Browse content similar to 27/12/2011. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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across into Monmouthshire for the biggest racing day in the Welsh | :01:12. | :01:19. | |
calendar. We are here in Chepstow. You will find Chepstow Castle in | :01:19. | :01:25. | |
the town itself, the oldest castle in Britain. We have a group of | :01:25. | :01:30. | |
people for a massive day of fun, friendship and a social occasion as | :01:30. | :01:33. | |
well. All of them trying to work out the puzzle that is the marathon | :01:33. | :01:37. | |
of the Welsh National. Which of the 20 runners will emerge today? I | :01:37. | :01:41. | |
would not dream of wearing a coat this colour normally because it | :01:41. | :01:44. | |
would be the same colour as my face! Today, it is remarkably mild. | :01:44. | :01:48. | |
We have a wonderful day here. I hope everyone at home has had a | :01:48. | :01:52. | |
great Christmas. You can settle back and enjoy what we have had on | :01:52. | :02:00. | |
offer for you today. It's a prestigious race. It is one of the | :02:00. | :02:05. | |
races people are keen to win. a good test of jumping ability. | :02:06. | :02:11. | |
need a horse that handles the deep ground. You have to be in the right | :02:11. | :02:14. | |
car with the right engine! COMMENTARY: They are starting to | :02:14. | :02:24. | |
:02:24. | :02:24. | ||
line up for the Welsh National! Away they go. It's a grind. We have | :02:24. | :02:32. | |
lost one. It is not for the fainthearted. This is a crucial | :02:32. | :02:42. | |
:02:42. | :02:44. | ||
stage of the race. Coming to the second last. One left to jump. | :02:44. | :02:52. | |
Notre Pere goes on to win! It is one of the most emotional successes | :02:52. | :02:58. | |
I have ever had in my life. We have had some wonderful stories and some | :02:58. | :03:02. | |
thrilling finishes. Whose day will it be today? That's Wayne | :03:02. | :03:06. | |
Hutchinson, he rides Blazing Bailey. Matthew Batchelor will be on board | :03:06. | :03:13. | |
Carruthers. We have lots of chat about Mattie and Joe Tizzard, he is | :03:13. | :03:19. | |
on Hey Big Spender. There's Tom Scudamore, who will be riding | :03:19. | :03:29. | |
Master Overseer. I'm joined by Mick Fitzgerald. Did you have a good | :03:29. | :03:34. | |
Christmas? I did. For racing fans, it is all about Chepstow today and | :03:34. | :03:39. | |
Boxing Day at Kempton. We were there to see Kauto Star win the | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
King George? Hairs on the back of my neck stood up like never before. | :03:43. | :03:48. | |
It was a day for everybody to say, "I was there when Kauto Star won | :03:48. | :03:52. | |
his fifth King George." We will be reflecting on that as well, as well | :03:52. | :03:59. | |
as bringing you all the big races from here at Chepstow. The course | :03:59. | :04:04. | |
here is picturesque and unique with its length. We will be taking a | :04:04. | :04:10. | |
look at it through the eyes of the jockeys. The Hennessy hero was | :04:10. | :04:15. | |
Carruthers, a dream result for Lord Oaksey. The horse is looked after | :04:16. | :04:20. | |
by Lord Oaksey's daughter. The Welsh National is our feature race | :04:20. | :04:27. | |
and the biggest race of the year in Wales. It is due off at 2.10pm. We | :04:27. | :04:37. | |
:04:37. | :04:37. | ||
will show you how the fences are built here, too. Our card finishes | :04:37. | :04:39. | |
with the Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle, stars of the | :04:40. | :04:46. | |
future. This is a race restricted to three-year-olds. If you want to | :04:46. | :04:56. | |
:04:56. | :05:00. | ||
plan your races, the first one is due off at 1.00pm. No non-runners | :05:00. | :05:10. | |
:05:10. | :05:17. | ||
Persad is on the first bend. This is the finish of our first race - | :05:17. | :05:23. | |
Alfie Spinner made all the running. A spare ride here for Tom Scudamore. | :05:23. | :05:28. | |
Maringo Bay tried to take him on. Alfie Spinner just had a bit too | :05:28. | :05:37. | |
much class. He was the odds-on favourite. Plenty of people had | :05:37. | :05:42. | |
decided to follow the favourites today. Let's find Rishi Persad on | :05:42. | :05:48. | |
that first bend. This afternoon's Welsh National is a test of stamina. | :05:48. | :05:52. | |
How much of a test of stamina depends on the ground. Richard | :05:52. | :05:55. | |
Dunwoody spoke to a few jockeys who rode in the first race. What did | :05:55. | :06:00. | |
they make of it? I spoke to Tom who picked up a nice spare in the first | :06:00. | :06:05. | |
and he said it's heavy. It is not as heavy as sometimes they get at | :06:05. | :06:09. | |
Chepstow. You can see here, they are getting into it well. It is not | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
as deep as some years. They will have to play it sensibly. It will | :06:13. | :06:19. | |
be a long way. There will be some tired horses. You have won it, | :06:19. | :06:24. | |
almost 20 years ago now? Yes. will win it this afternoon? Each | :06:24. | :06:34. | |
:06:34. | :06:45. | ||
way bet, As De Fer has a nice chance. I'm going for Cappa Bleu. | :06:45. | :06:50. | |
Let's check the runners and riders for this year's Welsh National. We | :06:50. | :07:00. | |
:07:00. | :07:00. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 80 seconds | :07:00. | :08:21. | |
hammering. Yesterday at Kempton, they had their tails between their | :08:21. | :08:25. | |
legs long before the last race was run. I wonder how many have stepped | :08:25. | :08:30. | |
out here to try and get their money back today. John Parrott and Gary | :08:30. | :08:36. | |
are in the betting ring. bookmakers are here today. The big | :08:36. | :08:40. | |
boys are here. They got a pasting yesterday. Plenty of favourites | :08:40. | :08:44. | |
winning yesterday and Kauto Star coming home. They are trying to get | :08:44. | :08:49. | |
it back today. I sent Gary off to find a bookmakers. Typically, you | :08:49. | :08:54. | |
have found three beautiful girls with money! Unbelievable. I got | :08:54. | :09:03. | |
Jessica, Olivia and Emily. Girls, what did you get for Christmas? | :09:03. | :09:13. | |
:09:13. | :09:14. | ||
Jewellery. IPod. Shoes. This is the prices for the Welsh National. | :09:14. | :09:22. | |
Giles Cross 6-1 favourite. What has been the best-backed horse? Viking | :09:22. | :09:31. | |
Blond. There's a tip there! It could be the one! Quite a tenuous | :09:31. | :09:37. | |
link! What are your thoughts looking through that field for the | :09:37. | :09:41. | |
Welsh National? I'm a great believer in you have got to find a | :09:41. | :09:45. | |
horse that will go around the soft ground, especially here. It is a | :09:45. | :09:51. | |
very different track. How did you find it riding here? It took me a | :09:51. | :09:59. | |
long time. I used to be scratching my head every time I come back in. | :09:59. | :10:03. | |
Basically, I was trying to find a nice rhythm, to get a horse in it, | :10:04. | :10:07. | |
keep him in it. We have seen from Welsh Nationals in the past you can | :10:07. | :10:13. | |
win it from the front, you can win it from behind the leaders and you | :10:13. | :10:20. | |
can win it from way back like AP McCoy did last year. He's riding in | :10:20. | :10:23. | |
Ireland today. The runners are making their way down to the start | :10:23. | :10:29. | |
for the first of our live races so let's join Jim McGrath. | :10:29. | :10:34. | |
So, these runners and riders for our first televised race from | :10:34. | :10:44. | |
:10:44. | :11:13. | ||
Chepstow today. Let's have a look our opening race today. The | :11:13. | :11:23. | |
:11:23. | :11:43. | ||
Stow. Been smashed off the boards, John at 7-2. Can't believe it! | :11:43. | :11:48. | |
Sounds like they are latching on to Venetia Williams's runner, Stow. | :11:48. | :11:55. | |
Here is that horse, with Robbie Dunne on board. This horse has made | :11:55. | :11:58. | |
a pretty impressive start under rules this season and has course | :11:58. | :12:02. | |
and distance form which is very important? Very important. Venetia | :12:02. | :12:12. | |
Williams's horses are threatening to come into a rich vein of form. | :12:12. | :12:16. | |
Certainly looks like this horse has a good chance. He seems to be | :12:16. | :12:20. | |
pretty well suited by testing ground as well. Pretty fairly | :12:20. | :12:25. | |
handicapped as well, all the weights according to horses' | :12:25. | :12:30. | |
abilities. But the trick is to try and keep ahead of the handicapper | :12:30. | :12:34. | |
so your horse is still improving and the handicapper hasn't quite | :12:34. | :12:40. | |
realised it - it is like sneaking into exams! It could be a very | :12:40. | :12:44. | |
interesting race because I know Rev It Up is well fancied. Venetia | :12:44. | :12:47. | |
Williams trains not far away in Herefordshire and Rev It Up is | :12:47. | :12:53. | |
trained by Tim Vaughan, who trains here in Wales. This is Rev It Up we | :12:53. | :13:00. | |
are seeing here. This horse was very impressive last time, Clare. | :13:00. | :13:09. | |
He got beaten last time out. This horse is a stand-out in the paddock. | :13:09. | :13:15. | |
Tim Vaughan, four winners yesterday. Absolutely. Three of them at Ffos | :13:15. | :13:21. | |
Las. You can see from the size and scope from him, he has that muscle | :13:21. | :13:30. | |
behind him as well. We have a couple of horses in shot - Extreme | :13:30. | :13:37. | |
Impact and Monsieur Cadou. This horse running with only 10 stone 1 | :13:37. | :13:41. | |
pound on his back. That could help him. It could. This horse has | :13:41. | :13:45. | |
climbed up the weights without winning. You were saying about | :13:45. | :13:49. | |
having a step ahead of the handicapper. This horse has always | :13:49. | :13:57. | |
been clobbered by the handicapper and he hasn't won a race. Let's | :13:57. | :14:02. | |
have a look at the market and see where Monsieur Cadou and the others | :14:02. | :14:10. | |
feature. Stow is your favourite at 11-4. Gary? Welsh National Day, | :14:10. | :14:15. | |
there is money for Stow. It is now the jolly old favourite. 11-4 Stow. | :14:15. | :14:24. | |
All the money for one horse, Stow! Jockeys are getting ready at the | :14:24. | :14:34. | |
:14:34. | :14:39. | ||
start on what is testing here. very good rider riding him, Maurice | :14:39. | :14:46. | |
Linehan. Done very well since he's come over from Ireland. He has a | :14:46. | :14:56. | |
:14:56. | :14:59. | ||
31% strike rate. It looks like they are going to be bang off on time. | :14:59. | :15:01. | |
Jim McGrath? Richard Dunwoody is in the | :15:01. | :15:06. | |
commentary box with me. Some of the boys are saying it is a little bit | :15:06. | :15:13. | |
better than that? We were saying after the first race that I have | :15:13. | :15:19. | |
seen it a lot worse. It can be a real slog. It will be an | :15:19. | :15:23. | |
interesting race. This is fascinating this plunge on Stow. | :15:23. | :15:29. | |
Yes. You would say you couldn't give him a chance on his last run | :15:29. | :15:35. | |
with Monsieur Cadou. But, you know, they know a lot more about him | :15:35. | :15:40. | |
today that possibly your punters wouldn't. Money talks. That's it. | :15:40. | :15:45. | |
It does. They are coming in. You saw the starter walking over. He's | :15:45. | :15:52. | |
calling them in now. They will jump one flight of hurdles before they | :15:52. | :15:58. | |
start a very long run. There they are on the hurdles course. That's | :15:58. | :16:05. | |
it. He lets them go. They are off and running in this three-mile | :16:05. | :16:09. | |
Handicap Hurdle. Up on the outside is Strategic Approach, in the | :16:09. | :16:13. | |
yellow sleeves as they come to the first. They are all over it safely | :16:13. | :16:17. | |
from in the centre Palace Jester and also there with the noseband is | :16:17. | :16:21. | |
Extreme Impact and Rev It Up on the near side, just showing the way | :16:21. | :16:26. | |
with ears pricked, very steady pace in the early stages and Rev It Up | :16:26. | :16:32. | |
just showing the way from Extreme Impact and wider out in third place | :16:32. | :16:37. | |
is Strategic Approach, tucked in behind them is Palace Jester, | :16:37. | :16:40. | |
followed by Monsieur Cadou, who is tucked in behind them, so too | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
Mobaasher, they are followed by Stow, the plunge horse in second | :16:44. | :16:49. | |
last position and Makhzoon is last. They have gone a very sedate pace | :16:49. | :16:54. | |
in the first half-mile or so. Only six lengths consequently covers the | :16:54. | :17:00. | |
field. On the inside holding the rail is Rev It Up, Aidan Coleman, | :17:01. | :17:04. | |
from Strategic Approach, right there in the centre is Extreme | :17:04. | :17:09. | |
Impact, in behind them is Mobaasher, on the inside there of Palace | :17:09. | :17:14. | |
Jester who is wider out, Monsieur Cadou in the centre, two lengths | :17:14. | :17:19. | |
away Stow, the red cap on the outside of Makhzoon. They come up | :17:19. | :17:23. | |
the home straight on the first occasion. Passing the half-mile peg. | :17:23. | :17:28. | |
Still a lot longer than that to go. They come to the second. They all | :17:28. | :17:35. | |
jumped it well. The far side Rev It Up, just increasing the tempo | :17:35. | :17:39. | |
slightly, from Extreme Impact in the noseband on the near side, the | :17:39. | :17:42. | |
yellow sleeves of Strategic Approach, as they go over the third. | :17:42. | :17:47. | |
In the centre, Monsieur Cadou and then on the near side is Palace | :17:48. | :17:54. | |
Jester, followed by Stow who is the white-faced red cap in the centre. | :17:54. | :17:58. | |
They go over the fourth. Mobaasher dived at that. No damage done. But | :17:58. | :18:03. | |
a sloppy jump. Just behind them is Makhzoon. Heading up now towards | :18:03. | :18:07. | |
the one that will be the last next time round, number five. With ears | :18:07. | :18:12. | |
pricked on the far side, it is Rev It Up joined by Extreme Impact as | :18:12. | :18:17. | |
they head towards it now. Better jump by Extreme Impact, took off a | :18:17. | :18:20. | |
fraction early, from Rev It Up and then back in third is Monsieur | :18:20. | :18:24. | |
Cadou on the outside of Strategic Approach, they are followed by | :18:24. | :18:28. | |
Palace Jester, Mobaasher behind them from Makhzoon and Stow is at | :18:28. | :18:33. | |
the tail of the field, Robbie Dunne has dropped back there with the Red | :18:33. | :18:38. | |
Cap. The favourite at this stage, the well-backed Stow seems to be | :18:38. | :18:42. | |
