Raz De Maree can achieve a rare feat at Chepstow on Thursday by winning the Coral Welsh Grand National for the second time in the same calendar year.
The biggest race in the Welsh diary takes place on December 27, less than 12 months since the veteran horse triumphed in the postponed race back in January.
Raz De Maree made headlines when winning last year given the horse was only three years younger than his 16-year-old jockey, rising Welsh star James Bowen.
As the race was rescheduled for January last season, Gavin Cromwell’s Raz De Maree is still technically the same age, but he will not have the services of Bowen this time, who has subsequently ridden out his claim.
But Raz de Maree has finished no closer than tenth in four subsequent starts and is a big price to repeat last year’s triumph.
Heading the weights is Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Ballyoptic from a pair of Venetia Williams-trained runners, Yala Enki and Otago Trail.
Along with Raz De Maree there is further Irish interest in the shape of Baie Des Iles for Ross O’Sullivan and Folsom Blue for Gordon Elliott.
Colin Tizzard has left in Elegant Escape, but the Ladbrokes Trophy winner Sizing Tennessee has been taken out.
Ramses De Teillee will be back after winning the trial, while Rons Dream will have plenty of followers for local trainer Peter Bowen.
Alfie Spinner, Vintage Clouds, Vieux Lion Rouge and Bishops Road are others with experience of the race.
Victory this time could go to Folsom Blue, who may have won the Irish Grand National in April but for being knocked sideways at the last fence. As with Might Bite in the King George, settling for the favourite in this race comes with some considerable risk because it is Elegant Escape, whose jumping can become rather ragged in the later stages.
But Elegant Escape’s owner John Romans said: “Elegant Escape is without doubt the best horse I’ve had since I got into racing.
“I was at the Punchestown Festival with Joe and (trainer) Colin Tizzard and we were looking at these horses at the sale and he stood out.
“The three of us thought there was something about him and we have never looked back. I think that ‘something’ about him is his spirit.
“He was excellent at Sandown when he won the Future Stars Intermediate Chase, and that is what he is. He is such a confident horse.
“I have to say he likes the soft ground, so we better do a rain dance for him.”
At least this Welsh National should be run on schedule rather than delayed until January as has happened four times in the past eight years.
If the forecast is right, neither frost nor waterlogging should be a problem this time.
Arena Racing Company (“ARC”), Chepstow Racecourse and Ladbrokes Coral this week announced a five-year renewal of Coral sponsorship of the Welsh Grand National.
Under this latest deal Coral will continue its support for Wales’ most prestigious race through to the 2022 renewal, which will be the 50th year of the sponsorship, the longest Graded race sponsorship in British jump racing.
Ladbrokes Coral PR Director, Simon Clare said: “It is a source of great pride that Coral has maintained such a long and successful association with this historic jump race. The Coral Welsh Grand National is one of our flagship sponsorships and we are looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of our partnership in 2022”.
Executive Director of Chepstow Racecourse, Phil Bell commented: “We are absolutely delighted to renew our partnership with Coral for a further five years. They have been tremendous supporters of racing at Chepstow, and the Welsh Grand National in particular, for almost fifty years. It is a real honour for Chepstow to host one of the longest running jump race sponsorships in the UK.”