16 will go to post for the Coral Welsh Grand National, worth £150,000, at Chepstow on Friday 27thDecember.
Monbeg Genius, who is an unbeaten horse at Chepstow, is the current 9/2 Favourite for Jonjo and AJ O’Neil having finished 2nd behind Fontaine Collonges at Haydock on his seasonal reappearance. The pair are set to re-oppose on Friday with a 5ibs swing in the weights, with the Venetia Williams trained mare, Fontaine Collonges, now carrying second top weight.
Monbeg Genius is one of two runners for the O’Neil family who also have last year’s runner up, Iron Bridge, looking to go one better in this year’s renewal.
The Dan Skelton trained, Galia Des Liteaux, is also prominent at the top of the market. The mare finished eighth in last year’s Aintree Grand National and seventh in the recent Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November.
2021 winner, Iwilldoit, will bid to become the first dual winner of the Coral Welsh Grand National since Mountainous won it in both 2013 and 2015 for trainer Kerry Lee. Iwilldoit is one of two runners for Thomas, who also has the well fancied Jubilee Express.
Gordon Elliot is yet to win the Coral Welsh Grand National but holds a strong hand heading into this year’s renewal. Where It All Began landed the Punchestown Grand National trial last season and has run two good races over marathon trips since. His second runner, Stuzzikini, was last seen winning the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November.
Elsewhere on the card, French raider, Nietzsche Has, looks set to go off a short price favourite for the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle for trainer Marcel Rolland. Previous winners of the race include the likes of Bristol de Mai and Defi Du Seuil who went on to taste success at the highest level.