going OK? I'm not that happy with him. He's had a couple of slaps | :18:42. | :18:50. | |
down the shoulder. They all handle that bend OK. But no, I haven't | :18:50. | :18:57. | |
been impressed. He is travelling off the bridle. Rev It Up is | :18:57. | :19:01. | |
travelling well. His jockey, Aidan Coleman, will be happy with him. | :19:01. | :19:06. | |
Yeah, he seems to be enjoying himself out in front, Rev It Up, | :19:06. | :19:11. | |
ears pricked on the inside there, just showing the way. Narrowly from | :19:11. | :19:14. | |
Extreme Impact, who is joining him again now. They sweep into the back | :19:14. | :19:19. | |
now and they have three flights on this section of the course. Rev It | :19:19. | :19:25. | |
Up is the leader as they come now towards flight six, Rev It Up, | :19:25. | :19:31. | |
yellow cap, just from Extreme Impact in the centre, on the near | :19:31. | :19:36. | |
side Strategic Approach, they are followed by Palace Jester out wide, | :19:36. | :19:42. | |
in behind them is Monsieur Cadou and they are followed by Mobaasher. | :19:42. | :19:48. | |
Stow is now starting to really feel the pinch - he is getting reminders | :19:48. | :19:55. | |
and he is a very long last! So, upfront, Rev It Up is now headed by | :19:55. | :19:59. | |
Extreme Impact in the centre, out wide is Monsieur Cadou, Rev It Up | :19:59. | :20:05. | |
coming back to have another crack at them. Followed behind them as | :20:05. | :20:09. | |
they head over the eighth by Palace Jester, a gap then to Strategic | :20:09. | :20:13. | |
Approach, they are followed by Mobaasher, further back in the | :20:13. | :20:18. | |
field is Makhzoon and looking back for Stow. Stow is about eight | :20:18. | :20:22. | |
lengths behind the second-last horse and being ridden along and no | :20:22. | :20:26. | |
response. So, the well-backed Stow seems to have lost his chance. It | :20:26. | :20:30. | |
will be a miracle if he can win from there! They leave the back now | :20:30. | :20:34. | |
and race across the top of the track, it is Extreme Impact the | :20:34. | :20:39. | |
leader, from Rev It Up, who refuses to go away. Half a length further | :20:39. | :20:43. | |
back is Monsieur Cadou on the outside, they are about four or | :20:43. | :20:48. | |
five lengths clear - on the inside Palace Jester is fourth, then five | :20:48. | :20:51. | |
lengths Mobaasher, followed by Strategic Approach and behind them | :20:51. | :20:55. | |
is Makhzoon, forget about Stow. Turning for home now, they have | :20:55. | :20:59. | |
four left to jump. Rev It Up, Aidan Coleman, just the leader, by a | :20:59. | :21:04. | |
length or so, to Extreme Impact, just behind them on the outside is | :21:04. | :21:10. | |
Monsieur Cadou, and Palace Jester coming up there in the centre. | :21:10. | :21:14. | |
Coming to four out, Rev It Up led over it from Extreme Impact, who is | :21:14. | :21:18. | |
still battling on, then Palace Jester, who is under the whip, | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
followed by Monsieur Cadou. They race up now with two left to jump | :21:22. | :21:26. | |
and Rev It Up has responded well, still about a length in front now | :21:26. | :21:30. | |
as they head over the third last. It's still in front here, the far | :21:30. | :21:34. | |
side, Rev It Up, from in the centre Extreme Impact, behind them is | :21:34. | :21:40. | |
Palace Jester, followed by Monsieur Cadou. And it's Rev It Up who just | :21:40. | :21:43. | |
clipped the top of that, Extreme Impact coming at him, here is | :21:44. | :21:48. | |
Palace Jester getting a response from Maurice Linehan who has gone | :21:48. | :21:52. | |
for the whip. They have one to jump. Rev It Up is still trying to cling | :21:52. | :21:57. | |
to this lead. But Palace Jester coming at him. They come towards | :21:57. | :22:01. | |
the last, Rev It Up, Palace Jester. They touchdown together. Far side | :22:01. | :22:05. | |
though Palace Jester finding a bit more, goes a neck up now on the | :22:05. | :22:12. | |
run-in. Palace Jester - coming back Rev It Up! Oh, it is close! Rev It | :22:12. | :22:21. | |
Up and Palace Jester. It's very close. Then in third was Extreme | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
Impact, followed by Monsieur Cadou, they are followed by Stow and | :22:25. | :22:31. | |
further back then is Makhzoon. Last home is Mobaasher. That is | :22:31. | :22:38. | |
desperately tight. Let's see them. Near side is Rev It Up. Far side is | :22:38. | :22:45. | |
Palace Jester. They go to the line locked together. Oh my golly! That | :22:45. | :22:50. | |
is very, very tight indeed. Absolutely locked together they are | :22:50. | :22:59. | |
as they hit the line. That is desperately close. Desperately | :22:59. | :23:06. | |
close, indeed. Between Rev It Up on the near side and Palace Jester on | :23:06. | :23:15. | |
the far side. Let's see them jump the last. What a finish! What a | :23:15. | :23:18. | |
fantastic race, Jim. Rev It Up, Aidan Coleman would have liked a | :23:18. | :23:23. | |
better jump at the last. Maurice Linehan has given that a great ride. | :23:23. | :23:28. | |
Absolutely. For his claim, he's just tremendous value, Maurice | :23:28. | :23:34. | |
Linehan. He's shown so much promise on these horses. He has had a lot | :23:34. | :23:42. | |
of winners for Jonjo. Stick in his right hand and very, very strong. | :23:42. | :23:48. | |
Well, the judge is looking at the print now. We await his verdict | :23:48. | :23:51. | |
after our first televised race on Welsh National Day. | :23:51. | :23:55. | |
As they cross the line, there is no doubt that Maurice Linehan thought | :23:55. | :23:58. | |
he had won it on Palace Jester and you saw a shot there of Tim Vaughan, | :23:58. | :24:03. | |
the trainer of this horse, Rev It Up, he was going, "Oh no!" He was | :24:03. | :24:08. | |
not sure. Mick, your reaction? It Up has just clung on. There is | :24:08. | :24:14. | |
the trainer of Palace Jester. think Maurice Linehan thought he | :24:14. | :24:20. | |
had won. Looking at Aidan Coleman's face, if it is a Poker Face... | :24:20. | :24:26. | |
it comes. Palace Jester is number two, Rev It Up is three. It's a | :24:26. | :24:34. | |
dead heat! Dead heat. Well, well! Our first live rice here on Welsh | :24:34. | :24:39. | |
National Day, it is a dead heat. That is a lovely touch. The two | :24:39. | :24:44. | |
jockeys grip each other's hand. They come in together. Everybody | :24:44. | :24:48. | |
celebrates. Kisses all round for horses, for people and that is a | :24:49. | :24:53. | |
very, very fair outcome, to be honest. Let's look at the print. We | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
saw from our freeze-frame - as it went up, that line is obviously | :24:58. | :25:06. | |
very, very accurate. It is a dead heat. What I loved, both horses had | :25:06. | :25:10. | |
their ears pricked! I know. It is a fair result for everybody. I am | :25:10. | :25:14. | |
sure punters at home will be delighted if they backed one or the | :25:15. | :25:21. | |
other. We will have another look at that finish. Now we know it is a | :25:21. | :25:25. | |
dead heat and there is no doubt Palace Jester went ahead. Rev It Up | :25:25. | :25:31. | |
had been in front, was a bit sticky with some of his jumping. Just a | :25:31. | :25:37. | |
stpab louse finish. Here is the -- fabulous finish. Here is the | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
reaction of Tim Vaughan. He is having such a good season. A lot of | :25:44. | :25:48. | |
support here in Wales. His wife just not sure. Now they can relax. | :25:48. | :25:54. | |
It is a dead heat. Everybody wins. I'm with the connections of Rev It | :25:54. | :26:00. | |
Up. Tim Vaughan and Aidan Coleman. Your thoughts goes down to the | :26:00. | :26:07. | |
last? I thought I would get it. I landed a bit flat-footed. My horse | :26:07. | :26:13. | |
was brave. He found for me. I owe him a lot. Great for Tim to put me | :26:13. | :26:19. | |
back on a winner. At the line, had you any idea? No, I said to Maurice | :26:19. | :26:26. | |
- we didn't have a clue. It wasn't happening. We didn't know until the | :26:26. | :26:33. | |
result was called. A very quick word with Maurice. He is in as well. | :26:33. | :26:38. | |
Congratulations. Did you think you had it wrapped up? No, no. I knew | :26:38. | :26:44. | |
my lad would keep galloping. I kept going. I thought I didn't have it | :26:44. | :26:51. | |
to be honest. We have a joint today. The one thing about your horse was | :26:51. | :26:57. | |
he seemed to show a really good attitude? He was getting away from | :26:57. | :27:02. | |
you? Yes, my lad kept his head down and kept fighting. I couldn't ask | :27:02. | :27:12. | |
:27:12. | :27:13. | ||
for any more. Well done. Thanks very much. Tim, fair to say your | :27:13. | :27:19. | |
fellow, if he had jumped better, he probably would have won? Yes. He | :27:19. | :27:26. | |
pricked his ears coming up the run- in. I am delighted. It is a fair, | :27:26. | :27:32. | |
after seeing that, I am delighted for Jonjo and myself. Good. Good | :27:32. | :27:40. | |
result for everyone. Well done. Jonjo is just around the corner. He | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
is doing another interview for someone else at the moment. I will | :27:45. | :27:51. | |
break in. Thank you for coming away quickly. Your thoughts on that | :27:51. | :27:56. | |
start to the day? It was a tremendous start. It was a great | :27:56. | :28:03. | |
race, great result. Horse and jockey done their best. Both of | :28:03. | :28:07. | |
them. It's a long time since I have been in a dead heat. There haven't | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
been too many. Must have been mixed emotions through that home | :28:13. | :28:15. | |
straight? I thought Rev It Up was getting away from Palace Jester, | :28:15. | :28:21. | |
then he got back, then the other horse fought back? Yes, it was very | :28:21. | :28:27. | |
hard to - both horse and jockey were doing their best. Every time | :28:27. | :28:31. | |
he got a smack, he kept producing. Listen, it was brilliant. It was a | :28:31. | :28:36. | |
great result. Delighted for the owner and jockey and everybody. | :28:36. | :28:40. | |
winner is a winner even if it is half a winner! We are quite happy | :28:40. | :28:50. | |
:28:50. | :28:54. | ||
with that! Well done. Cheers. a fantastic race. Palace Jester and | :28:54. | :28:58. | |
Rev It Up - that dead heat. If you backed Stow, you never got a run | :28:58. | :29:02. | |
for your money? Terrible. Stow was never going to win. What a finish | :29:02. | :29:06. | |
for this race. You look behind us, people say what happens when it is | :29:06. | :29:11. | |
a dead heat - Clare said everybody wins. If you can see the bookies, | :29:11. | :29:16. | |
they are not waiting to have a bet! All these punters are waiting to | :29:16. | :29:22. | |
draw their money. Plenty of happy faces down in the betting jungle. | :29:22. | :29:29. | |
We don't mind if the bookmakers are the only ones that lose. It keeps | :29:29. | :29:34. | |
everybody happy. We do have a decent crowd here. Also, very, very | :29:34. | :29:39. | |
well represented are Welsh Paralympians. We hope that 30 Welsh | :29:39. | :29:46. | |
athletes and swimmers, tennis players will be in next year's | :29:46. | :29:50. | |
Paralympics and Disability Sport Wales was the chosen charity this | :29:50. | :29:55. | |
year for Chepstow Racecourse and the chairman making a presentation | :29:55. | :30:05. | |
:30:05. | :30:13. | ||
of �5,000 to the 11-times Paralympic gold medallists, Tanni- | :30:13. | :30:17. | |
grey Thompson. Some of them are hoping to be selected for London in | :30:17. | :30:27. | |
:30:27. | :30:31. | ||
now. Is it your first time at the Welsh National? It is. I have been | :30:32. | :30:35. | |
to more race courses outside the UK than in the UK. | :30:35. | :30:40. | |
You sent me a message saying, "Do I have to wear a hat?". I nearly had | :30:40. | :30:44. | |
a crisis because I didn't have a hat two days ago. It is amazing to | :30:44. | :30:54. | |
:30:54. | :30:55. | ||
be here. How excited are you that disability sport is becoming | :30:55. | :31:05. | |
:31:05. | :31:14. | ||
popular in Wales? The money donate sd d is going towards supporting | :31:14. | :31:19. | |
the athletes. Are you living back in Wales? | :31:19. | :31:22. | |
still still live in the north-east, but I'm proud of being Welsh. My | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
Welsh accent gets stronger the nearer I come to home. I started my | :31:26. | :31:30. | |
career in Wales and without the support, I got, I wouldn't have | :31:30. | :31:38. | |
done the things I did. What do you fin the reception is? | :31:38. | :31:45. | |
Are you still a Welsh iconic hero? People are lovely. They are either | :31:45. | :31:50. | |
formal or they go, "Are you all right, Tan?" It is always nice to | :31:50. | :31:54. | |
come back and it is great to see the young athletes because next | :31:54. | :31:59. | |
year means so much to them and the support they get and it will be an | :31:59. | :32:04. | |
amazing year next year. Have you had a chance to look | :32:04. | :32:09. | |
through the Welsh National field? am going on the colours of the | :32:09. | :32:14. | |
silks. What's your favourite colours? Purple. | :32:14. | :32:21. | |
We will look through for you, but not on colours, but not on red, I | :32:21. | :32:26. | |
recommend recommend Carruthers. will nip there and put some money | :32:26. | :32:32. | |
It is lovely to hear from such a tremendous athlete. | :32:32. | :32:36. | |
Chepstow is one of the toughest tests. It is two miles and the home | :32:36. | :32:40. | |
straight is very long and it is a real long way fort horses and the | :32:40. | :32:46. | |
riders, but don't take my word for it. Let's hear from some of the | :32:46. | :32:50. | |
jockeys taking part in the big race. It is up and down. | :32:50. | :32:54. | |
It is a test of true stamina and jumping ability. | :32:54. | :32:58. | |
More often than not you need a horse that has proven form around | :32:58. | :33:03. | |
there. It is a tricky start. For the first | :33:03. | :33:08. | |
mile, tas manic rush to the first bend. It can be really rough and | :33:08. | :33:10. | |
chaotic. It can be tight and difficult to | :33:10. | :33:15. | |
hold hold position. COMMENTATOR: And we lost one on the | :33:15. | :33:20. | |
bend. We all spread out. If you get into | :33:20. | :33:27. | |
a good rhythm. There are big fences. A lot of jumping. | :33:27. | :33:32. | |
COMMENTATOR: This is a crucial stage in the race here. Once you | :33:32. | :33:35. | |
have jumped a few down the back, you tend to find you settle down | :33:35. | :33:40. | |
