Coral Welsh National
Handicap Chase, Chepstow 14:50
£150,000 guaranteed,
5yo plus,
3m 6f 130y, Class 1 
Saturday 27th December 2025

Hung Jury, runner-up in Sandown’s London National on December 6, may now be asked an even stiffer question, with this firmly on the radar. Martin Keighley’s Cheltenham scorer found only the proven Sandown campaigner O’Connell, trained by Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith, too sharp on the day, yet his effort under a 6lb hike suggested he remains very much on the upward curve.

He stayed on stoutly through the closing stages, and with that endurance proven once more, Keighley is weighing up a tilt at the December 27 feature – fitness and recovery being the final pieces of the puzzle.

“It was a great run at Sandown. He loves it at Cheltenham, but I think Sandown is just that little bit more of a challenge jumping-wise and he just didn’t get in the same kind of rhythm,” said Keighley.

“Even with that I think he’s run a really good race and the winner is a good horse around there.

“We’ll see how he comes out of it and if he comes out of it well then we’ll consider running in the Welsh National. I’d like to take him to Chepstow if he’s fresh and well and he does seem to take his racing really well and it would suit him better.

“He hit the line strong at Sandown. If Chepstow is really testing there won’t be many finishers, but I’d be confident he would be one of them.”

Jubilee Express looks set to roll the dice once more in the main event after capturing the Chepstow trial, on December 6, with the authority of a horse who remembers unfinished business. Runner-up in last season’s renewal, beaten only a length and a half after almost three miles and seven furlongs of slog, Sam Thomas’ eight-year-old returned to familiar territory and delivered a polished performance to underline his credentials once again.

With Lorcan Williams taking the reins for the first time, he travelled and jumped with purpose before finding enough to pull two and a half lengths clear of Collectors Item, the pair a yawning 32 lengths ahead of the rest. It was the kind of effort to warm the heart of any staying enthusiast.

“It was a lovely performance, we were very pleased to be able to get the run into him,” said Thomas. “We couldn’t be happier really, and we hope there’s more to come.”

A 4lb penalty awaits for that success, and Thomas will be keeping a close eye on Tuesday’s revised handicap marks as the December 27 showpiece draws closer.

“I’m pretty sure he’ll get a 4lb penalty for that and his new mark will come out on Tuesday before confirmations the following weekend, so it will be interesting to see where he fits in the handicap when everyone else has decided what they’re doing. He wouldn’t want it to be drying out, he’s a steady galloper so we wouldn’t want drying conditions, but hopefully at this time of year we won’t be getting that.”

Williams was quick to praise his partner’s neat approach to the obstacles, and Thomas echoed the sentiment. “He has always been a nice jumper who doesn’t do anything stupid, he’s sensible to his fences and that’s what you need in those big, long-distance staying chases.”

BoyleSports

Coral Welsh Grand National
(A Handicap Chase) (Grade 3)
£150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 3m 6f 130y, Class 1
52 entries
Going:

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 02P-38 Intense Raffles 7 12-0 Thomas Gibney
2 422-33 Stellar Story 8 11-13 Gordon Elliott
3 311-1P Haiti Couleurs 8 11-13 Rebecca Curtis
4 /111-2 Mr Vango 9 11-11 Mrs Sara V Bradstock
5 /4P1-1 Top Of The Bill 9 11-6 Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
6 /PP-PP Nassalam 8 11-4 Gary & Josh Moore
7 /P0P-P Stay Away Fay 8 11-4 Paul Nicholls
8 41P6-P Monbeg Genius 9 11-3 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
9 13/1-3 Marsh Wren 9 11-2 Stuart Edmunds
10 22P-97 Hyland 8 11-2 Nicky Henderson
11 225-01 Rock My Way 7 10-13 Joe Tizzard
12 112-5P Tanganyika 7 10-13 Venetia Williams
13 2112/4 Makin'yourmindup 8 10-10 Paul Nicholls
14 /3PP-2 Iron Bridge 9 10-9 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
15 3159-1 Uncle Bert 8 10-9 4ex Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies
16 112-31 O'Connell 9 10-9 4ex Joel Parkinson & Sue Smith
17 21P8-2 Collectors Item 8 10-8 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
18 12/1-2 O'Toole 9 10-7 S R B Crawford
19 21/1-4 Shomen Uchi 8 10-6 Sam Thomas
21 /030-3 Git Maker 9 10-6 Jamie Snowden
22 226-63 Monmiral 8 10-5 Paul Nicholls
23 4215-2 Deafening Silence 8 10-5 Dan Skelton
24 112-93 Val Dancer 8 10-3 Mel Rowley
25 320-47 Westerninthepark 7 10-3 Olly Murphy
26 /26-01 Jubilee Express 8 10-3 4ex Sam Thomas
27 /PP-6P Inch House 8 10-2 Paul Nicholls
28 P0FP-P Where It All Began 9 10-2 Gordon Elliott
29 P/3P-P Brave Kingdom 9 10-1 Paul Nicholls
30 16P3-1 Livin On Luco 7 10-1 Philip Hobbs & Johnson White
31 28P-31 Dom Of Mary 9 10-1 James Owen
32 -14812 Hung Jury 10 10-1 Martin Keighley
33 227456 Tommie Beau 10 10-1 Seamus Mullins
34 P5-525 Whistle Stop Tour 7 10-0 Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
35 P1/PP- Regal Blue 8 10-0 Jonjo & A J O'Neill
36 137-52 Herakles Westwood 8 10-0 Warren Greatrex
37 111-15 Aworkinprogress 6 9-12 Nick Gifford
38 11P-14 Invincible Nao 7 9-11 Gary & Josh Moore
39 027277 Beaufort Scale 6 9-10 Gordon Elliott
40 711-P3 Minella Blueway 7 9-9 Evan Williams
41 P23-4P The Big Breakaway 10 9-9 Syd Hosie
42 1P11-2 Saladins Son 7 9-9 Anthony Honeyball
43 -1123P Fairlawn Flyer 9 9-7 Mickey Bowen
44 6PP-46 Pats Fancy 10 9-7 Rebecca Curtis
45 3P4-43 My Silver Lining 9 9-7 Emma Lavelle
46 P2-210 Imperial Alex 8 9-5 Tom Lacey
47 22-212 Holokea 6 9-5 Mickey Bowen
48 /51-13 De Legislator 8 9-5 Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
49 3-1P2F Onethreefivenotout 9 9-4 Gordon Elliott
50 454-21 Theonewedreamof 6 9-4 Dan Skelton
51 14PP-P Karuma Grey 7 9-1 Debra Hamer
52 4120-3 Henri The Second w2 29 C 8 - Paul Nicholls
NR -77200 Moon d'Orange 7 10-6 John C McConnell NON-RUNNER

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