16:13 That is it from a very busy day at Chepstow where a very large crowd witnessed the first ever Irish winner of the Coral Welsh National, at the tracks biggest day of the year.
Tomorrow we have more mundane fare as we will be at Leicester.
16:05 The bumper was finally run in fast diminishing daylight.
It actually proved a very good finish. Bella Haze put in a good front running performance, although it looked as though she was going to be beaten two out. To her credit she responded well to the challenge and managed to find a second wind.
It proved to be a very well timed second wind as Aberdale, in the Trevor Hemmings second colours looked booked for second place, only to be headed by Peveril, in the first colours, who came with a very impressive late run and had the race been another few yards would certainly have won.
The favourite Pennellis (Nicholls and Walsh again) looked to have every chance but was swamped in the closing stages and only managed to come home in fifth place.
15:55 We are running really late now – it’s a pity Chepstow does not have floodlights
15:40 Well they were eventually off ten minutes late, no news on the injured lass yet.
It actually turned out to be a scrappy race, although as an example of the swings and roundabouts of the Nicholls / Walsh afternoon this race turned out to be one of their better ones as Michel Le Bon came out a most convincing winner in a race where the field were, once again, well strung out.
Second place went to the very oddly named Thetwincamdrift , with Threatening To Pay back in third.
As I said it was an odd sort of race, where they went a steady pace and nobody seemed that keen to go on.
15:25 A delay to our next race - Perkin Warbeck has been involved in an incident and his lass has been injured. the horse has been withdrawn.
14:55 After the slog of the National our next race was a very fast run 2 mile hurdle.
Outsider Akarshan set a good pace and the remaining nine runners were more than happy to go with the brisk pace.
In truth the field were well bunched throughout and only Just Rob looked to have no chance throughout.
In the home straight Akarshan paid the price for the hot pace and this left Pepite De Soleil and Walkon to battle out the finish, with the latter running on well to claim a five length victory.
The favourite Pepite De Soleil (another from the Nicholls / Walsh combo) just repelled a late challenge from Reve De Sivola to keep the runners-up spot by a short head.
Last year this race was won by Franchoek, I don’t think we have seen anything of that quality this afternoon.
14:20 Those of you with good memories will recall we had a fantastic bob finish at the end of the Coral Welsh National with Miko De Beuchene winning on the nod.
In the 2008 renewal we witnessed another bob finish, although this time it was for the minor honours as Notre Pere trained in Ireland by Jim Draper and ridden by Andrew Lynch destroyed the field in a very convincing seven length victory.
In a race run at a decent pace the field was headed by Joe Lively and Sherwoods Folly.
There was a dramatic incident at the second fence where Mon Mome made a mistake and although the Venetia Williams runner survived the blunder, last years winner was interfered with and Andrew Thornton had no chance of keeping the partnership in tact.
Turning for home for the final time there were a dozen runners all in with a chance.
Sherwoods Folly was leading as they entered the home straight but his rivals were forming a queue behind.
Notre Pere was the one who ran on best of all and once in the lead never looked to be in any danger.
The battle for second was more intense with three battlers all running on Cornish Sett literally just kept his nose in front of the top weight Halcon Genelardais, who clearly needs further than 3m 5f, who himself was only a nose ahead of Officer De Reserve.
The favourite Mon Mome was never in contention, this run probably coming too soon after his victory at Cheltenham a fortnight ago.
13:50 The big one next - a 3m 5f slog in the mud.
13:42 Another blow for those bookie chappies as the 9/2 joint favourite Heathcliff won a competitive three mile hurdle.
By contrast the Nicholls / Walsh combo were very much out of luck with the other joint favourite Oberon Moon, always near the rear Ruby Walsh attempted to make progress as they turned for home but it was to no avail and the white flag was raised approaching the last.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Another Brother set the pace and had a comfortable lead turning for home with only Heathcliff for comfort.
Approaching the last Another Brother had the advantage but it was clear Oliver Greenall on Heathcliff was just biding his time and so it proved to be as he took the lead approaching the last to record a 3¼ length victory.
The Wooden Spoon came from the pack to take third place and Maktu was also running on in fourth.
13:04 Well the Nicholls / Walsh combo may well have been disappointing in the first race. There were no such problems in the second as Herecomesthetruth put in a great front running performance and never looked to be in any danger.
Trainer Paul Nicholls said there were “no big plans” for the winner, although he hinted the John Hughes at Aintree may be an option.
Of the other runners Presenting Copper from the Phillip Hobbs stable was an eye catching runner up being prominent throughout and looking to be the only potential challenger, although he was eight lengths behind the winner as they passed the post.
Alan King’s Rustarix managed to get the better of the running on Down The Stretch in a photograph for third place.