and hopefully you hit the rhythm. COMMENTATOR: As they turn towards | :33:40. | :33:47. | |
home... It is a long slog up that straight in Chepstow. | :33:47. | :33:53. | |
Comment five left top jump now... There is no other straight like | :33:53. | :33:59. | |
Chepstow with five fences. It is probably five or six furlong | :33:59. | :34:01. | |
running. You don't appreciate how long the | :34:01. | :34:06. | |
running is especially when you jump the last you have a good furlong to | :34:06. | :34:11. | |
It is important to keep your momentum up the home straight. | :34:11. | :34:18. | |
A horse that handles the deep ground. Just keep at that one pace | :34:18. | :34:27. | |
and keep it going for two or three miles. Well, the Welsh National | :34:27. | :34:34. | |
prices, Gary, what do we know so far? These are unofficial prices, | :34:34. | :34:39. | |
gu Giles Cross -- but Giles Cross is at 6-1. | :34:40. | :34:47. | |
Viking Blond at 13. Le Beau Bai is a proven horse. | :34:47. | :34:55. | |
The established ones have been here before. | :34:55. | :35:00. | |
Le Beau Bai is 12lbs lower than a couple of years ago. He has got a | :35:00. | :35:08. | |
chance. You're not meant to mention pounds | :35:08. | :35:12. | |
at Christmas! You may never be this well | :35:12. | :35:18. | |
handicapped again and they have got to go with him and Viking Blond. | :35:18. | :35:24. | |
Viking Blond. You have got Master Overseer. He is 14-1. It is a | :35:24. | :35:31. | |
fantastic Welsh National. Hey Big Spender giving four pounds to | :35:31. | :35:40. | |
Carruthers. Bigger prices the others. Heathcliff fell a few years | :35:40. | :35:43. | |
ago. You want to play each way on this | :35:43. | :35:47. | |
race. That's what it is all about and it is a real, real hard race. I | :35:47. | :35:50. | |
don't know who is going to win and I don't know who will be favourite. | :35:50. | :36:00. | |
:36:00. | :36:02. | ||
I think Viking Blond could surprise another look at that dead-heat for | :36:02. | :36:07. | |
the first race and I was saying everybody wins. The trophy | :36:07. | :36:12. | |
presentation becomes rather crowded. It is a huge day for Coral and the | :36:12. | :36:20. | |
owners of both horses coming up, Rev It Up and Palace Jester owned | :36:20. | :36:27. | |
by Trevor Hemmings who is not here. Is that Jonjo's son on the right? | :36:27. | :36:35. | |
They get a decanter to split in half! There was no dead-heat, but | :36:36. | :36:41. | |
the finish was closer than some expected it to be in the King | :36:41. | :36:46. | |
George chase in which Kauto Star was bidding to create history. | :36:46. | :36:52. | |
Desert Orchid had been the most successful horse in this race, | :36:52. | :36:59. | |
twice ridden by Richard Dunwoody. How impressed were you with Kauto | :36:59. | :37:05. | |
Star's jumping yesterday? It was a brilliant, brilliant ride by Ruby | :37:05. | :37:13. | |
Walsh and Kauto Star was keen not to take the plaudits. Paul Nichols | :37:13. | :37:19. | |
said this horse deserves every mention in every paper. | :37:19. | :37:24. | |
Long Run wasn't as fluent as the winner. | :37:24. | :37:29. | |
Ruby was brilliant. I think he was especially brilliant yesterday. If | :37:29. | :37:35. | |
he missed a beat at all yesterday, he he would have got beat. He has | :37:35. | :37:39. | |
got Long Run at it up the straight and he forced him into that mistake | :37:39. | :37:44. | |
at the last and he was just fantastic. Fantastic for racing and | :37:44. | :37:47. | |
fantastic to have racing on the front pages again. | :37:47. | :37:54. | |
This morning Paul Nichols was on Radio 4 and he was saying that | :37:54. | :37:58. | |
Kauto Star is in great shape today. This was the reception for him as | :37:58. | :38:02. | |
he came into the Winner's Enclosure and look at Ruby Walsh. We're | :38:02. | :38:07. | |
talking about a hardened professional jump jockey and this | :38:07. | :38:12. | |
horse makes him behave in a way that no other horse makes him | :38:12. | :38:17. | |
behave. It brings out a deeper emotion and they took a risk making | :38:17. | :38:25. | |
that, five times winner of VI. When Ruby Walsh pulled up on him, | :38:26. | :38:29. | |
he took the horse back down to the crowd in front of the stands and it | :38:29. | :38:34. | |
was hairs on the back of your neck standing up stuff. I had good days | :38:34. | :38:38. | |
as a jockey, but nothing will compare to the reception the horse | :38:38. | :38:43. | |
got yesterday. It will be a day I will remember for a long time. | :38:43. | :38:47. | |
You rode Desert Orchid and he won a Gold Cup... I didn't take him back | :38:47. | :38:54. | |
to the stands afterwards. I don't know why I didn't do that. Is Kauto | :38:55. | :39:01. | |
Star a better horse? I will never say that, Clare, no! Different | :39:01. | :39:06. | |
generations and he is a fantastic horse. Desert Orchid did it as an | :39:06. | :39:16. | |
:39:16. | :39:20. | ||
11-year-old also, the horse finished second to me and beaten by | :39:20. | :39:27. | |
twelfth lengths Toby Tobias. Kauto Star will be turning 12 on | :39:27. | :39:32. | |
New Year's Day. You have got time to to send him a birthday card if | :39:32. | :39:39. | |
you want to! Standing next to me is a young guy | :39:39. | :39:44. | |
who is only 16. His name is Brendan Powell. You had your first ride in | :39:44. | :39:48. | |
February of this year, but already you are making a big mark? Yes. It | :39:48. | :39:52. | |
has been going well. I have been lucky. I have been put on nice | :39:52. | :39:57. | |
horses. I rode for good trainers, I have been lucky. | :39:57. | :40:01. | |
Was it always an ambition to become a jockey? Did you take that from | :40:01. | :40:09. | |
your dad? Racing has been in the blood. Mum and dad rode. Most 16- | :40:09. | :40:14. | |
year-olds for Christmas get ready for a wii and to spend days playing | :40:14. | :40:17. | |
their PlayStation, but you're riding out and getting ready to | :40:17. | :40:21. | |
ride in the biggest race in your career so far in the Welsh National | :40:21. | :40:27. | |
today? Yeah, exactly. I was looking on the the decks and I saw I had | :40:27. | :40:31. | |
one down for the Welsh National. That made my Christmas and put a | :40:31. | :40:36. | |
smile on my face. And you are riding Knighton Combe. | :40:36. | :40:43. | |
What chance of a fairytale success at the age of 16 16? He is a nice | :40:43. | :40:47. | |
horse. He is there with a chance. There are plenty of runners. The | :40:47. | :40:51. | |
ground will be testing so if he is good enough he will be there or | :40:51. | :40:55. | |
thereabouts. I hate to burden Brendan with this | :40:55. | :41:01. | |
label, but we are picking stars out to follow for the future and I | :41:01. | :41:06. | |
think Brendan Powell will be a star of the future. | :41:06. | :41:13. | |
Every person watching is going, "Gosh, I feel old." He looks a | :41:13. | :41:18. | |
cracking jock. He is a natural, natural rider. Well, we have one | :41:18. | :41:24. | |
more race for the Coral Welsh National. | :41:24. | :41:34. | |
:41:34. | :41:35. | ||
There is a field of fourteen for let's look at the runners here and | :41:35. | :41:45. | |
:41:45. | :41:45. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 80 seconds | :41:45. | :42:30. | |
miles and three-and-a-half furlongs. Here is the betting on this 1.30pm. | :42:30. | :42:40. | |
:42:40. | :42:53. | ||
going to go for Pigeon Island. Because it is the only one I can | :42:53. | :42:57. | |
pronounce! It is a bit trick European | :42:57. | :43:04. | |
Commission tricky, isn't it? Let's look at the horse that snuck in on | :43:04. | :43:09. | |
bottom weight and James Best on board taking another 7 pounds off | :43:09. | :43:12. | |
that. That's why the saddle is small in terms of jump racing. This | :43:12. | :43:18. | |
is a horse who has got a new lease of life since joining Alan Jones | :43:18. | :43:22. | |
and won his last two starts without much effort. This is a stronger | :43:22. | :43:29. | |
test, but you would think that he is in form and gets in on a | :43:29. | :43:34. | |
featherweight. Yes, he dotted up last time. It was | :43:34. | :43:38. | |
on very different ground. They have got to take advantage of the | :43:38. | :43:42. | |
handicap mark. He is due to go up again. He is being chased down by | :43:43. | :43:49. | |
another horse. That's upsetting him a bit. He won on his last two rides | :43:49. | :43:54. | |
so he is on a bit of a run. That's Fahrisee who is keen in the | :43:54. | :44:00. | |
foreground and being well controlled there by Adam Wenlg. | :44:00. | :44:08. | |
Chance du Roy is the weight. He is the top weight, Clare. Philip, | :44:08. | :44:12. | |
you must be delighted with this horse having got him back to his | :44:12. | :44:17. | |
best? We nearly didn't run because we thought the ground would be too | :44:17. | :44:21. | |
quick because he prefers softer ground. Softer ground today should | :44:21. | :44:24. | |
suit, but we are high in the candy cap. | :44:24. | :44:28. | |
You have got conditions in your favour, but he has to produce one | :44:28. | :44:32. | |
of his best performances to win today? It will have to be his best. | :44:32. | :44:35. | |
It would have to be his best performance to win. | :44:35. | :44:39. | |
It is a tough race and conditions this afternoon will sort out a few | :44:39. | :44:42. | |
horses, I suppose that will be one thing that you will be hoping is in | :44:42. | :44:46. | |
your favour? He seems to manage with the soft ground very well and | :44:46. | :44:51. | |
won here last year. So certainly it would be more in his favour than | :44:51. | :44:54. | |
some of the others. Best of luck this afternoon. | :44:54. | :44:59. | |
Thank you. Just news of a little bit of a | :44:59. | :45:04. | |
sting in the tail for Maurice Linehan, he picked up a five day | :45:04. | :45:10. | |
suspension for using his whip ten times in the strait. A lot of us | :45:10. | :45:13. | |
are thinking that jump racing is better for the restricted use of | :45:13. | :45:17. | |
the whip and the jockeys are riding differently and horses responding | :45:17. | :45:22. | |
for physical physical pressure that doesn't respond to the whip. | :45:22. | :45:28. | |
This is Glenwood Knight and a horse that will have no worries in terms | :45:28. | :45:34. | |
of stamina. He will have a lot of worries with the obstacles. I | :45:34. | :45:38. | |
watched this horse at Carlisle and they did very well on him because | :45:38. | :45:42. | |
he is not the easiest. He fell twice. I watched him fall at | :45:42. | :45:47. | |
Newbury and he lay down. This horse has got, you will need all of | :45:47. | :45:51. | |
Timmy's mastery today. He is a coacher, Timmy Murphy, he | :45:51. | :45:55. | |
will try and persuade a horse that he is not in a race. | :45:55. | :46:00. | |
If anyone can get him jurching, it is -- -- jumping, it is Timmy. He | :46:00. | :46:10. | |
:46:10. | :46:11. | ||
is the right man for this horse. There we see Aidan Coleman on Plein | :46:11. | :46:21. | |
:46:21. | :46:30. | ||
Pouvoir. This horse bolted up by 28 lengths. | :46:30. | :46:38. | |
Not without a chance. Venetia said it might be better | :46:38. | :46:42. | |
carrying more weight in lesser company. | :46:42. | :46:52. | |
:46:52. | :47:21. | ||
Let's look and see where Plein ride. They are coming out on to the | :47:21. | :47:25. | |
course. Here is Jim. So they are starting to line up now. | :47:25. | :47:31. | |
And the starter says, "No. No. No." Pigeon Island is a long way behind | :47:31. | :47:34. | |
them as you can see there, the grey there. Some ten lengths or so | :47:35. | :47:40. | |
behind. In the interests of fairness he had to call them back. | :47:40. | :47:46. | |
On a day like this, they get so keyed up, the jockeys. So eager to | :47:46. | :47:50. | |
get up to the tapes and get a really handy position. Look at | :47:50. | :47:54. | |
Pigeon Island. Look at him back there. So he has really reacted | :47:54. | :48:04. | |
well, the starter in calling them back. There he is, the starter. | :48:04. | :48:10. | |
Let's just see this tape going across the track once again. There | :48:10. | :48:17. | |
it is. That's it. They're off this time and Pigeon Island is right up | :48:17. | :48:23. | |
there there and he is in third position. Got Attitude as they come | :48:23. | :48:29. | |
to the first fences. Consigliere jumps up there, the one with the | :48:29. | :48:38. | |
big white face. Quolibet on the far-right. Take ago dive in the | :48:38. | :48:42. | |
centre, Plein Pouvoir. He goes up to take a narrow lead. Plein | :48:42. | :48:46. | |
Pouvoir and behind them has Got Attitude, just behind them in | :48:46. | :48:54. | |
fourth position the grey, over on the far rail is Quolibet. The other | :48:54. | :48:57. | |
grey is and Quincy Des Pictons with the white cap followed by Chance du | :48:57. | :49:02. | |
Roy, out wider is Nadiya De La Vega and followed by Pigeon Island. | :49:02. | :49:11. | |
Further back then is Fahrisee in in the black cap. They come to the | :49:11. | :49:15. | |
fifth now and further back in the field then at this stage we see | :49:15. | :49:21. | |
getting over that on the near-side going up towards the leaders now as | :49:21. | :49:28. | |
they race up. We are just over a circuit. Cadoudalas is on the near | :49:28. | :49:33. | |
side and Romanesco and last is Glenwood Knight. The leader there | :49:33. | :49:40. | |
is Plein Pouvoir in the red jacket as they run-down hill. The white | :49:40. | :49:50. | |
:49:50. | :49:58. | ||
face in the centre. Got Attitude followed in third third by teak by | :49:58. | :50:04. | |
Take the breeze. Followed by Quolibet as they are climbing up | :50:04. | :50:10. | |
towards the back now and further back in the field then is | :50:10. | :50:20. | |
Cadoudalas, Quincy Des Pictons has been shuffled back. Further back | :50:20. | :50:24. | |
then is Fahrisee as they head towards fence number six. Heading | :50:24. | :50:30. | |
over that, the leaders jump it very well. Nozic was awkward. Coming to | :50:30. | :50:35. | |
the second open ditch and Plein Pouvoir, the leader over it by | :50:35. | :50:40. | |
three lengths or so to Got Attitude in second, in third Take The Breeze | :50:40. | :50:43. | |
on the outside as they come to the eighth. Quincy Des Pictons made | :50:43. | :50:48. | |
good ground from Pigeon Island in the centre. Romanesco jumped out in | :50:48. | :50:52. | |
last. But it is Plein Pouvoir the leader by two lengths down the back | :50:52. | :50:56. | |
from Got Attitude. Got Attitude as they go to the ninth. Quincy Des | :50:56. | :51:00. | |
Pictons jumped up spectacularly in the third there. Cadoudalas was | :51:00. | :51:04. | |
