  It was Sunday morning that was the first scare for me in this years Welsh National we woke up to quite a sharp frost and with a heavier frost forecast for Monday night,given the almost constant rain of the previous couple of days I thought that we might be in for the troublesome inspection for the Tuesday. On Tuesday morning we were treated to bright sunshine and NO frost, there were no inspections planned so it looked like The Coral Welsh National was ON. I don't know if it was the abandonment of the previous days racing at Kempton or the fact that the weather was going to be kind to us, but coming off the M4 to head for Chepstow it soon became clear that there was going to be problems getting to the course. I always set off early for the course because there were problems getting to the course a few years ago but in the last few years there have been little problems for people getting to the course about an hour before the first race. Today was going to be different and the traffic flowed slowly and although controlled by the police, it was not moving very quickly even though there did not seem to be many more people at the course than the previous two years.  So I don't know why there was less traffic on the centre of the course, maybe because the ground was heavy or it was because of the Kempton scare but getting to the ground was very difficult. ( for those of us without a helicopter of course ). After parking and walking to the course it was difficult to see why, when the queues were so long getting into Tatts, the fact that all the turnstiles were not in operation and also, some were bare of punters because they were only accepting the correct money because they had no change. ( a poor oversight as the tickets had gone up from 15 pounds to 16 pounds? ). However 15 mins before the first race we were in and heading for the parade ring.  Once into the course the Tote areas which were open were well supported and it was sad to see that towards the silver ring area that there were unmaned Tote booth's on this the most important and best attended meeting of the season. We did not get any non-runners during the day and after the first race The Ray Horton Memorial handicap Steeple Chase ( sponsored by the widow of the late Mr. Ray Horton who died earlier in the year and who's horse Sparkling Cone was to run in the Welsh National later ), it was clear that although the going was heavy, it was not as sticky at last year and the horses were getting through the ground much easier, and the race was won be the jolly favourite Ambleside at 13/8 . Good weather and favourites winning we thought that it might be good day after all. After the second race a Handicap hurdle won by a nk by the Welsh Trained Distant Storm ridden Miss E.Jones at 14/1, this was probably the best finish of the day with neither of the horses or riders giving up until the line.We then were to witness a live contender for the Triumph hurdle in the form of Mister Banjo who was a very well fancied odds on fav. who won on his own pulling up by 18 lengths, It was a very impressive performance indeed.  Next was the big race The Coral Welsh National and the rumours in the ring was getting stronger and stronger for the Scottish National winner Young Kenny who seemed to have everything in his favour with the heavy ground . He was backed down to 5/2 fav from opening on the course at 4/1 and that was down from 5/1 in the Betting shops in the morning. The tension was mounting as the horses started to parade in the sunshine. And soon it was down to the start for the last Welsh National of the Millennium. At 2:19 PM They were off and running. The pack ran off together and as they filtered downhill into the first bend and started to meet the rising ground towards the first fence the field was starting to settle down and it was Edmond and Altavistic who jumped the first fence two lengths in front of a pair of greys Sparkling Cone and A.N.C.Express the only problem at this fence was by Hollibank Buck who blundered at it . onto the second fence and the first open ditch and all jumped it and also nothing changed as they jumped the third. The next fence is the water and over the leaders go but Young Kenny makes a mistake at this one when he seems to leave his hide legs in the water. So onto the fifth fence and all jump OK . The horses then start to go downhill to the next fence and two break away from the pack They are Edmond and Altavistic. 
The field then have a long way to the next which is the first in the home straight the order is Edmond and Altavistic then 5 lengths back is Sparkling Cone then is Fiddling the facts who is getting into her stride and going easily, Next is Forest Ivory Earthmover and Rash Remark, Then there's Last years winner Kendal Cavalier and Flaked Oats , Young Kenny is with them but even now he is not going fluently.
