As we countdown to the feature meeting of the year, the Coral Welsh Grand National on Monday 27th December, we are waiting for the Welsh Government Covid update this Friday to see if it will have any impact on the meeting. All the information will be available on our website as soon as we get it.
The Evan Williams (photographed) trained Coole Cody, an unlucky loser of last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup, made amends with a battling victory when returning to Cheltenham for Saturday’s Racing Post Gold Cup.
The ten-year-old, ridden by Adam Wedge, fell at the penultimate fence in the earlier race when leading and holding every chance. This time he made no mistake and won by two lengths. Immediately after the race Wedge said, “He is hard as nails. He’s got his own way of jumping, but he knows what he’s doing.”
The horse’s record at Cheltenham is now 3-10 and Williams will doubtless have the two and a half mile handicap chase at the Festival in mind, in which he was fourth last season. He said, “He’s a good tough horse. Adam was convinced he had plenty of petrol left last time. I had no worries about what happened then. He’s tough as teak, and wouldn’t be bothered about what happened before.
Powerstown Park rattled up a hat-trick for Sam Thomas within the space of eight days in March, all of them in two mile hurdles. Three uninspiring runs since, and eleven pounds above his last winning mark, meant he started at 18/1 for a three mile chase at Hereford on Saturday. In spite of the different obstacles and distance, he won easily. It was a conditional jockeys’ race, and Lorcan Williams rode him, which the rules allow even though he lost his claim recently.
On Friday the 2019 Coral Welsh Grand National winner, Potters Corner returned to form with a fine second in the cross country race at Cheltenham under Jack Tudor. He looked like winning in the final quarter of a mile of the 3m6f contest, only to be run out of it in the very last stride. Christian Williams has 17 days to decide whether to take his chance in this year’s Welsh National. Some 20/1 is still available for that race.
Sean Bowen moved on to the 63 winner mark for the season with a double at Plumpton on Monday aboard Hey Bob and Fairy Gem.