just getting out of his ground now and losing touch with them as they | :51:04. | :51:10. | |
continue their journey down the back towards fence number 11. Here | :51:10. | :51:14. | |
is Plein Pouvoir. He jumped it in good style, but joined by Quincy | :51:14. | :51:18. | |
Des Pictons on the outside and on the near side in third place is Got | :51:18. | :51:28. | |
:51:28. | :51:29. | ||
Attitude. As they go over the next next Consigliere. About five | :51:29. | :51:33. | |
lengths then Chance du Roy as they continue their journey to the far | :51:33. | :51:38. | |
corner of the course now and these leaders, about six or seven of them, | :51:38. | :51:40. | |
are starting to group up and getting away from the main body of | :51:40. | :51:45. | |
the field. So it is Quincy Des Pictons on the outside just the | :51:45. | :51:50. | |
leader and Plein Pouvoir. Against The rail in third is Got Attitude. | :51:50. | :51:54. | |
Two lengths away is Consigliere. They are followed by Pigeon Island | :51:54. | :51:58. | |
and further back then Take The Breeze and Chance du Roy. On the | :51:58. | :52:03. | |
turn for home now and they have got five left to home. On the outside | :52:03. | :52:07. | |
the leader, with the white cap, Quincy Des Pictons. Comes towards | :52:08. | :52:12. | |
five out, but Plein Pouvoir is still there on the inside. They | :52:12. | :52:18. | |
were clear of Consigliere in third and Nozic and Got Attitude and | :52:18. | :52:22. | |
Chance du Roy and further back is Take The Breeze and Nadiya De La | :52:22. | :52:29. | |
Vega is struggling. That was four out and the field is spreading. | :52:29. | :52:33. | |
Quincy Des Pictons, James Best has opened up a gap of eight lengths on | :52:33. | :52:38. | |
the leader. In second Plein Pouvoir as they head towards three out. He | :52:38. | :52:42. | |
jumped it well, the leader. In second, Chance du Roy followed by | :52:42. | :52:46. | |
Consigliere and further back is Plein Pouvoir. They have two left | :52:46. | :52:50. | |
to jump and Quincy Des Pictons has flown. He has gone about 15 lengths | :52:50. | :52:55. | |
in front of of Chance du Roy. Followed then by Consigliere behind | :52:55. | :52:58. | |
them and they were nicely clear of the others. One left to jump now | :52:58. | :53:01. | |
and Quincy Des Pictons comes towards it and he is home for all | :53:01. | :53:06. | |
money. He is over it by about eight lengths or so. In second is Chance | :53:06. | :53:10. | |
du Roy and further back Consigliere, but this is a very easy win. It | :53:10. | :53:14. | |
makes it a hat trick, Quincy Des Pictons, up to the line and he wins | :53:14. | :53:18. | |
it well by about 15 lengths. Chance du Roy is second. It will be tight | :53:18. | :53:23. | |
for third. Rattling home there on the inside Take The Breeze, but in | :53:23. | :53:32. | |
the photo there with Consigliere. They were followed further back by | :53:32. | :53:37. | |
Plein Pouvoir and Pigeon Island and followed by Nozic and they are the | :53:37. | :53:40. | |
only finishers. The rest have been pulled up or failed to complete the | :53:40. | :53:45. | |
course. There is the winner, number 14, Quincy Des Pictons, James Best. | :53:45. | :53:49. | |
He went for home a long way out and he had them all stretching and | :53:49. | :53:53. | |
struggling. There he is to the line. He won at | :53:54. | :54:00. | |
Ludlow only a few days previously, six days ago and he has a lot in | :54:00. | :54:05. | |
hand as he goes to the line to win it well. He was some way out of the | :54:05. | :54:13. | |
handicap, but that was nullified by the 7 pound claim by James Best. | :54:13. | :54:23. | |
Third number four, Consigliere and fourth Take The Breeze. | :54:23. | :54:28. | |
Winning jockey James Best. Congratulations. | :54:28. | :54:35. | |
This horse made your life very easy, especially the way he got into it? | :54:35. | :54:42. | |
I got shuffled back a bit and I tried to hold on for as long as I | :54:43. | :54:48. | |
could. Could you believe how far clear you | :54:48. | :54:53. | |
were going down to the last? not at all. I'm delighted. | :54:53. | :54:55. | |
Absolutely delighted, yeah. Brilliant. | :54:55. | :55:03. | |
Well done, James. with little weight from Quincy Des | :55:03. | :55:08. | |
Pictons trained in Somerset by Alan Jones and a huge day for him and | :55:09. | :55:13. | |
for James Best who just fired him at these fences and the horse kept | :55:13. | :55:19. | |
picking up for him. A mention for Chance du Roy who is carrying 11 | :55:19. | :55:23. | |
stone 12lbs and finishes second. That must have felt as if he was | :55:23. | :55:29. | |
carrying a lumberjack on his back. Fair play to James Best. He is on a | :55:29. | :55:33. | |
roll now. This is his third ride and his third win on the spin so he | :55:33. | :55:37. | |
is flying. And big celebrations here. | :55:37. | :55:47. | |
The trainer. A good good placing of the horse. | :55:47. | :55:57. | |
:55:57. | :56:01. | ||
Peddler's Cross has been beaten at Jones there on the left and going | :56:01. | :56:06. | |
over to talk to James Best. This horse won particularly well at | :56:06. | :56:10. | |
Ludlow and even - ahead of the handicap at the moment. He has run | :56:10. | :56:14. | |
from out of the handicap today, but rapidly rising through the ranks. | :56:14. | :56:20. | |
It was a very, very sound performance today on a course that | :56:20. | :56:27. | |
can really catch you out on a horse who doesn't know what he is doing. | :56:27. | :56:31. | |
But this one does, he is a talent, that's for sure. Let's look at the | :56:31. | :56:41. | |
:56:41. | :56:42. | ||
favourite was your winner. Second was Chance du Roy and third | :56:43. | :56:50. | |
Consigliere. The punters have got plenty of | :56:50. | :56:56. | |
money for the National, haven't they? They must have certainty when | :56:56. | :57:02. | |
it won at Bangor. A bad day for the bookies so far! | :57:02. | :57:07. | |
Here we go, the next race will be the Coral Welsh National. We have a | :57:07. | :57:11. | |
field of 20 going to the post. It is a marathon distance. So much | :57:11. | :57:16. | |
jumping to be done as well over these wonderful hills of Chepstow | :57:16. | :57:20. | |
and the crowd is in full full force and full voice as well and they | :57:20. | :57:26. | |
will be picking a horse they like the look of and maybe the trainer, | :57:26. | :57:32. | |
Tim Vaughan or Wayne Hutchinson or Matty Bachelor been on board | :57:32. | :57:37. | |
Carruthers. The jockeys have been out walking the course or running | :57:37. | :57:44. | |
it. Lord Howard earlier presenting a cheque to Tanya Gray Gray | :57:45. | :57:50. | |
Thompson. David Pipe there who has two runners. Could he win the race | :57:50. | :57:58. | |
for the first time that his rather won five times in six years? Here | :57:58. | :58:08. | |
is the line-up for the big one. There are 20 of them. One is Hey | :58:08. | :58:18. | |
:58:18. | :58:40. | ||
Big Spender. He is ridden by Joe bounced back to winning form last | :58:40. | :58:49. | |
month. Five is Galaxy Rock. He is trained by Jonjo O'Neill and won | :58:49. | :58:59. | |
:58:59. | :59:01. | ||
this twice. Number six is Viking Blond and Sam | :59:01. | :59:05. | |
Twiston-Davies at 19 takes his ride on this horse. Number seven is As | :59:05. | :59:12. | |
De Fer. He won three of his last four. He is well handicapped. | :59:12. | :59:16. | |
Number 8 is Giles Cross. He was arguably a tougher stayer in the | :59:16. | :59:22. | |
field. He was second in the race last year. | :59:22. | :59:32. | |
:59:32. | :59:32. | ||
Number nine is Or Noir de Somoza. Conor O'Farrell is in the saddle. | :59:32. | :59:42. | |
:59:42. | :59:43. | ||
Number 10 is Any Currency. He was third at Sandown last time. | :59:43. | :59:47. | |
11 is Knighton Combe and ridden by 16-year-old Brendan Powell, | :59:47. | :59:56. | |
claiming a valuable 7lb. Number 12 is Cannington Brook who won a | :59:56. | :00:02. | |
gruelling battle at Haydock only four days ago. He is a real stayer. | :00:02. | :00:07. | |
Number 13, Le Beau Bai two of his last three wins was at Chepstow and | :00:07. | :00:17. | |
:00:17. | :00:20. | ||
he was third in the 2009 Welsh National. 14 is Idifferent Curve -- | :00:20. | :00:26. | |
Indifference Curve. Number Number 15, Master Overseer, | :00:26. | :00:36. | |
:00:36. | :00:44. | ||
a real stayer. 16 is Mumbles Head, David Crosse. Trained in Wales. 17 | :00:44. | :00:48. | |
is is Ballyfitz. He is a good stayer, but he will stay all day. A | :00:48. | :00:55. | |
good each way chance. 18 is Our Island. Another stayer. | :00:55. | :01:01. | |
He was Second at Haydock when they walked home last time. 19 is | :01:01. | :01:08. | |
Heathcliff who last won over fences ten months ago, Tom Messenger takes | :01:08. | :01:15. | |
the ride. And number 20 is Bench Warrent. He is 3lb out of the | :01:15. | :01:25. | |
:01:25. | :01:28. | ||
handicap and run in this race here. We see Giles Cross is the 6-1 | :01:28. | :01:33. | |
favourite? Yes, if you have a bet with Corals if your horse finishes | :01:33. | :01:40. | |
second to Giles Cross, you will get your money back. Second in is | :01:40. | :01:50. | |
:01:50. | :02:10. | ||
win in this. Any of the outsiders you fancy? Not really. I said that | :02:10. | :02:16. | |
once before in the National! The owner, 100-1 winner, she said, "You | :02:16. | :02:26. | |
said my horse can't win!" "Sorry, love, I never meant it!" Look at | :02:26. | :02:31. | |
the public trying to get a bet on this race. This is bigger than the | :02:31. | :02:38. | |
Aintree National! Unbelievable. Just thinking about it, Tanni-Grey | :02:38. | :02:48. | |
:02:48. | :02:48. | ||
Thompson wanted something in purple. But if you are going for emotion, | :02:49. | :02:53. | |
the top story would be if Carruthers was to follow up his win | :02:53. | :03:01. | |
at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. He was bred and is part owned by | :03:01. | :03:05. | |
Lord Oaksey. When he became a writer and a broadcaster, was one | :03:05. | :03:09. | |
of the greatest poets of racing. He really knew how to sell an occasion, | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
he knew so much about horses and when he had retired from riding in | :03:14. | :03:21. | |
races, he along with Brough Scott established the Injured Jockeys' | :03:21. | :03:25. | |
Fund. He is one of the great figures of racing and age rather | :03:25. | :03:30. | |
catching up with him now in that he is not getting out as much as he | :03:30. | :03:36. | |
did. The one thing he knows is that Carruthers is his horse, Carruthers | :03:36. | :03:41. | |
won the Hennessy, trained by his son-in-law and he is ridden every | :03:41. | :03:51. | |
:03:51. | :04:03. | ||
We just adore him. You ride him every day? Yes. Who is the boss? | :04:03. | :04:13. | |
:04:13. | :04:13. | ||
She is! LAUGHTER She tells you? do the mucking out! We decide | :04:13. | :04:17. | |
together what we do. He has quite a big say in the matter. He wouldn't | :04:17. | :04:22. | |
be a horse you would go, "Cor, that was an amazing piece of work." He | :04:22. | :04:26. | |
will never be like that. The reason this story is so special is the man | :04:26. | :04:31. | |
in shot, Lord Oaksey. He was a pioneer for the Injured Jockeys' | :04:31. | :04:34. | |
Fund and it is a great sight to see him with the one thing he loves | :04:34. | :04:38. | |
more than anything else in the world, Carruthers. He has done so | :04:38. | :04:44. | |
much for the sport. He's a phenomenon for the sport. The idea | :04:44. | :04:51. | |
was entirely to bring him something to enjoy when he got old. He's | :04:51. | :04:57. | |
managed that! It's a story that started 53 years ago when Lord | :04:57. | :05:02. | |
Oaksey dramatically won the Hennessy as an amateur. Before | :05:02. | :05:08. | |
Carruthers repeated that success last month. COMMENTARY: He is not | :05:08. | :05:18. | |
stopping, if anything he is going further clear! It is Carruthers for | :05:18. | :05:21. | |
Mattie Batchelor! You dream of these things and then when it does | :05:21. | :05:25. | |
happen, it seems amazing. It is pleasing to know that when I do get | :05:25. | :05:32. | |
a good horse, I can do the job. was so thrilled for Mark and Sara | :05:32. | :05:41. | |
and Mattie. They have made this horse. When you walk into Newbury, | :05:41. | :05:51. | |
:05:51. | :05:53. | ||
you must puff your chest out a bit? Definitely. The jockeys were going | :05:53. | :05:57. | |
mental for us! They love this horse. When you told John what was his | :05:57. | :06:03. | |
response? I said, "Who has won the Hennessy?" He said, "Me!" When I | :06:03. | :06:08. | |
show him the replay, he is very emotional. He did know, as you have | :06:08. | :06:12. | |
seen today, he doesn't talk to us all that much, but he spoke in | :06:12. | :06:17. | |
sentences that night. Every race is a big race. You have only had seven | :06:17. | :06:22. | |
runners in total this year. We are only a small yard. We want a few | :06:22. | :06:27. | |
more horses. It goes to show hopefully to Joe Public you don't | :06:27. | :06:31. | |
have to send your horses to the big boys, we can do the business just | :06:31. | :06:37. | |
as well as they can. We have got time to train every horse as an | :06:37. | :06:40. | |
individual. That personal touch extends to an unusual regime for | :06:40. | :06:45. | |
Carruthers where he is part of the furniture in his local village. You | :06:45. | :06:51. | |
are holding on to him over a bridge, he is stood in the water like a | :06:51. | :06:58. | |
saint. He is in here every day after exercise. Just to cool his | :06:58. | :07:03. | |
legs down, stop any build-up of potential inflammation and loves it. | :07:03. | :07:12. | |
It is a lot cheaper than buying a bloody spa! He is an incredible | :07:12. | :07:16. | |
racehorse. But he is more determined than the rest. Take away | :07:16. | :07:23. | |
the determination, he is 120 horse, he is more ordinary. The whole | :07:23. | :07:31. | |
circle ranging from Sara's dad and Chicky, to Mattie, to Sara, to the | :07:31. | :07:37. | |
whole yard, it is a big fairytale. There is Carruthers walking around | :07:37. | :07:45. | |
the paddock. The man on board this afternoon is Mr Jester, how are | :07:45. | :07:53. | |
you? Good. You? Good. Have a good Christmas? Yeah, plenty of | :07:53. | :08:00. | |
puddings! Really? Yes. You are regarded as the fungi to have in | :08:00. | :08:10. | |
:08:10. | :08:11. | ||
the weighing rooms? The people I take the mickey of wouldn't agree. | :08:11. | :08:14. | |
If we are being serious for a moment, this horse, Carruthers, | :08:14. | :08:20. | |
means a lot to you? He's give me some great days, there have not | :08:20. | :08:26. | |