Two length's behind is Country Store and Esprite De Cotte, then a length back is Feels like Gold and A.N.C.Express who is now falling behind, and a further three lengths behind and already tailing off is Hollybank Buck and triple national winner Earth Summit who is last of all.So its down around the bend and into the home straight for the first time The horses meet the rising ground and then onto the 7th fence the field is now closing up they all jump the 7th OK with the exception being Forest Ivory who hit the top of the fence. and the next is the next open ditch. This fence catches out quite a few, Altavistic who is going very well and is up with Edmond hits the top of the fence and his front legs go down and he falls leaving Edmond with a clear lead, Flaked Oats gets hampered but runs on. The horses get to the next and jump it OK it's then that the horses come over the brow and the noise in the stands gets louder and the horses start down hill to the next. Down hill to the 10th and 11th fence and all horses jump it well and then there's the long run past the post around the bend and uphill to the 12th. At the post with 1 circuit to go the leaders are Edmond,Fiddling the Facts,Sparkling Cone, Earthmover,Esprite De Cotte who's is moving up the field, Forest Ivory and Flaked Oats who is staying on. Rash Remark is next and being ridden along is Young Kenny with Kendal Cavalier the last of the leading Group. Up the hill and again on to the 1st in the back the leaders jump OK but Kendal Cavalier does not jump high enough and brushes through the top of the fence but gets away with it but Rash Remark makes his exit when he falls. Feels like gold is going nowhere and is pulled up before the fence by Tony Dobbin. The next is the open ditch again the leaders are jumping well but some of the horses are now getting very tired. The next is a plain fence Edmond jumps it well but Fiddling the Facts makes her first mistake the rest clear it OK. The next is the water and the leaders jump it well but the field is now getting stretched the favourite is struggling and it looks an impossible task for him now and he is getting tailed off. 
The next two fences are downhill again and all horses jump them safely but Fiddling the facts makes another mistake at each but the very game mare is still trying. Its then the long run down around the bend and back to the finishing straight .This is usually the area that sorts out the men from the boys and if you are going well now and you are up in with the leaders you have a chance but if you get left behind here it is very unusual for someone to peg back any lead given away here. Edmond, Forest Ivory are going well and Fiddling the Facts despite the mistakes is going really well. They meet the rising Ground to the first in the home straight and Esprit De Cotte , Hollibank Buck have no chance and are pulled up so we are down to 11 but in truth the first six in the leading pack are pulling 10 lengths clear of the rest and the leader will be one of these . At the 1st in the home straight ( 18th ) now out of sight from the stands Edmond leads and jumps the fence really well followed by Forest Ivory who is now going well , next is Fiddling the Facts then Earthmover and a length behind Flaked Oats and Sparkling Cone, the winner will come from this group. The race is now getting serious and Edmond opens up a gap all the other five get reminders before the next the last open ditch, at it Edmond is spectacular and makes another length or so, Earthmover makes a complete hash of it and any chance he had of winning may now have gone, the others jump the fence but Fiddling the Facts is now stopping very quickly and the end of the race is in sight for her. Sparkling cone is also now finding this too hard. 
We are now Three from home and are at the top of the hill and as they jump the next they come into view of the stands the crowd gives out a roar as Edmond the course specialist gives the fence plenty of air and jumps it the best of them all although the others jump it OK.Edmond is now 6 lengths clear of Forest Ivory Who is running his best race for 12 months. The third horse Fiddling the Facts is 10 lengths behind and looking tired before Mick Fitzgerald pulls here up Sparkling cone is also finding this too much and is pulled up. Two from home now and only two horses in with a chance another great roar from the crowd and Edmond runs down the fence slightly to put himself right and just touches the top of the fence. Forest Ivory jumps it slightly better but is still 6 lengths behind and Earthmover who is now running on even if at one pace jumps the fence really well but is a further 10 lengths behind. Flaked Oats makes a mistake but is still staying on. 
They are at the last and the Chepstow crowd keep their loudest cheer for this, Edmond meets it perfectly and jumps it brilliantly 10 lengths ahead of Forest Ivory and a further 8 to Earthmover now it's the long run in but unlike Aintree and Cheltenham the Chepstow run in does not catch out the front running types 
As he crosses the line Richard Johnson can't resist punching the air to signal he and Edmond are the Welsh National champions. Second is a very brave Forest Ivory who running in blinkers for the first time looks a much better horse followed by Earthmover in third and his stable mate Flaked Oats is fourth.We all agree this was a fantastic front running display by Edmond who wins in the Welsh Winter sunshine and who knows what's next for him. We all settle down now for the next race a national hunt FLAT race I'm not sure if this was a good idea to move this from the last race to the fifth but at least it gives us National Hunt fans a chance to take in the big one and also get a brew in. There were two more races on the card after but the main event was over and as I make for the car park I reflect on seeing a very good performance and look forward to his future runs in other Nationals also what might be a Triumph hurdle winner and have to come to the conclusion that this was a great days racing. |
