Welsh Grand National 2019 - Full Report
There was a roar as fiery as the enigmatic dragon the nation of Wales has as it’s emblem, and that was from the team of Welsh trainer Christian Williams as Potters Corner took the Coral Welsh Grand National under Welsh jockey Jack Tudor to make it a historic day for Wales.
Sent off at 8/1, the gelding made it a double of Nationals to his name, having taken the Midlands equivalent in March at Uttoxeter, and was rallied home by his jockey and the thousands at the course to make it a day to remember for the natives.
At the first fence it was Bryony Frost and last year’s third Yala Enki who were disputing the lead with the eventual winner and The Two Amigos, who raced prominently on the inside. Last year’s winner Elegant Escape was tucked away in mid division, a cluster of horses around him. The field sailed over the first and went across the line with two complete circuits of Piercefield Park ahead of them, with Space Cadet the only horse to make a blunder at the opening fence.
The pace was a steady, sensible one, the leading trio opening up down the back by three lengths on the rest of the field, who were stacking and packing behind them. Matt Griffiths changed a set of goggles aboard The Two Amigos as they went to the ditch, though his silks looked far cleaner than the majority behind him. Captain Chaos was pulled wide by Harry Skelton in search of finer ground as Matt took his mount to the lead as the field went out on their last circuit.
A few scrappy jumps began to creep in over the 14th and 15th, with Looks Like Power and Space Cadet starting to struggle. Swinging in after the bend, Potters Corner came up alongside the leader at 5 out. Truckers Lodge, Prime Venture and the reigning champion Elegant Escape came out of the pack to chase after the leaders, and it became clear that the winner would be out of this lot as the stamina sapping conditions began to take their toll on the rest of the field.
Potters Corner took 2 out in the lead, with Truckers Lodge becoming his main adversary as The Two Amigos and Yala Enki began to feel the pinch with Prime Venture and Elegant Escape, his crown slipping from his grasp. Potters Corner flew the last and set off by 3 lengths away from it, and under a heavy drive from Jack Tudor lasted home in the conditions to win by 2 lengths to Truckers Lodge, Yala Enki and Prime Venture, who were 6 lengths clear ahead of The Two Amigos and Elegant Escape.
There were scenes of utter jubilation upon their return to the winners enclosure, the owners looking as though they had won the Six Nations themselves, let alone the race. It can be safe to say that the bars and local pubs around Bridgend and further afar will be running dry by the morning, as it seems the entire nation will be celebrating the success of the brave horse, who has made history for the nation.
Allmankind ran out a very impressive winner of the Grade 1 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle under jockey Harry Skelton for trainer and brother Dan Skelton.
Sent off the 6/5F after two very imperious victories at Warwick and Cheltenham in recent months, he went straight to the lead and made all in a fashion so imperious, he is not the 8/1 second favourite for the main event for the division, the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Festival in March.
He was already a warm favourite for them two victories, but with Botox Has, who he had defeated in stylish fashion in the Grade 2 Prestbury Juvenile Hurdle at the November Meeting at Cheltenham, franking the form by winning the juvenile hurdle at the International meeting a few weeks ago, the air of anticipation was all about as he entered the parade ring on a foggy and slightly moist Friday at Chepstow.
Harry was not messing around at the start and immediately went to press the lead on him, taking it up from Nordano and Bryony Frost, another genuine front runner. Irish raider Cerberus was settled in behind in mid division, jockey Robbie Power not letting him get loose in the stamina sapping conditions.
Heading around the bottom bend Allmankind has pulled himself into a 5 length lead, relenting to a more sedate gap of a length upon entering the back straight. Going down the back all bar Art Of Diplomacy were going well, Harry Bannister starting to get more anxious at the halfway stage.
At the last down the back Harry decided to let Allmankind go on and he quickly established a 6 length lead, quickly getting all his rivals bar Maskada, Cerberus and Tavus off the bridle. At 3 out he was still motionless on the leader, and Robbie Power decided now was the time to go after the leader. At 2 out the lead was 4 lengths, but Cerberus could not get any closer to the leader, and despite all his jockey’s urgings, the gap grew to six lengths at the last. A good jump at the last sealed a first Grade 1 for Allmankind, scoring in decisive fashion by 9 lengths to the Irish raider, with Nordano plugging on an equal distance back in third.
Harry described the horse after the race as “ a bit of a freak”, and it remains whether his next run will be the big one for juveniles in March at the Festival, or possibly some more match practice at the course.
The day started with the Coral “Fail To Finish” free Bets Maiden Hurdle, and was taken in decisive fashion by the 4/5F Harry Senior, trained by Colin Tizzard and ridden by Robbie Power.
Justifying strong market support, he quickened clear from the last hurdle to score by 5 lengths to Global Fame and Cap Du Mathan.
When the flag fell it was hard enough to see on the big screen who exactly was who, the misty conditions making it an effort to determine the running order. Eventually Equus Dancer and Jacke Is Back taking up the running towards the first, the field tightly clustered over it and all the way down the main straight. Cap Du Manthan was taking a keen hold down the straight, while on the bend Equus Dancer went markedly wide off it, perhaps in search of fresher, better ground than on the inside.
Midway down the back straight Orsino began to struggle and was given reminders and strong urgings from his jockey Tom O’Brien. Mr Woolley was also beginning to tail off at this point, as the field began to prepare to leave the back straight.
Turning in Harry Senior and Slipway had joined the two leaders and began to press on to 3 out. Global Fame came from the remainder of the field and this group went to fight it out towards 2 out.