been many. Yeah, I hold him in high regard. The ground shouldn't be a | :08:26. | :08:32. | |
problem to him. Shouldn't be a problem. The boys say it is not too | :08:32. | :08:40. | |
bad down the back. What a Christmas it would be if you won the Welsh | :08:40. | :08:45. | |
National? Exactly. I will have to buy some more presents! You better | :08:45. | :08:55. | |
:08:55. | :08:55. | ||
win! Let's have a word with a couple of the guys, Denis O'Regan | :08:55. | :09:00. | |
and Dougie Costello. What is this guy like to have in the weighing | :09:00. | :09:07. | |
room? A pain in the backside! a legend. He's one of the nicest | :09:07. | :09:12. | |
girls as well. Are you going to be able to beat him? Yes. What about | :09:12. | :09:21. | |
you? Galaxy Rock won first time at Lingfield on soft ground. He will | :09:21. | :09:26. | |
be OK. You have done very well to hold your nerve there. Good luck in | :09:26. | :09:34. | |
the big race today. ALL: Cheers! Some great camaraderie amongst | :09:34. | :09:38. | |
these jockeys. They know every time they go out to ride there is a | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
danger they might not come back in one piece. There is no place for | :09:42. | :09:47. | |
arrogance and that is why they are so generous and fun with each other | :09:47. | :09:51. | |
and Joe Tizzard on the right and Wayne Hutchinson on the left coming | :09:51. | :09:58. | |
out behind the Welsh Guard and the jockeys will make their way to the | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
paddock. Most of the horses are already here in the parade ring for | :10:01. | :10:11. | |
the crowd to get a good look at them. Mattie Batchelor already has | :10:11. | :10:15. | |
his tinted goggles pulled down! is not taking any chances. That is | :10:15. | :10:19. | |
what makes it so special. When he had that big win in the Hennessy, | :10:19. | :10:23. | |
everybody cheered him in, whether it was Bangor or at Newbury, they | :10:23. | :10:31. | |
wanted to see him win. Let's take a wander around the paddock. You see | :10:31. | :10:37. | |
this magnificent suit! Any Currency is a horse that is owned by a team | :10:37. | :10:43. | |
called Cash Is King. Very interesting suit. You have to make | :10:43. | :10:51. | |
an effort! They charged me �5.70 to get in! Why Cash Is King for the | :10:51. | :10:55. | |
owning syndicate, there is is a theme here? The boys like a bit of | :10:55. | :11:00. | |
a punt. Hopefully, it will be cash we will be taking home today. | :11:00. | :11:05. | |
you hopeful? Yes. He should run a big race. His form suggests he's | :11:05. | :11:10. | |
second behind Midnight Chase at Cheltenham the year before last. | :11:10. | :11:15. | |
He's had a year out with a tiny injury. He's come back to finish | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
third at Sandown. Should be very good. Good luck to you. Your jockey | :11:20. | :11:27. | |
will be making his way to you very shortly. They are posing for a | :11:27. | :11:32. | |
photo. Jamie Snowdon is here, the trainer of Knighton Combe. Has | :11:32. | :11:38. | |
already won a National? That's it. He won the Summer National. Had a | :11:38. | :11:43. | |
prep run over hurdles a month ago. He is fit, he's well. Fingers | :11:43. | :11:47. | |
crossed. Do you get nervous when it is a big day like this? Very | :11:47. | :11:50. | |
nervous. We are only in our third season training. To run well in a | :11:50. | :11:55. | |
race like this, if not win, would be phenomenal for our career. | :11:55. | :12:01. | |
you have a youngster rider, is he too young to get nervous? Well, I | :12:01. | :12:06. | |
hope so! LAUGHTER I'm certainly nervous. The reason for putting | :12:06. | :12:16. | |
Brendan on is he is off 1-3-2 but Brendan takes seven off to take it | :12:16. | :12:22. | |
back down to 2-2-5. He is not far off a winning mark. Listen, we wish | :12:22. | :12:29. | |
you luck. Brendan Powell Junior is talking to the owners of Knighton | :12:29. | :12:34. | |
Combe. We talked to him earlier. It would be an extraordinary story. | :12:34. | :12:39. | |
The Nigel Twiston-Davies team. They have two runners, Mick. Sam | :12:39. | :12:46. | |
Twiston-Davies, Nige is there, and Sam is riding Viking Blond who came | :12:46. | :12:51. | |
into the paddock here and started bucking! He is fresh and well at | :12:51. | :12:56. | |
home. Hopefully, as you can see, he is looking very well. He is a very | :12:56. | :13:00. | |
flashy type! In terms of how he will run in the race, what are you | :13:00. | :13:05. | |
expecting him to do? Hopefully, he will run a good race. All the signs | :13:05. | :13:11. | |
say he will stay. He is only a novice. He has not made a mistake | :13:11. | :13:14. | |
yet. David England is riding Ballyfitz. Not an awful lot of | :13:14. | :13:20. | |
weight so you have to fancy yourself? I would do. Everyone says | :13:20. | :13:24. | |
he doesn't jump that great, but he has been jumping well recently. We | :13:24. | :13:30. | |
fancy him. Hopefully, we will go close. Sit tight, enjoy it. Hopeful. | :13:30. | :13:37. | |
Thank you. There are so many good horses in the paddock. I mentioned | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
Cappa Bleu earlier on. Richard Dunwoody has had a good look at | :13:40. | :13:45. | |
them and wanted to mention Cappa Bleu independent of me. He does | :13:45. | :13:51. | |
look very well? Yeah. Certainly if he is back to his very best today, | :13:51. | :13:55. | |
he's got a decent chance. He won last time out after a year-and-a- | :13:55. | :14:00. | |
half off the course and he won on the same day Kauto Star won the | :14:00. | :14:10. | |
:14:10. | :14:11. | ||
Betfair Chase. What do you think? Here is Viking Blond. He is my pick | :14:12. | :14:18. | |
in the paddock. He's bucking and kicking. I am looking forward to | :14:18. | :14:24. | |
seeing him. He is only a six-year- old. Giles Cross is coming round, | :14:24. | :14:30. | |
horse number eight. He is just on the left. What did you make of him? | :14:30. | :14:37. | |
He looked well. That was a great run at Fontwell. OK. We can get the | :14:37. | :14:41. | |
inside track on Giles Cross because not only have I got his trainer, | :14:41. | :14:46. | |
but I have his breeder, who is one of the owners. When he was first | :14:46. | :14:51. | |
born, did you think this one might be special? No! What did you think? | :14:51. | :14:56. | |
What did I think? I thought thank God he's come out with all four | :14:57. | :15:00. | |
feet poking forwards! What does it feel like to be here as favourite | :15:00. | :15:05. | |
for the Welsh National? Amazing. I have had horses for 25 years and | :15:05. | :15:10. | |
this is obviously the best of them. Victor, what do you think of his | :15:10. | :15:14. | |
chances? He loves Chepstow, he loves the ground. He has every | :15:14. | :15:18. | |
chance. I can't help think that there is one or two of the horses | :15:18. | :15:23. | |
lower down the weights that might be more of a problem. We will see. | :15:23. | :15:28. | |
That is the trouble in this sort of ground, weight can take its toll? | :15:28. | :15:33. | |
Yes. There's a bit of class in this race as well, with Carruthers. It | :15:33. | :15:37. | |
will be a good race. It will. Good luck to you with Giles Cross. | :15:37. | :15:47. | |
:15:47. | :16:07. | ||
you. Giles Cross is your favourite horses backed, John. There's eight | :16:07. | :16:11. | |
or nine horses all being backed for money. The crowd are backing | :16:11. | :16:15. | |
anything! Anything can win. We have said this earlier - this is a great | :16:15. | :16:19. | |
race. The punters don't know who is going to win. All the money is each | :16:19. | :16:28. | |
way. They are picking 20-1 chances. Anything can win, John. Well, they | :16:28. | :16:31. | |
are getting ready to parade in front of the grandstand, these 20 | :16:31. | :16:35. | |
runners and this a race that has extraordinary history. It was first | :16:35. | :16:41. | |
run at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff in 1895 and then transferred here to | :16:41. | :16:47. | |
Chepstow in 1949 and the first running here was won by Dick | :16:47. | :16:57. | |
Francis. Many of his novels based on racing. Great horses who have | :16:57. | :17:04. | |
won the Welsh National include Silver Birch, who won in 2004 and | :17:04. | :17:14. | |
:17:14. | :17:22. | ||
then won the Grand National in 2007. So, the Parade is led by the horse | :17:22. | :17:29. | |
who carries top weight at 11 stone 12. That is Hey Big Spender. Horse | :17:29. | :17:37. | |
two is Carruthers. This is the fairytale horse. Blazing Bailey is | :17:37. | :17:41. | |
number three. He was a good horse over hurdles. He has some form over | :17:41. | :17:46. | |
fences as well. Watch out for him. Wayne Hutchinson on board. Horse | :17:46. | :17:52. | |
four, Cappa Bleu. This horse won the FoxHunters. A very good horse | :17:52. | :18:00. | |
on his day. Jonjo O'Neill won the Welsh National last year but relies | :18:00. | :18:07. | |
on this horse, Galaxy Rock. Six is Viking Blond. This horse has a good | :18:07. | :18:17. | |
:18:17. | :18:20. | ||
chance. Big day for trainer Antony Honeyball, with As De Fer. Giles | :18:20. | :18:30. | |
Cross. David Pipe has two runners, the first is Or Noir de Somoza. | :18:30. | :18:38. | |
is Any Currency. This one trained by Martin Keighley. This horse is | :18:38. | :18:42. | |
fancied. Youngest jockey in the race is 16-year-old Brendan Powell | :18:42. | :18:48. | |
Junior. He is on board Knighton Combe. Next horse is Cannington | :18:48. | :18:51. | |
Brook. This horse is a good game winner last time in very heavy | :18:51. | :18:56. | |
ground. This horse will love the conditions. Le Beau Bai was third | :18:56. | :19:03. | |
in this race in 2009. He could be close again. Indifference Curve, | :19:03. | :19:08. | |
the mount of Will Kennedy. Winner yesterday for Will Kennedy. This | :19:08. | :19:16. | |
one trained by Margaret O'Sullivan. Master Overseer, it looks to be the | :19:16. | :19:23. | |
second of David Pipe's two runners. Mumbles Head trained by Peter Bowen. | :19:23. | :19:30. | |
David Crosse does an amazing blog every week! Ballyfitz, the lower- | :19:30. | :19:36. | |
weighted of the Nigel Twiston- Davies' runners. David England is | :19:36. | :19:40. | |
hopeful. 18 is Our Island, trained by Tim Vaughan, the mount of Aidan | :19:40. | :19:45. | |
Coleman. Already a winner today. All of these ones down the bottom | :19:45. | :19:53. | |
are racing off 10 stone and Heathcliff, the second of Richard | :19:53. | :19:59. | |
Lea's runners. The last one out is Bench Warrent. This is the mount of | :19:59. | :20:04. | |
Gavin Sheehan. He is claiming ten pounds off ten stone. So riding | :20:04. | :20:11. | |
with nothing! 9 stone 4 pound. great effort to be able to do that | :20:12. | :20:16. | |
weight! Jump jockeys are not tiny people. They are proper size. These | :20:16. | :20:21. | |
horses all having a look at the first - what will be the last fence | :20:21. | :20:25. | |
in fact. They start in front of the last and it is a short run to the | :20:25. | :20:29. | |
first bend and you are seeing the beautiful head of Cappa Bleu having | :20:29. | :20:35. | |
a look. We are going to hear shortly the Welsh National Anthem | :20:35. | :20:44. | |
to get us all in the mood. Great sound, great atmosphere at Chepstow. | :20:44. | :20:54. | |
:20:54. | :20:54. | ||
Apology for the loss of subtitles for 80 seconds | :20:54. | :21:38. | |
They are making sure you have the feel of a big event. # Mae hen wlad | :21:39. | :21:42. | |
fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi # Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, | :21:42. | :21:52. | |
:21:52. | :21:57. | ||
enwogion o fri; # Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra md, | :21:57. | :22:07. | |
:22:07. | :22:19. | ||
# Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed. # Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm | :22:19. | :22:22. | |
gwlad. # Tra mor yn fur i'r bur hoff bau, | :22:22. | :22:32. | |
:22:32. | :22:43. | ||
The applause rings out for 21-year- old Sarah Kemp who sang here last | :22:43. | :22:53. | |
:22:53. | :22:53. | ||
year and gets a rousing reception. A wonderful voice. In the meantime, | :22:53. | :22:58. | |
the runners are arriving down at the start point. Let's have a look | :22:58. | :23:02. | |
and see whether Viking Blond or Giles Cross is going to go off as | :23:02. | :23:07. | |
favourite. Looks like the money has come for Viking Blond? Certainly | :23:07. | :23:17. | |
:23:17. | :23:19. | ||
has. Viking Blond is now favourite was the horse overnight for money. | :23:19. | :23:23. | |
We heard the Welsh anthem and Corals, if we do have a Welsh- | :23:23. | :23:29. | |
trained winner 9-1. How many Welsh horses? Three horses. Cappa Bleu, | :23:30. | :23:38. | |
Mumbles Head and? A good question! LAUGHTER Our Island! 9-1. Well | :23:38. | :23:41. | |
done! Our Island trained by Tim Vaughan. Those are the Welsh | :23:41. | :23:46. | |
chances. A lot of horses are trained very close in Herefordshire | :23:46. | :23:52. | |
or not too far over the Severn Bridge. It is right in front of the | :23:52. | :23:56. | |
grandstand, the start. So, Richard Dunwoody, you can hear all the | :23:56. | :23:59. | |
jockeys chatting to each other. There is Nigel Twiston-Davies. He | :23:59. | :24:03. | |
will be looking out for Viking Blond and for Ballyfitz. Sam | :24:03. | :24:08. | |
Twiston-Davies keeping out the back on Viking Blond? He has his two | :24:08. | :24:13. | |
horses looking really well. I am looking forward to a big run from | :24:13. | :24:22. | |
this horse. You can feel the tension down here. Looking pretty | :24:22. | :24:32. | |
:24:32. | :24:33. | ||
cool is Matthew Batchelor on board Carruthers. He's had his tinted | :24:33. | :24:36. | |
goggles down ever since he came out of the weighing room. He knows he | :24:36. | :24:40. | |
has a horse that can deal with this. The lads are all getting a bit | :24:40. | :24:50. | |
:24:50. | :24:52. | ||
excited, Clare. The pressure is beginning to build. They are | :24:52. | :24:55. | |
tightening the girth on Indifference Curve, who is in front | :24:55. | :25:04. | |
of us here. It looks like - Any Currency is rearing up and being a | :25:05. | :25:11. | |
little tricky. The starter is going to make his way to the rostrum. So | :25:11. | :25:17. | |
we will join Jim McGrath. So, they are coming in now. Mick is | :25:17. | :25:22. | |
joining me here. They are very much on edge, the jockeys. They are | :25:22. | :25:26. | |
anxious to get that early position? They start underneath the stands so | :25:26. | :25:30. | |
the people are close to the action. You can almost feel the tension. | :25:30. | :25:38. | |
