Welsh Trainers Get Ready to hear the Grand National Roar – All the way from Chepstow!
Top Welsh trainer Tim Vaughan admits he is already feeling the tingle of anticipation at the prospect of a packed Chepstow behind him when he bids for Grand National glory on Saturday.
While Vaughan is at Aintree – hoping for long overdue Welsh success with Eva’s Oskar – thousands will be cheering him on via the big screens at Chepstow, where it’s Grand National Party Raceday.
Each racegoer at Chepstow will be entered into a Grand National sweepstake as the excitement of Aintree is beamed live to the Welsh course immediately after our own seven-race meeting.
Not only that, everyone at Chepstow will be given an envelope containing their random Grand National pick and a tag enabling them to wear their horse’s colours.
Everyone who ends up with the winning Grand National horse will receive a £20 cash prize and a £20 free bet that can be redeemed on sponsor DragonBet’s website as well as 2x FREE TICKETS to our Unibet Jump Season Opener on Friday 13th October.
The racing at Chepstow starts on Saturday at 1.20pm and ends at 4.52pm. That leaves everyone with plenty of time to get ready for the Aintree Grand National from Liverpool at 5.15pm.
And afterwards, Chepstow racegoers can celebrate their winner – or dance away the memories of their faller – with live music provided by the Stereosonics, the UK’s leading Stereophonics tribute band.
They will be live in the Bonanza Boy marquee and on stage around 5.30pm
“It’s brilliant that a local track like Chepstow is doing this, because not everyone can get to Aintree, but a lot of people can get along to Chepstow and get some of that Grand National buzz,” says Vaughan.
“If there are 5,000 people at Chepstow cheering us on, then it really makes it time to shine. I’m getting a tingle just thinking about it.
“The whole vibe of Grand National day at Aintree, the buzz, the commentary, the noise, the atmosphere and all of it can now filter through to Chepstow, which is fantastic.
“It’s great that they are doing such a thing. This is the world’s greatest horse race and the biggest day in the sport. For me, to be involved and know that so many people will be back home at Chepstow, sharing the nerves and the excitement, makes it even more special.”
The strong Welsh contingent at Aintree this year extends to Eva Oskar’s jockey, Alan Johns who had a winner last week at Ffos Las on the Peter Bowen-trained mare, Dicey Rielly.
Another Welsh jockey with high hopes of glory is Sean Bowen, who rides last year’s Grand National winner, Noble Yeats.
Bowen warmed up with an easy winner at Chepstow’s meeting on Bank Holiday Monday aboard Not Available for trainer Matt Shepherd.
As well as Vale of Glamorgan-based Vaughan, two more Welsh trainers have entries in this year’s Grand National – a race no Welsh-trained horse has won since way back in 1905.
Sam Thomas has the well-fancied Our Power – unbeaten in two starts this season – with the experienced Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle.
And completing a Welsh trio is Peter Bowen’s Francky De Berlais, a long-odds outsider who will be ridden by another Welsh jockey in Ben Jones.
A gap of 118 years is a long time since that last Welsh-trained horse to win the Grand National, but Vaughan says: “I’ve got a theory on that one.
“It’s about time we won again – it’s long overdue - and hopefully it will be me!”
