51 Entered For Coral Welsh Grand National 2020

Local hero of the 2019 Coral Welsh Grand National, Potters Corner leads the entries for the 2020 renewal of the race, which takes place on Sunday 27 December. Christian Williams’ ten-year-old is a guaranteed stayer and mudlark, who is also a winner of the Midlands National, took the unique honour of winning the Virtual Grand National in 2020, following the abandonment of the Aintree feature, in front of millions of ITV Racing viewers. 

The first five in the 2019 Welsh National have all been entered to run in Chepstow’s feature race once again.  Last year’s second and third, Truckers Lodge and Yala Enki, are two of the four entries from the stable of multiple champion trainer Paul Nicholls.  The fourth a year ago, Prime Venture, comes from the Evan Williams yard.  He hit form last week with a 16-length win at Sedgefield. 

Heading the weights is Native River, winner of the 2016 Coral Welsh Grand National and the victor in an epic race for the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.  Unbeaten in two races last season, he is one of four entries from the Colin Tizzard stable.   

Among the other entries is David Pipe’s Ramses De Teillee, three times successful at Chepstow.  This handsome grey showed he was better than ever in beating Yala Enki a short head at Cheltenham’s recent Open meeting.   

Sam Brown has won five of his eight starts and began the season with a good third over an inadequate trip at Carlisle.  He stays and will go on the anticipated soft ground. 

Other Welsh-trained entries include Rebecca Curtis’ Joe Farrell, a former Scottish National winner; Evan Williams’ highly-regarded novice Secret Reprieve, who has only had four races over jumps; and Christian Williams’ Kitty’s Light, a four-year-old who finished like a train to come third in Wincanton’s Badger Beer Silver Trophy in November, under 2019 Coral Welsh National winning jockey, Jack Tudor. 

Three Coral Welsh Grand National winners have come from Herefordshire yard of Kerry Lee and she supplies two entries, Kings Monarch and Ice Cool Champs.  From the same county, Venetia Williams has trained two previous winners and she has Cloudy Glen and Didero Vallis. 

The field of 51 includes seven entries from Ireland, two of which are from the stables of Gordon Elliott and Joseph O’Brien, and two from Scotland. 

Simon Clare, of sponsors Coral said, “We have sponsored the Coral Welsh Grand National for 47 years but this year’s meeting will be very different from any that have gone before, operating behind closed doors, without the huge crowd and the festive atmosphere.  

However, that won’t stop this year’s Coral Welsh National being another cracker and the entries are as rich in quality and quantity as I can remember with a Gold Cup winner, Native River, heading the weights. We have always said our support for this race is unwavering and that remains as much the case in these challenging times as ever.” 

Phil Bell, Executive Director of Chepstow Racecourse said, “The Welsh Grand National is the highlight of the racing calendar here at Chepstow, and across the whole of Wales.  We are incredibly grateful to our long standing sponsors Coral, who do such a tremendous job in supporting and promoting the race.   

In what will no doubt be a very different Christmas period than everyone is used to, we hope that we can play our part in offering racing fans a quality race to enjoy from before we can welcome them back on course as soon as possible.” 

**Coral Welsh Grand National - Coral Prices 
12 Copperhead, Potters Corner, 14 Notachance, Ramses De Teillee, 16 At The Acorn, Cloudy Glen, Native River, Yala Enki, Truckers Lodge, Sam Brown, Lord Du Mesnil, 20 Discorama, Springfield Fox, Newtide, The Two Amigos, Deise Aba, Dominateur, Lamanver Pippin, 25 Bar