The starter has got nowhere near that stand. They won't start for a | :25:38. | :25:43. | |
while. Look at how the boys are playing musical chairs. Trying to | :25:43. | :25:47. | |
sort out some sort of a pecking order. It is a very short run, it | :25:47. | :25:52. | |
is 150 yards to that first turn. Also some horses have a tendency to | :25:52. | :25:57. | |
duck out. You have to watch that? You have to be very aware of it as | :25:57. | :26:02. | |
well. One or two guys will dive up the inside. You get one diving up | :26:02. | :26:06. | |
the inside and it is a recipe for disaster. The runners are turning. | :26:06. | :26:10. | |
They are in the hands of the starter. He wants them to settle | :26:10. | :26:14. | |
down a bit. You can see they are very keen. It is like the start of | :26:14. | :26:19. | |
the first race at Cheltenham. They are all on their toes. All fired up. | :26:20. | :26:29. | |
He is saying, "Settle down!" It's fallen on deaf ears. When you are | :26:29. | :26:33. | |
out there and your blood is pumping, you want to get on with it. You do | :26:33. | :26:38. | |
not want to miss the start. It is imperative you get a good position | :26:38. | :26:43. | |
even in a race over three miles five-and-a-half furlongs. Any | :26:43. | :26:47. | |
Currency - there is no doubt that he wants to be there. He wants to | :26:48. | :26:55. | |
be in that lead. He does. You can see Simon is trying to make his way | :26:55. | :26:58. | |
on to that rostrum. The guys are making life very difficult. They | :26:58. | :27:05. | |
are trying to crowd that tape. is up there now! That's it. They | :27:05. | :27:10. | |
are off and running. This is the Coral Welsh National Handicap Chase, | :27:10. | :27:15. | |
20 runners charging downhill. 150 yards to the first turn. Holding | :27:15. | :27:23. | |
the inside is Giles Cross, Le Beau Bai is wider, just behind them is | :27:23. | :27:27. | |
Bench Warrent. They charge around that turn. Further back in the | :27:27. | :27:30. | |
field is Any Currency, he is getting a handy position but he has | :27:30. | :27:35. | |
had to work fairly hard to get it. Behind them is Viking Blond, | :27:35. | :27:41. | |
followed by Our Island, As De Fer, Master Overseer, Carruthers being | :27:41. | :27:45. | |
scrubbed up early to try and hole his position. Well back in the | :27:45. | :27:51. | |
field is Indifference Curve, he is well out the back, so too is Or | :27:51. | :27:54. | |
Noir de Somoza and Ballyfitz has almost tailed off. Heading to the | :27:54. | :27:59. | |
back, they jump 22 fences. Giles Cross, second last year, led to the | :28:00. | :28:04. | |
first, all jumping it well, Ballyfitz in last position. Up in | :28:04. | :28:09. | |
second is Le Beau Bai, followed in third by Bench Warrent, the inside | :28:09. | :28:14. | |
- they go to the open ditch - Any Currency out deeper on the track, | :28:14. | :28:18. | |
Viking Blond was not that fluent, then Our Island, from As De Fer, | :28:18. | :28:26. | |
that go over the third. Nurt back is -- further back is Cappa Bleu. | :28:27. | :28:30. | |
Out very wide is Indifference Curve. Galaxy Rock is not that far away as | :28:30. | :28:36. | |
they go to the fourth now. Further back in the field - Or Noir de | :28:36. | :28:40. | |
Somoza is second last and last is Ballyfitz. Heading down towards the | :28:40. | :28:44. | |
fifth fence and Le Beau Bai joins Giles Cross in the lead. Two | :28:44. | :28:48. | |
lengths away in third is Any Currency, followed by Bench Warrent, | :28:48. | :28:54. | |
from Our Island, As De Fer behind them, Galaxy Rock is out very wide, | :28:54. | :28:58. | |
right there in the centre is Viking Blond as they head now towards the | :28:58. | :29:06. | |
last one down the back. They were followed by Cappa Bleu, Carruthers | :29:06. | :29:07. | |
back in the field Master Overseer with the yellow sleeves and cap | :29:07. | :29:11. | |
right in the middle of the pack from Blazing Bailey and then | :29:11. | :29:15. | |
Cannington Brook, then on the inside is Hey Big Spender, they | :29:15. | :29:19. | |
were followed back at this stage by Heathcliff, giving them a long | :29:19. | :29:22. | |
start as they prepare to leave the back, and in the centre Knighton | :29:23. | :29:27. | |
Combe being ridden by the youngest rider, Brendan Powell, right in the | :29:27. | :29:30. | |
middle of the pack. Mumbles Head about third last. Sweeping now | :29:30. | :29:35. | |
around that bend towards the home turn for the first time and Giles | :29:35. | :29:40. | |
Cross, a half length to Le Beau Bai, behind them is As De Fer, followed | :29:40. | :29:43. | |
by Any Currency, next is Our Island. Further back on the inside | :29:43. | :29:47. | |
Carruthers, ridden along and now starting to make a little bit of | :29:47. | :29:51. | |
ground followed by Viking Blond. They were followed then by Bench | :29:51. | :29:56. | |
Warrent. They come to the seventh. Out wide Galaxy Rock jumped it well, | :29:56. | :30:00. | |
being tracked by the Irish raider Indifference Curve. Starting to | :30:00. | :30:05. | |
make some ground now, Master Overseer, followed by Knighton | :30:05. | :30:09. | |
Combe as they head over that one, the second ditch. Then back towards | :30:09. | :30:15. | |
the rear, we have lost one there. They head down towards the next one, | :30:15. | :30:20. | |
looking down the track there and it looks like Master Overseer, Master | :30:20. | :30:23. | |
Overseer I think - no, it is Mumbles Head. Mumbles Head has gone. | :30:23. | :30:29. | |
They race up now, the home straight, the first time, it is Giles Cross, | :30:29. | :30:33. | |
the leader, from Le Beau Bai and then As De Fer, Our Island, over | :30:33. | :30:36. | |
the tenth. Any Currency and Galaxy Rock. They are followed by | :30:36. | :30:40. | |
Indifference Curve, out wider, further back in the field is Viking | :30:40. | :30:44. | |
Blond from Cappa Bleu. They come now to the next. In the centre | :30:44. | :30:48. | |
Knighton Combe, followed by Master Overseer and Blazing Bailey out | :30:48. | :30:52. | |
wide. Heathcliff is next. They are followed by Bench Warrent and | :30:52. | :30:55. | |
Cannington Brook and Carruthers run-off his feet, he's dropped back | :30:55. | :31:03. | |
to fourth last, followed by Hey Big Spender and Ballyfitz. Giles Cross | :31:04. | :31:13. | |
:31:14. | :31:26. | ||
leads them down to the stable bend Carruthers, Mattie Bachelor is | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
desperate to get him off the inside. Is not jumping well and he needs to | :31:29. | :31:32. | |
get him outside with a bit of daylight and he may pick up. | :31:32. | :31:35. | |
As they start the climb towards the back for the second and the final | :31:35. | :31:38. | |
time, Galaxy Rock in the red cap has just been ridden along. | :31:38. | :31:42. | |
Knighton Combe is starting to make ground for 16-year-old Brendan | :31:42. | :31:45. | |
Powell as they start to run-down the back. There is Carruthers, red | :31:45. | :31:49. | |
sleeves and cap and he maybe starting to pick up again, but as | :31:49. | :31:54. | |
Mick said, he has got to get off the inside. The leaders are Le Beau | :31:54. | :32:04. | |
:32:04. | :32:06. | ||
Bai and Giles Cross by two or three lengths and in third place As De | :32:06. | :32:12. | |
Fer. Followed by Knighton Combe. He is getting a real tune out of this. | :32:12. | :32:17. | |
Then followed by Heathcliff and gone there is Hey Big Spender. Hey | :32:17. | :32:23. | |
Big Spender a heavy faller there as they head now towards the 13th. The | :32:23. | :32:30. | |
leaders, Giles Cross and Le Beau Bai. They are followed by Knighton | :32:30. | :32:35. | |
Combe as they start to run-down to the next one. The next plain fence, | :32:35. | :32:39. | |
Knighton Combe got in a fraction tight and Any Currency is further | :32:39. | :32:44. | |
back in the field. But as they prepare now and as they head | :32:44. | :32:48. | |
towards the second last one down the back, and the leaders Giles | :32:48. | :32:58. | |
:32:58. | :33:03. | ||
Cross and on the outside Le Beau Bai, and and this is the last one. | :33:03. | :33:07. | |
The leaders jump it well and they are really strung out, but it is | :33:07. | :33:13. | |
Giles Cross who was second last year trying to hang on from Le Beau | :33:13. | :33:20. | |
Bai. Falling is As De Fer, but Giles Cross has really got gas left. | :33:20. | :33:30. | |
:33:30. | :33:31. | ||
He is loving it here as well. You can see Charlie on Le Beau Bai. He | :33:31. | :33:38. | |
looks comfortable. As they round the turn and it is | :33:38. | :33:45. | |
Giles Cross, the leader by two lengths. Six lengths away As De Fer | :33:46. | :33:51. | |
and Cannington Brook and followed by Bench Warrent and also Knighton | :33:51. | :34:01. | |
:34:01. | :34:06. | ||
Combe. Giles Cross Flew it. As De Fer and Denis owe Denis owe-ry | :34:06. | :34:13. | |
began. A long gap to the chasing pack headed by As De Fer. They race | :34:13. | :34:21. | |
up towards the last lap. He comes towards the third last. He is over | :34:21. | :34:31. | |
:34:31. | :34:32. | ||
it, two-and-a-half lengths clear. Le Beau Bai and Le Beau Bai racing | :34:32. | :34:40. | |
and Giles Cross. Le Beau Bai has taken it up. It is Le Beau Bai by | :34:40. | :34:46. | |
two lengths as they come towards the last. He steadies. He is over. | :34:46. | :34:50. | |
Le Beau Bai he is three lengths in front now. Giles Cross coming back | :34:50. | :34:57. | |
for more. Le Beau Bai is clinging and Le Beau Bai is going on to win | :34:57. | :35:07. | |
:35:07. | :35:26. | ||
it well and he wins it. A Welsh National victory for victor Lee. | :35:26. | :35:34. | |
The winner is number 13, Le Beau Bai ridden by Charlie Post, the 10- | :35:35. | :35:41. | |
1 winner of the Coral Welsh National. Second is number 8 and | :35:41. | :35:51. | |
:35:51. | :35:51. | ||
third is number 4, and fourth, Bench Warrent. | :35:51. | :35:56. | |
What a performance. What a staying performance by this winner. | :35:56. | :36:00. | |
He has given a great ride by Charlie Post. He is very much a | :36:01. | :36:04. | |
journey man jockey. This is his ninth winner of the season, but you | :36:04. | :36:08. | |
can see what it means and the other lads are congratulating him because | :36:08. | :36:15. | |
they know what it is like for a guy who works as tirelessly as he does. | :36:15. | :36:25. | |
:36:25. | :36:46. | ||
Giles Cross run second last year. Le Beau Bai... It is heartbreaking | :36:46. | :36:51. | |
for Giles Cross. Richard Lee, he had many, many good horses over 5 | :36:51. | :36:57. | |
years -- 25 years and probably a little bit less so in recent years, | :36:57. | :37:02. | |
but you go back to those great horses in the 80s that he had and | :37:02. | :37:05. | |
90s. He has been a good man for a chaser. | :37:05. | :37:10. | |
He has done brilliantly with these staying chasers, but this horse | :37:10. | :37:14. | |
looked a picture before and he run like it. | :37:14. | :37:24. | |
:37:24. | :37:29. | ||
Le Beau Bai 10-1, Giles Cross second. | :37:29. | :37:35. | |
For Charlie Post a Dave his life to remember. Le Beau Bai third in 2009 | :37:35. | :37:45. | |
:37:45. | :37:46. | ||
and comes here as the winner of the 201 1 Welsh National. He will get a | :37:46. | :37:50. | |
huge reception as he comes into the Winner's Enclosure. | :37:50. | :38:00. | |
:38:00. | :38:03. | ||
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE The owner's glass halfful, what a | :38:03. | :38:06. | |
great name for a racing partnership. It is a glass full to overflowing | :38:06. | :38:11. | |
today! Charlie takes off the tiny saddle. | :38:11. | :38:19. | |
He is only an eight-year-old and Le Beau Bai has answered every call. A | :38:19. | :38:25. | |
lovely bit of waiting, Richard Dunwoody is watching this with me. | :38:25. | :38:30. | |
He stayed behind Giles Cross. Let's hear from the winning jockey, | :38:30. | :38:34. | |
Charlie Post. What a fantastic success? Yeah, | :38:34. | :38:40. | |
brilliant. He has been a good servant to me. A fantastic boy and | :38:40. | :38:45. | |
he was so great today. Brilliant. Charlie, we're going to get run | :38:45. | :38:49. | |
over by the second horse. Just take us through the way he battled | :38:49. | :38:55. | |
because when Giles Cross took over in the strait, the crowd roared. | :38:55. | :39:01. | |
Before I spoke to the owners, I picked out Giles Cross as the one | :39:01. | :39:05. | |
it make. I thought I would follow him and even when Giles Cross got | :39:05. | :39:11. | |
away from me and he had a lot of light-weight on his back, my guy. I | :39:11. | :39:15. | |
never thought it was a foregone conclusion. What does this victory | :39:15. | :39:19. | |
mean? Hopefully it will make a big difference to the career of Charlie | :39:19. | :39:25. | |
Post. You need days like this and and that's what you're working for, | :39:25. | :39:29. | |
days like this. The winning trainer. | :39:29. | :39:33. | |
One of the high points in your training career? I suppose it is. | :39:33. | :39:38. | |
It is a race I always wanted to win. We didn't run in it last year. We | :39:38. | :39:44. | |
were third in it two years. It went according to plan today, didn't it? | :39:44. | :39:54. | |
:39:54. | :39:55. | ||
I worried that the ground wasn't going to be soft enough for him. It | :39:55. | :40:00. | |
was soft enough for him and wasn't he brave? Charlie got some great, | :40:00. | :40:06. | |
great leaps out of him, you know. It has all come true. It is a | :40:06. | :40:11. | |
fairytale for us and we train on the Welsh borders so to come here | :40:11. | :40:17. | |
and win the Welsh National is fan tast tast is fantastic. | :40:17. | :40:23. | |
We are going to to show you celebrating the closing stages. | :40:23. | :40:28. | |
What are you thinking? I hope he is going to hang on. Surely, it is not | :40:28. | :40:38. | |
:40:38. | :40:45. | ||
going to happen. My wife was there with me. I think to be fair Jake | :40:45. | :40:52. | |
said to ride him with a pair of blinds on. Jake has ridden him in | :40:52. | :40:57. | |
the past and Charlie has ridden him today. Charlie is a great, great | :40:57. | :41:01. | |
team player and thank you, Charlie. Congratulations. Well done. | :41:01. | :41:11. | |
:41:11. | :41:25. | ||
great form all season and Le Beau loved the track and the grown and | :41:25. | :41:33. | |
they made it a proper gallop. John, I was was speechless. I | :41:33. | :41:37. | |
thought there there would be money for Le Beau Bai. A winner is a | :41:37. | :41:44. | |
winner. What a great race. Well done, Richard Lee. | :41:44. | :41:51. | |
I have Mattie Bachelor. Mattie, it did happen today? I was jumping | :41:51. | :41:55. | |