The favourite Harry Senior was untidy at 2 out, but between that and the last he moved up stylishly to take aim at Global Fame, and before the last had gone two lengths up. A good leap at the last did seal the victory, but he extended the leap on the run in to win by 5 lengths to Global Fame, with Cap Du Manthan in third.
The winner has been entered for the Grade 2 Leamington Novices Hurdle at Warwick, connections clearly thinking very highly of him, and it will be interesting to see what will become of him.
Tiquer stayed on much the best in the conditions to take the "The Smart Money's On Coral" Handicap Chase for trainer Alan Jones after a typically great ride from Paddy Brennan.
Despite rising 11 in a couple of days after the race, the 16/1 made good work to score by 4 lengths to Springtown Lake, showing in the process an upturn in form that the stewards did question compared to his form at Newbury a month earlier when pulled up.
Springtown Lake took the field along with Lord Bryan joining him , One for Billy taking a tug in behind. There were no serious alarms down the straight and heading out with a circuit to go. Mid way down the back Lord Bryan began to struggle and dropped away to the rear of the field, but this was the only patch of issue as the field went into the murk and turned for home.
Upon turning in Springtown Lake was fired into it by Richard Johnson, Eceparti blundering and hitting it to drop off from the lead and was beaten from this point. At 4 out, the final ditch, Springtown Lake fiddled his way over it and had to be scrubbed along by Dickie, who was aware of the looming presence of Tiquer, who went to the lead at 3 out.
3 good leaps over the remaining obstacles confirmed the victory, staying on stoutly and resolutely to score by nearly 4 lengths over the long term leader back in second, Eceparti a further 4 lengths back in third, tiring after his blunder 5 out.
'The Smart Money's On Coral' Handicap Hurdle saw a locally trained winner when the Tim Vaughan gelding Eva’s Oskar proved much too strong for the classy duo of Clyne and Ask Dillon, galloping on strongly to score under Alan Johns for a popular success.
A well backed 17/2 before the off, it proved a appetiser for the big race that followed it, a Welsh winner taking that one too, but it could have been argued that this was as much celebrated as the crowd gathered at Chepstow had dared to, careful not to jinx the result in 40 minutes time.
Driftwood Haze was niggled along to get going at the off as Clyne and Sykes took the field along, Acey Milan and Eva’s Oskar settled in nicely behind. Richard Johnson was hard at work on Perfect Man at the opposite end of the field and scale however, the gelding being ridden along as the field swung in towards the second, backers of him already seemingly concerned.
Souriyan was hard ridden swinging away round the bottom bend by Tom O’Brien and seemingly failing to pick up the bit, blundering over the first down the back, his race already in tatters at the end of a circuit. Carnspindle joined him in tailing off with Driftwood Haze as the field began to crank up the pace and head towards the final 3 hurdles.
Sykes and Bryan Carver were first to commit for home, Acey Milan going with him, with Eva’s Oskar just in behind. Clyne was on the far outside making a game effort to rally, Ask Dillon going up the inside to try and get into the foray. This group had stretched well away from their rivals, and just like boxers in the 12th round, set it up for a final slug in attritional conditions.
Eva’s Oskar was angled to the inside by his jockey on the run between the final two hurdles to lead at the last, his two rivals in Ask Dillon and Clyne snapping away at his heels. The Tim Vaughan trained horse would not give in however, and started to remorsely gallop after the line, responding to every urging from his jockey to score by 2 ½ lengths to Clyne, a further 3 ¾ back to Ask Dillon, and in the process score his 4th win of 2019. This one could possibly have given his trainer the most satisfaction, on such a big day for his home nation.
Dominateur took advantage of some sloppy jumping from Clondaw Anchor to snatch victory in the Coral “Fail To Finish” Free Bets Novices Limited Handicap Chase for jockey Richie McLernon and trainer Oliver Sherwood.
The 11/4F stayed on in the conditions resolutely, but was certainly aided by his jumping standing the test of the race, which is more than can be said for the runner up, who blundered away his chance with some sloppy jumps at the business end of the contest.
Golden Sunrise was encouraged by Robbie Power to give a good leap at the first obstacle, but he got a slow jump in reply and had to be nursed along to get him to get in contention. Clondaw Anchor went to the lead and set a generous pace, the field no more than 5 lengths from first to last.
Clondaw Anchor was very untidy at the last in a circuits time and surrendered the lead briefly to Golden Sunrise as the field went past the stands, but regained it by the time the field were swinging out into the back straight.
Ocean Cove has to be nursed into he race by Paddy Brennan to keep in contention, which he did over the first tow in the back, which was the opposite for Another Emotion, who dropped right out of the back of the field and was eventually tailed off, stopping very quickly.
As the field turned for home Samburu Shujaa looked like the candidate in prime position to give the leader most to think about, but he was slow at 5 out and Dominateur made a superb leap to go into second. Clondaw Anchor headed down towards three out, but where he jumped the ditch at 4 out with a fine leap, he got in very tight to the next, where it was only a miracle he didn’t come down. Dominateur came back on the outside to challenge him as these two led the field in the gloom towards 2 out.
Golden Sunrise tried to get on terms but was never going to get there as Clondaw Anchor made another error at the second last, and whilst he performed a better leap at the last, it was Dominateur who stayed on strongest of all to score by 2 ½ lengths, these two a further 6 lengths ahead of Golden Sunrise.
The final race of the card, Coral "Fail To Finish" Free Bets Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, was won by the Ella Pickard trained Getaround, who slogged it out in the bottomless conditions to score under Bryan Carver by 12 lengths to Malinello. The race was run in almost pitch black darkness as the fog rolled in after the sun set and the temperature dropped, the race only just getting the go ahead to be run.