Moncadou was a serious drifter in the market for the O’Neill yard, however he rallied well to finish sixth after making a major blunder four out.
Loulou Nivernais took a really nasty looking fall at the seventh but, thankfully, was OK.
12:41 To answer my last question the sponsors, Coral, offer the following odds on the number of finishers.
11/8 - Less than 8
Evens - 8 - 11
4/1 - more than 11
I am tempted to have a go at the 11/8
12:35 I wonder how they are betting on the number of finishers in the big one - I would go six to eight.
12:30 Well no surprise they were strung out like Monday’s washing in the opener and it turned out to be a good result for the many bookmakers in the enclosures.
Nakai was sent off the odd-on favourite to provide victory for the Nicholls / Walsh combination.
In with every chance two out after the front running second favourite had folded and came home rather flat in third place. The threat to the jolly came in the shape of Carl Llewellyn’s Wind Instrument, ridden by Graham Lee.
Lee had tracked the leader throughout, whilst Walsh was happy to settle the favourite in rear in the early stages.
Halfway down the back straight Walsh bough Nakai into third place.
Turning for home it looked to be a three horse race, with Pancake leading, Wind Instrument upside, Nakai on their quarters and Hills Of Aran waving the white flag.
In the home straight Pancake was holding the lead but came under pressure on both sides and quickly faded.
At the second last Wind Instrument had the lead but it seemed the favourite had everything under control. However as they cleared the penultimate flight Wind Instrument showed the better turn of foot and the result was left in no doubt when he put in a perfect leap at the last eventually coming out an easy 2¾ length winner.
11:23 The first race, in just over an hour, is going to be very telling as it is a three mile chase and it will give some indication how the runners will come home in the big one.
10:29 Massive crowds are gathering at Chepstow, unfortunately the traffic is also horrendous so getting to the course is a nightmare. Isn’t it strange that as soon as the police start taking control of traffic everything fouls up – leave it to the motorists to sort out themselves and it all works out OK.
The early morning inspection was cancelled and the official going is Soft.
There are currently two non-runners but they all go in the big one with commentator Lee McKenzie having a field of twenty to call home.
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Non-Runners
12:55
5 Le Toscan (Lame - SC)
3:20
8 King Fontaine (Lame - SC)
Results
12:20
1st 6 Wind Instrument 8/1
2nd 2 Nakai 10/11 fav
6 Ran
Distances 2 3/4
Fav second
Tote
Win £10.30
Place £2.70 £1.50
Exacta £20.00
CSF £16.09
12:55
1st 3 Herecomesthetruth 6/4 fav
2nd 2 Presenting Copper 4/1
3rd 7 Rustarix 4/1
12 Ran NR 5
Distances 8 & 6
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.50
Place £1.60 £2.00 £1.50
Exacta £10.00
CSF £7.39
Tricast £20.14
1:30
1st 13 Heathcliff 9/2 jf
2nd 5 Another Brother 12/1
3rd 2 The Wooden Spoon 12/1
4th 6 Maktu 10/1
18 Ran
Distances 3 1/4 & 7
Fav winner & No 1 (PU)
Tote
Win £5.30
Place £2.20 £3.30 £2.20 £2.70
Exacta £70.00
CSF £56.62
Tricast £628.47
2:05
1st 4 Notre Pere 16/1
2nd 7 Cornish Sett 25/1
3rd 1 Halcon Genelardais 10/1
4th 12 Officier De Reserve 13/2
20 Ran
Distances 7, nose & nose
Fav 8 Mon Mome 9/2 (Upl)
Tote
Win £14.40
Place £3.10 £5.80 £2.90 £2.50
Exacta £519.00
CSF £373.07
Tricast £4,183.39
2:40
1st 9 Walkon 7/1
2nd 10 Pepite De Soleil 5/2 fav
3rd 5 Reve De Sivola 6/1
10 Ran
Distances 5 & short head
Fav second
Tote
Win £4.20
Place £1.70 £1.40 £2.30
Exacta £12.50
CSF £12.78
3:20
1st 10 Michel Le Bon 15/8 fav
2nd 15 Thetwincamdrift 100/30
3rd 16 Threatening To Pay 15/2
14 Ran NR 8 WD 12
Distances 3 1/4 & 3 1/2
Fav winner
Tote
Win £3.10
Place £1.40 £1.70 £3.30
Exacta £12.90
CSF £8.46
3:50
1st 3 Bella Haze 12/1
2nd 12 Peveril 5/2
3rd 1 Aberdale 33/1
15 Ran
Distances 2 1/2 & neck
Fav 11 Pennellis 15/8 (5th)
Tote
Win £14.70
Place £3.30 £2.20 £5.80
Exacta £139.30
CSF £41.81
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