very big. It is not him at all. He is slick and he is very good and | :41:55. | :42:00. | |
every time I tried to make grown and get her the the -- ground, he | :42:00. | :42:05. | |
didn't do it as he did in the Hennessy. You have got to be 110% | :42:05. | :42:08. | |
on these days. It wasn't his day today. | :42:08. | :42:12. | |
Everywhere you went today, you seemed to be crowded by horse and | :42:12. | :42:19. | |
he didn't seem comfortable. That's big - the Hennessy I was | :42:19. | :42:27. | |
going forward. Today, I am never going forward, I am making two two | :42:27. | :42:33. | |
steps forward and two steps back. A lovely day for Charlie Post. I'm | :42:33. | :42:37. | |
really pleased for him and I'll go and give him a big kiss now! | :42:37. | :42:42. | |
He will and all! A word for Giles Cross second for | :42:42. | :42:46. | |
the second year running and the two of them dominated for a long way | :42:46. | :42:51. | |
out. They were Always Right up there and as we join them on the | :42:51. | :42:58. | |
back strait, you were thinking, "There is only two horses in it.". | :42:58. | :43:02. | |
There was two horses for a long way out and Le Beau Bai jumped superb | :43:02. | :43:05. | |
and it is Giles Cross has set the the race up for him. He kicked | :43:05. | :43:12. | |
turning in. He jumped the strait strait very well and I thought he | :43:12. | :43:16. | |
might last, but he has given Le Beau Bai a good lead. | :43:16. | :43:26. | |
:43:26. | :43:30. | ||
Giles Cross in front and Denis O' Reagan there. I said this a couple | :43:30. | :43:34. | |
of years ago, he is not the most impressive horse to look at Le Beau | :43:34. | :43:38. | |
Bai, but he has a heart as big as any horse and he really did jump | :43:38. | :43:42. | |
well. Yeah, great credit to the team. | :43:42. | :43:46. | |
For those jockeys thinking these two might come back to us, it wean | :43:47. | :43:54. | |
going to happen. Le Beau Bai came across him and Charlie making sure | :43:54. | :43:59. | |
he had the rail. He has been given a chance by the handicap. He is an | :43:59. | :44:09. | |
:44:09. | :44:09. | ||
eight-year-old. As a six-year-old he ran off one, four, three. | :44:09. | :44:16. | |
As Richard Lee mentioned, the bright blue blinkers helping him | :44:16. | :44:19. | |
concentrate. Yes, keeping his mind on the job. | :44:19. | :44:25. | |
Yes, a great race. We talked beforehand about what a | :44:25. | :44:28. | |
test of stamina this is. You can see it there, the horse is going | :44:28. | :44:35. | |
down the back strait, you are thinking, "We will get a lot of | :44:35. | :44:39. | |
finishes here." This could be any one in it with three to jump. But | :44:39. | :44:49. | |
:44:49. | :44:58. | ||
the front two took the sting out of the race. Keep your eyes on Cappa | :44:58. | :45:02. | |
Bleu, he is one for the future. Carruthers was never really | :45:02. | :45:11. | |
travelling. He got interfered on the bend and Hey Big Spender fell | :45:12. | :45:18. | |
in front of him as well. They had to jump 22 fences out | :45:18. | :45:23. | |
there and you have got to try and meet every one right. If you are | :45:23. | :45:29. | |
thinking, "What are the fences made of? How are they built?" We can | :45:29. | :45:39. | |
:45:39. | :45:42. | ||
best in the country, Thans thanks to the men who build them. | :45:42. | :45:46. | |
Just tell us what you are doing at the moment? I'm just taking the | :45:47. | :45:50. | |
bundles, we haven't got much room in there so we have got to make | :45:50. | :45:59. | |
them narrower at the bottom. You have got to fill that out. | :45:59. | :46:04. | |
That's a lovely job. Brilliant job. This is half a fence here, right? | :46:04. | :46:11. | |
Yeah. How many of these bunches of birch would you need to... 400 to | :46:11. | :46:15. | |
500. It depends how big the bundles are minute. | :46:15. | :46:21. | |
-- mind. Tell us what goes into create ago | :46:21. | :46:26. | |
magnificent creature of a fence? you have seen with Alan and Craig, | :46:26. | :46:30. | |
they will spend all summer renewing half the fences we have got at | :46:30. | :46:34. | |
Chepstow one year which will be six and the following year they will do | :46:34. | :46:37. | |
five so they are never more than two years old. | :46:37. | :46:41. | |
What's the ethos behind creating this shape? It is four foot six | :46:41. | :46:45. | |
high at the top and six feet high from the take off board to the back | :46:46. | :46:50. | |
of the fence. We shape it in the same direction so if a horse does | :46:50. | :46:55. | |
catch t the fence is going in in the same way as the horses so he is | :46:55. | :47:00. | |
not hitting a brick wall. To To get an idea of how stiff it | :47:00. | :47:04. | |
is this size? If you lean into this, you can give it a good shift. That | :47:04. | :47:11. | |
really is not a stiff fence. You notice some tracks and you wouldn't | :47:11. | :47:15. | |
be able to move them. The birch is stacked in. So it is | :47:15. | :47:25. | |
:47:25. | :47:50. | ||
height? That's all right, we'll take a bit more off anyway. It is | :47:50. | :47:59. | |
good for the first time, yeah. Now we are at the takeoff side and | :47:59. | :48:06. | |
you heard commentators say, "He has taken off" even before he has got | :48:06. | :48:11. | |
to the wings of the fence. Like Desert Orchid and Kauto Star, | :48:11. | :48:16. | |
there will be another four meters to the takeoff board. The Chepstow | :48:16. | :48:20. | |
fences, they are similar dimensions to everywhere else, but they have | :48:20. | :48:25. | |
been built in a style by Craig and Alan over 30 years, that they are | :48:25. | :48:30. | |
an old-fashioned style. It is like thatching a roof on a house. These | :48:31. | :48:36. | |
are almost a large work of art and jumping these fences are one of the | :48:36. | :48:38. | |
most exhilarating things in the sport. | :48:38. | :48:43. | |
It was a fascinating morning seeing how a fence is put together. Alan | :48:43. | :48:48. | |
and Craig have been at Chepstow for a long period of time. You have | :48:48. | :48:54. | |
experienced their work and Chepstow is regarded as a safe jumper? | :48:54. | :49:00. | |
are good fences. Not too hard and not too soft. That's important, | :49:00. | :49:04. | |
horses get lower and try to get away and they go to another track | :49:04. | :49:08. | |
and turn over. The jockeys don't like the fences to be too soft. I | :49:08. | :49:11. | |
am grateful that you are not building them around here here as | :49:11. | :49:16. | |
well! High hedge cutting was -- my hedge | :49:16. | :49:20. | |
cutting was awkward. At Chepstow, I thought they lasted | :49:20. | :49:25. | |
a long time. But they change them every two years. They change five | :49:25. | :49:29. | |
after one summer and change the other six after the next summer. | :49:29. | :49:36. | |
They thet turned over a -- get turned over a lot? The birch, it | :49:36. | :49:43. | |
takes more of a nudge and the fences get stiffer as the birch | :49:43. | :49:47. | |
gets stiffer. We are looking ahead to 2012, | :49:47. | :49:53. | |
looking at potential human and equine stars. I picked out one, | :49:53. | :50:00. | |
Brendan Powell Junior. He is only 16. He has ridden 15 winners. He | :50:00. | :50:10. | |
:50:10. | :50:11. | ||
had a winner. You picked out one for us. | :50:11. | :50:15. | |
Jack Cidland. Look out for them. | :50:15. | :50:22. | |
Let's can join join John and Gary. Gary, what have you come up with? | :50:22. | :50:27. | |
I'm going to go for me old favourite. Every year I have a go | :50:27. | :50:32. | |
and Andy Murray to win Wimbledon. I think he is a big prize, Annie | :50:32. | :50:39. | |
Murray and AP McCoy -- Andy Murray and AP McCoy to ride the Grand | :50:39. | :50:46. | |
National winner. If he has a ride it will only be 10-1. And England | :50:46. | :50:55. | |
to win 2012. Clare Balding to win Strictly Come | :50:55. | :51:00. | |
Dancing and if she went on what would you give her, Gary? Seven. | :51:00. | :51:10. | |
:51:10. | :51:11. | ||
I would give you 1,000-1. Any number you like, 1,000-1! | :51:11. | :51:15. | |
Mick Fitzgerald is alongside me. In terms of horses, I guess for | :51:15. | :51:19. | |
jumping we are looking forward to seeing Kauto Star when it comes to | :51:19. | :51:23. | |
the Cheltenham Cheltenham Gold Cup? Cheltenham is three months away and | :51:23. | :51:26. | |
already we're talking about it and that's the great thing about racing. | :51:26. | :51:34. | |
There is a buzz about it and so it should. | :51:34. | :51:44. | |
:51:44. | :51:46. | ||
In terms of the novices, would you if you were David Be thinking of | :51:46. | :51:55. | |
running Grand Crewe in the Gold Cup? No. There is a good horse | :51:55. | :52:01. | |
called Joined Together, trained by Paul Nichols, but the horse that | :52:01. | :52:11. | |
:52:11. | :52:12. | ||
won earlier beat Peddler's Cross. Looking ahead to the Derby and | :52:12. | :52:18. | |
Royal Ascot, I can't wait to see Frankel running over a mile and a a | :52:18. | :52:27. | |
quarter. He set the place alight and the place is buzzing. Sir Sir | :52:27. | :52:37. | |
:52:37. | :52:43. | ||
Henry Cecil what a great story. Good horses have great names and | :52:43. | :52:51. | |
Camelot. Mattie Bachelor was promising to | :52:51. | :52:57. | |
give Charles ci a kiss -- Charlie a kiss. | :52:58. | :53:04. | |
You must miss that feeling? There is Charlie Post receiving his | :53:04. | :53:11. | |
trophy. Richard Lee just over his shoulder and the owners, the | :53:11. | :53:15. | |
partnership, up there representing the Glass, as I was saying, it is | :53:15. | :53:21. | |
full to overflowing! We have one more live race to come | :53:21. | :53:31. | |
:53:31. | :53:33. | ||
and it is the scar the Coral Future Champions Finale. | :53:33. | :53:43. | |
:53:43. | :54:22. | ||
The punters seem to have come for Hollow Tree. School For Scandal 14- | :54:23. | :54:32. | |
:54:33. | :54:39. | ||
I said John, give me a winner. Richard and I are looking at Hollow | :54:39. | :54:43. | |
Tree. This race is for three-year- olds. He has got size about him | :54:43. | :54:47. | |
already? Yes, he is a nice little horse and he has got the form, I | :54:47. | :54:53. | |
think. That run behind him at Cheltenham. Paul Nichols thinks | :54:53. | :54:57. | |
that's one of the best three-year- olds he has got. Hollow Tree will | :54:57. | :55:03. | |
take all the beating. This looks at Kapga De Cerisy, it | :55:03. | :55:07. | |
is a horse that cost a lot of money. 200,000 euros and you noi about his | :55:07. | :55:13. | |
-- you know about his form in France? He finished second this | :55:13. | :55:17. | |
season, in September. He looks in great shape. | :55:17. | :55:23. | |
He looks in really great shape and he will handle the grown anyway. | :55:23. | :55:26. | |
That's -- ground anyway. That's one thing he will do. | :55:26. | :55:31. | |
Would he be the pick of the paddock? Yes, he is the pick for me. | :55:31. | :55:37. | |
Let's look at horse number eight, that's School For Scandal. School | :55:37. | :55:43. | |
For Scandal's trainer Jim Best is hoping to land his his first grade | :55:44. | :55:48. | |
one victory. He has his blinkers on and it will | :55:48. | :55:53. | |
help him. Mark Johnson had this horse. He is a tough little horse | :55:53. | :55:57. | |
and you can see him running a good race today. | :55:57. | :56:02. | |
He won first on the hurledles and - - hurledles and they have put the | :56:02. | :56:08. | |
head gear on to and I imagine that will rediscover what he first time. | :56:08. | :56:12. | |
He could put in a big run. I think the horses are about to | :56:12. | :56:19. | |
leave the paddock. Pick of the paddock probably Kapga De Cerisy? | :56:19. | :56:29. | |
:56:29. | :56:39. | ||
will go with him, Ritchie. with sad faces. The bookies have | :56:40. | :56:49. | |
:56:50. | :56:50. | ||
taken a bashing. There is money for Countrywide Flame. | :56:50. | :56:55. | |
Mick, when you are riding three- year-olds and obviously some of | :56:55. | :57:01. | |
them have run more than others, Captain Sharpe has run loads of | :57:01. | :57:05. | |
times how quick do you know whether one is a natural jumper? Very | :57:05. | :57:08. | |
quickly. Trust me. Especially if you have never ridden it before, | :57:08. | :57:12. | |
you know by the time you jump the first whether a horse is going to | :57:12. | :57:19. | |
be good good or not, especially at Chepstow. That's why French breds | :57:19. | :57:25. | |
have a good record at Chepstow because it is so demanding. Some | :57:25. | :57:32. | |
are like teenagers taking on grown men. | :57:32. | :57:40. | |
Some work and others don't. This is Countrywide Flame for John | :57:40. | :57:45. | |
Quinn. It is going to be interesting this | :57:45. | :57:49. | |
because although Hollow Tree is a hot favourite, we have seen one | :57:49. | :57:53. | |
mistake can make a difference. This is one horse that won three on the | :57:53. | :57:57. | |
flat and won three over hurdles as well? This horse should be unbeaten | :57:57. | :58:03. | |
because he should have won at Wetherby. He made a mistake at the | :58:03. | :58:08. | |
last. I think this horse has got a great chance here. | :58:08. | :58:14. | |
Let's hear from the trainer of Secret Edge. He is train by Alan | :58:14. | :58:19. | |
King. Countrywide Flame was beaten by | :58:19. | :58:24. | |
Secret Edge at Wetherby and Alan King, his trainer, you should be | :58:24. | :58:30. | |
confident of finishing ahead of Hollow Tree. This is a tougher test | :58:30. | :58:38. | |
of stamina as well? The stamina should suit him. This has been this | :58:38. | :58:48. | |
:58:48. | :58:53. | ||
horse's target. We are wrong at the weights with Countrside Star. | :58:53. | :58:58. | |
You would never have encountered ground ground quite as testing as | :58:58. | :59:03. | |
this? He won the other day, but that was wetter ground. This is | :59:03. | :59:08. | |
more holding. I am surprised if he didn't handle it. The biggest | :59:08. | :59:13. | |
problem is he good enough? thing you have got in his favour is | :59:13. | :59:17. | |
attitude. He knuckled down and kept going and always finding a little | :59:17. | :59:20. | |
bit more. It took him two miles at Goodwood | :59:20. | :59:24. | |
before he won a race and he does get the trip very well. I expect | :59:24. | :59:28. | |
him to run very well, but I won it in the past. This horse wouldn't be | :59:28. | :59:31. | |
as good as either of those, but we'll give it a G | :59:31. | :59:36. | |
A good Christmas so far? Yeah, I think so. We're still standing! | :59:36. | :59:42. | |
Hopefully you will be celebrating after this race. | :59:42. | :59:52. | |
