By Jake Wilkes
Shropshire trainer Mel Rowley described herself as being “in complete disbelief” after Val Dancer won the Coral Welsh Grand National at a fog covered Chepstow.
Visibility throughout the day was extremely limited, with the card having to survive an inspection after the second race. A slight improvement in conditions at a crucial time was enough to continue racing and provide Rowley with her first victory in the race.
A beaming Rowley said: “He’s come of age this year, when we first had him he was raw to say the least and we took our time with him and he’s found his confidence bit by bit. The last day Charlie Deutsch rode him, and he said put him away and send him to the Welsh National, so that’s what we did!
“We’ve never experienced anything like this, we are a small yard from sleepy Shropshire, we make the best of the horses we’ve got. We have some lovely horses and lovely owners, but to come and do this is so special.
I am in complete disbelief! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry! To see the atmosphere and the build-up, we are used to watching it on the tele!”
Bonjour, Au Revoir
The Grade Two Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle was an intriguing feature to the card which went to French raider Nietzsche Has, for trainer Marcel Rolland and jockey LudovicPhillipperon.
An impressive performance sparked rumours of a Triumph Hurdle bid come March, however they were quickly dismissed by Rolland, who confirmed we will no longer see him on the track, as he will now go to stud.
“We couldn’t win the Grade 1 in Auteuil, so we came for a Grade 2 here as it will look good when he goes to stud,” said Rolland. “He’ll become a stallion now, as the owner wants to take the money with him!
“He is a lovely horse, before the race I was a bit unsure because the racetrack can be quite difficult. They jump three or four and then for a mile you don’t jump at all, it was a question.”
Skies the Limit
Lowry’s Bar confirmed promise that he is an exciting young chaser with another efficient display for Phillip Hobbs and Johnson White.
Taking on well-established rivals, he lined up as the most un-exposed candidate, before jumping well and kicking clear of his rivals in useful fashion.
A delighted Johnson White said: “He’s always been a good jumper, when he won at Exeter he had shown improvement from Bangor and improved further today. He’ll step up in trip, he’ll run over further, and I have two horses very similar in him and Imperial Saint who are both around the same mark and progressing at the same level.
“He’s a very straightforward horse, lovely owners, we’ll see what the handicapper does, but he can jump and travel and honestly, I don’t know how good he'll be.”
Bowen Brilliance
In the most thrilling finish of the afternoon, Woodie Flash narrowly pipped Tune In A Box in the dying strides to land the Coral ‘Daily Rewards Shaker’ Handicap Hurdle and avenge for his unlucky defeat at Newbury on his penultimate start.
Four rivals finished within a length of each other, after long-time leader Phantomofthepoints hung badly right in the closing stages, opening the door for his rivals to close.
After the narrow victory was confirmed by the judge, winning trainer Olly Murphy described the emotions of the race, while praising the ride by jockey Sean Bowen.
Murphy said: “He stays very well, it was the most crazy race to watch, he was tailed off turning down the back, then he came into view three out and thought he might be respectable, and then might finish fourth, but then he stayed on so I'm delighted, Sean got a very good tune out of him.
“He enjoys passing horses, we used to ride him positively, but he is progressing nicely, he was unlucky at Newbury, he came there to win but just missed the last. I thought the handicapper was harsh giving him a raise for that, but he was right as he usually is.
“I’d of loved to get him qualified for a Pertemps if it was very very soft, he’s a horse who will be aimed at a nice handicap somewhere, I’m not sure if he’ll jump a fence, but a staying handicap hurdles on soft ground suits him well.”
Dream Big
Jamie Snowden has lofty ambitions for Julius Des Pictonsafter comfortably winning the opening contest by two lengths.
On paper it was a competitive race, but the team expected to win, and they can turn their attention to fancier targets.
Snowden said: “He’s a really lovely horse, we think the world of him, it was Gavin’s [Sheehan, jockey] idea to come back to two miles and I think it was vindicated, he’s won that fairly easily, he got to the front very well, pricked his ears and idled a little bit, but he’s done it nicely.
“We’ve had him a year now, he was in training all last season and we didn’t run him, like a lot of the French horses they just take a bit of time, so we liked him, but we just wanted to wait to go novice hurdling.
“I was surprised he got beat the first day, but he probably just got out-stayed and was a little race rusty. He won very well last time and was impressive today.”
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Elsewhere on the card, there was success for Jane Williams, who won a handicap hurdle with Castelfort and Chris Gordon who won a handicap chase with David’s Well.
