complete Unknown 7 11-13 Paul Nicholls Harry Cobden 10/1
PU Max Dynamo 13 10-2 Emma-Jane Bishop James Turner 40/1
PU Truckers Lodge 11 11-2 4ex Paul Nicholls Freddie Gingell 12/1
PU Didero Vallis 10 10-2 Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch 33/1
PU Chambard 11 11-5 4ex Venetia Williams Miss Lucy Turner 12/1
PU Amateur 10 10-2 John Flint Connor Brace 50/1
PU Wayfinder 9 10-2 Rebecca Curtis Lilly Pinchin 20/1
PU Domaine De L'Isle 10 10-2 Sean Curran Ned Fox 80/1
PU The Big Breakaway 8 11-8 Joe Tizzard Adam Wedge 20/1
PU The Galloping Bear 10 11-6 Ben Clarke Sam Twiston-Davies 20/1
PU Only The Bold 8 10-10 David Pipe Jack Tudor 40/1
PU Charlie Uberalles 7 10-2 Dianne Sayer Danny McMenamin 40/1
PU Autonomous Cloud 7 10-9 4ex Fergal O'Brien Paddy Brennan 9/2J
PU Blade Runner 7 10-2 Chris Gordon Freddie Gordon 22/1
PU Super Survivor 7 10-5 Jamie Snowden Gavin Sheehan 11/2
NR F2PP-9 Iceo Madrik 5 10-5 David Pipe David Noonan