Thanks, Ritchie, cheers. Alan King making reference that he | :59:52. | :59:58. | |
won this race before. Number one is Brilliant Barca. | :59:58. | :00:04. | |
Barcelona fans will be supporting this! | :00:04. | :00:07. | |
This horse won his own starter at Warwick. | :00:07. | :00:13. | |
This is a good trainer, Sheena West. The horses she gets does very well | :00:13. | :00:18. | |
and I think this horse, he has got no form on bad ground. That's the | :00:18. | :00:28. | |
:00:28. | :00:34. | ||
Chadford. You have to sit up and take notice when you see money for | :00:34. | :00:40. | |
any of their horses. Just one more that we hadn't quite seen is | :00:40. | :00:47. | |
Captain Sharpe, the only Welsh challenger in this. They are going | :00:47. | :00:50. | |
to make their way out on to the course for our final live race at | :00:51. | :00:53. | |
Chepstow on Welsh National Day. Jim? | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
They are coming in and that is it, they are off and running. Setting | :00:57. | :01:01. | |
off over two miles and half a furlong and down near the inside | :01:01. | :01:05. | |
the favourite, Hollow Tree, first to step off from Chadford. Up there | :01:05. | :01:09. | |
as well too on the outside is School For Scandal as they come to | :01:09. | :01:15. | |
the first of eight, they jump it well. Brilliant Barca back in the | :01:15. | :01:19. | |
field. The leaders are settling down, School For Scandal on the | :01:19. | :01:25. | |
outside, he joins Hollow Tree. In the centre is Chadford, dropping in | :01:25. | :01:33. | |
behind them is Countrywide Flame, pulling hard, then in the centre is | :01:33. | :01:42. | |
Secret Edge, out wider is Rasam Aldaar, even wider is Kapga De | :01:42. | :01:46. | |
Cerisy. Well back then is Captain Sharpe as they start to climb | :01:46. | :01:54. | |
uphill towards the back. They group up this stiff incline. On the | :01:54. | :02:01. | |
inside is Secret Edge. Fairly well grouped, only five or six lengths | :02:01. | :02:07. | |
covers them. The leader Hollow Tree has held sway in front from | :02:07. | :02:13. | |
Chadford, the red cap, School For Scandal, in behind them out wide is | :02:14. | :02:19. | |
Kapga De Cerisy, on the near side next is Countrywide Flame, as they | :02:19. | :02:23. | |
come to the second. The leader made a mess of that, Hollow Tree. He | :02:23. | :02:27. | |
went through the top of it. Has survived OK, though. We will see | :02:27. | :02:32. | |
how he measures the second, so Hollow Tree booting up on the | :02:32. | :02:36. | |
inside again to join School For Scandal and Chadford, coming | :02:36. | :02:43. | |
towards it now, a much better jump. The leader is Hollow Tree, just | :02:43. | :02:48. | |
from out wide School For Scandal in the centre, Chadford, in behind | :02:48. | :02:52. | |
them is Countrywide Flame, right there out in the centre is | :02:52. | :02:56. | |
Brilliant Barca as they go over the fourth. Kapga De Cerisy is out very | :02:56. | :03:00. | |
wide, in behind them is Secret Edge, they are clear as they continue | :03:00. | :03:04. | |
their journey down the back, Captain Sharpe is out very wide | :03:04. | :03:08. | |
last. All the time heading down to that far corner of the course and | :03:08. | :03:18. | |
Hollow Tree holds the rail, out wider is School For Scandal. Two to | :03:18. | :03:24. | |
three lengths clear of Countrywide Flame on the inside. Now out wider | :03:24. | :03:27. | |
is Kapga De Cerisy, Chadford is going backwards as they prepare to | :03:28. | :03:32. | |
sweep across the top of the track now. Chadford really going back | :03:32. | :03:36. | |
through the field. Off around the outside Captain Sharpe making some | :03:36. | :03:41. | |
ground, in the centre next is Rasam Aldaar and also Secret Edge on the | :03:41. | :03:43. | |
inside making some ground. Brilliant Barca is second last and | :03:43. | :03:47. | |
under the whip Chadford doing nothing is now last. Sweeping | :03:47. | :03:51. | |
around the home bend now into the home straight, they have four left | :03:51. | :03:55. | |
to jump and Hollow Tree, on the far side, shows the way here by a | :03:55. | :03:59. | |
couple of lengths to School For Scandal, now going second is | :03:59. | :04:02. | |
Countrywide Flame, further back in fourth is Kapga De Cerisy, followed | :04:02. | :04:07. | |
then as they come to four out by Secret Edge, the leader was careful | :04:07. | :04:11. | |
over it. Hollow Tree being joined now by Countrywide Flame, who is | :04:11. | :04:17. | |
looming up as the danger, as they head up now towards three out. | :04:17. | :04:21. | |
Hollow Tree finding a bit more, but again Countrywide Flame on the | :04:21. | :04:29. | |
outside getting ever closer. Four lengths away is Secret Edge. At the | :04:29. | :04:33. | |
second last, Hollow Tree on the inside joined now by Countrywide | :04:33. | :04:38. | |
Flame. They are stride for stride. On the flat, Hollow Tree has found | :04:38. | :04:44. | |
more. Countrywide Flame won't go away. It's Hollow Tree. One left to | :04:44. | :04:49. | |
jump. Hollow Tree on the far side. Near side Countrywide Flame. They | :04:49. | :04:55. | |
come towards it. He was careful, Hollow Tree. Now, he starts to draw | :04:55. | :05:05. | |
away and he's going on to win it well. Hollow Tree is jumping not | :05:05. | :05:10. | |
that great, but he was superior on the flat. Second is Countrywide | :05:10. | :05:20. | |
:05:20. | :05:29. | ||
Flame. So, the winner is 5 Hollow Tree. The 13-8 favourite. Ridden by | :05:30. | :05:38. | |
Timmy Murphy. He has scrambled home here from 4 Countrywide Flame, | :05:38. | :05:44. | |
ridden by Dougie Costello. Third 9 Secret Edge, ridden by Wayne | :05:44. | :05:50. | |
Hutchinson. Fourth 6 Kapga De Cerisy, Aidan Coleman. In the end, | :05:50. | :05:56. | |
he's ran out a comfortable winner. He made a sloppy mistake down at | :05:56. | :06:05. | |
the second flight. And being cheered right to the line, Hollow | :06:05. | :06:15. | |
:06:15. | :06:16. | ||
Tree. Some happy people there. And let's have a look at the result. | :06:16. | :06:21. | |
There it is. Hollow Tree, the 13-8 favourite. Countrywide Flame 2-1. | :06:21. | :06:27. | |
Secret Edge at 7-2. It will be interesting to see the | :06:27. | :06:33. | |
shot from our helicopter as these two turned in to the straight. You | :06:33. | :06:38. | |
pointed out something to me. Timmy Murphy has to start taking evasive | :06:38. | :06:42. | |
action. He is very keen to keep on the inside track here. The further | :06:42. | :06:45. | |
outside you come, the more on to the flat track which has been | :06:45. | :06:50. | |
watered. He is trying to save as much ground as he can. He is | :06:50. | :06:53. | |
virtually hugging that rail. As he comes through, you have to swing | :06:53. | :06:57. | |
off that inside to get to the hurdles track? That's right. You | :06:57. | :07:03. | |
have to bypass that fence. It looks like Timmy has almost clipped the | :07:03. | :07:07. | |
wing. He is that desperate to stay off that - watch him. You can see | :07:07. | :07:14. | |
Dougie Costello, he is not in his slipstream. See here, he brushed it. | :07:14. | :07:19. | |
Again, he is staying down that inside and you see him here when he | :07:19. | :07:23. | |
jumps that third last, he gets to the second last and he has to | :07:23. | :07:26. | |
change his legs again to keep him back in. Look at how much he is | :07:26. | :07:31. | |
hugging that rail. There must be one strip of turf there that is | :07:31. | :07:35. | |
fresh enough for one print. That was the race winner there. He's | :07:35. | :07:39. | |
gone very long there, very brave move by Timmy. This horse, give him | :07:39. | :07:44. | |
his due, he has answered every call. Countrywide Flame, he is flicking | :07:44. | :07:47. | |
through the top. This Hollow Tree gallops low to the ground, very | :07:47. | :07:54. | |
economical way of running. He has a lovely long stride? When he | :07:54. | :07:59. | |
stretches. Always good to see Timmy Murphy! A year or so ago, I wasn't | :07:59. | :08:04. | |
sure whether he would keep riding for much longer. Rekindled his | :08:04. | :08:10. | |
enthusiasm for the job. He has a great family. Two kids. He has an | :08:10. | :08:14. | |
older lad. He is pleased with how things have gone. Riding better | :08:14. | :08:24. | |
:08:24. | :08:26. | ||
than ever. Certainly is. A great man for | :08:26. | :08:32. | |
dropping one out and coming with that well-timed run. He's had a | :08:32. | :08:38. | |
very willing partner, although he did make jumping mistakes. APPLAUSE | :08:38. | :08:43. | |
A very appreciative crowd as well. Great atmosphere here today. This | :08:43. | :08:50. | |
is the biggest day in racing in Wales. And people have really | :08:50. | :08:55. | |
appreciated it. We have seen some really good racing. So, let's check | :08:55. | :09:05. | |
:09:05. | :09:15. | ||
the result now of this Future Considering he has been in front as | :09:15. | :09:19. | |
well, it was a fantastic performance. Timmy Murphy, a | :09:19. | :09:23. | |
fantastic ride and another favourite. He has a great attitude, | :09:23. | :09:29. | |
the winner. If you keep following him, he will win plenty of races. | :09:29. | :09:33. | |
He is a smashing horse. They will have a lot of fun with him. That is | :09:33. | :09:37. | |
- you don't come into racing unless you love horses and you love sport | :09:37. | :09:47. | |
:09:47. | :09:52. | ||
and you want to have a bit of fun. Timmy Murphy was saying how well he | :09:52. | :09:56. | |
is riding at the moment. Mick, he is just enjoying it more than ever? | :09:56. | :10:02. | |
He is an artist at work when you see him, Timmy. It doesn't matter | :10:02. | :10:09. | |
whether he drops them in, you have seen him ride aggressive from the | :10:09. | :10:15. | |
front. Rishi Persad is trying to grab a word with him. I have Timmy. | :10:15. | :10:19. | |
Well done. Congratulations. This fella seems to find for you the | :10:19. | :10:25. | |
more you ask? Look, I rode him in Bangor on soft ground and Donna | :10:25. | :10:31. | |
said he is a lovely horse, he jumps great... Watch your back. He was | :10:31. | :10:35. | |
right. I don't think I have ridden a tougher three-year-old. He never | :10:35. | :10:42. | |
gives up. He will always, he tries too hard sometimes. He will come | :10:42. | :10:45. | |
from where we ask him. That is what you need on that ground. You need | :10:45. | :10:51. | |
something that will go to war for you. We are coming to the end of | :10:51. | :10:56. | |
this year. You are riding as well as you have ever done. Not really. | :10:56. | :11:01. | |
If I'm getting them horses every weekend, it is easy. You can only | :11:01. | :11:06. | |
ride what you are supplied with. If they are no good, you are no good. | :11:06. | :11:10. | |
I have to thank Jason and Donna, they are probably the main reason. | :11:11. | :11:14. | |
David Johnson, we have had a few nice ones this season. It is fun | :11:14. | :11:20. | |
again. He was good and so were you. Thanks. | :11:20. | :11:23. | |
This time a year ago, the racing world was celebrating the success | :11:23. | :11:27. | |
of AP McCoy who was crowned Sports Personality of the Year and then | :11:27. | :11:31. | |
came here and won the Coral Welsh National on Synchronised. AP was on | :11:31. | :11:41. | |
:11:41. | :11:42. | ||
hand to make a presentation and it was the Helen Rollason Award. 30 | :11:42. | :11:48. | |
years ago, Bob Champion came back from testicular cancer to ride a | :11:48. | :11:56. | |
horse called Aldiniti. They won the 1981 Grand National. Bob Champion | :11:56. | :12:06. | |
:12:06. | :12:06. | ||
went on to found the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. It was a wonderful | :12:06. | :12:09. | |
moment and a chance again now to see the film that was put together | :12:09. | :12:16. | |
to celebrate the achievements of Bob Champion. | :12:16. | :12:22. | |
The National Hunt jockeys live with danger. It defines them. But being | :12:22. | :12:30. | |
told you have cancer is a hard fall. In racing, they know more than most | :12:30. | :12:34. | |
about inevitability, the power of probability over luck. Well, Bob | :12:34. | :12:40. | |
Champion knew the odds and took a punt on himself. Now, a rank | :12:40. | :12:49. | |
outsider to live. They kept explaining the treatment. Did you | :12:49. | :12:56. | |
feel like giving up? A couple of times. I went and had a look around | :12:56. | :13:01. | |
the kids' ward and I thought if they can go through with it, why | :13:01. | :13:07. | |
can't I? Chemotherapy left him sick and hopelessly weak. He lost stones | :13:07. | :13:16. | |
in weight but fought on sustained by a dream. And in 1981, that dream | :13:16. | :13:26. | |
:13:26. | :13:26. | ||
came true. Just 20 months after starting treatment, Bob Champion | :13:26. | :13:34. | |
climbed back in the saddle and aboard Aldiniti, he beat cancer, he | :13:34. | :13:40. | |
beat the odds and he made history! His epic journey from the pit of | :13:40. | :13:43. | |
despair to winning the world's greatest steeplechase touched the | :13:44. | :13:50. | |
hearts of millions. And changed countless lives forever. So a | :13:50. | :13:55. | |
fairytale outcome... To date, his Trust has raised over �12 million | :13:55. | :14:00. | |
in the fight against cancer. But to the countless sufferers around the | :14:00. | :14:10. | |
:14:10. | :14:15. | ||
world who face similar odds, perhaps his greatest legacy is hope. | :14:15. | :14:22. | |
The voice of John Hurt who played Bob Champion in Champions. It is | :14:22. | :14:27. | |
one of those things, you can't believe it happened? Not at all. | :14:27. | :14:31. | |
Some great moments. Someone was talking about seeing the Rocky | :14:31. | :14:35. | |
films, I remember going to watch Champions for the first time, going | :14:35. | :14:40. | |
to Oxford, there was a big team of us. It was amazing seeing some of | :14:40. | :14:50. | |
:14:50. | :14:51. | ||
the lads. It is a great film. and I were there as part of the | :14:51. | :14:54. | |
line-up, applauding Bob who gave the most fabulous speech and that's | :14:54. | :14:58. | |
the other thing that is so impressive about him, he was never | :14:58. | :15:03. | |
a natural speaker. He has become such a great spokesman. He didn't | :15:03. | :15:07. | |
realise he was getting a standing ovation. He couldn't see. This will | :15:07. | :15:12. | |
tell you, you are in a room full of your peers and these people have | :15:12. | :15:16. | |
shown your appreciation for a man who has done countless hours, weeks, | :15:16. | :15:22. | |
months and years devoted to raising money. Superb for Bob. He is quite | :15:22. | :15:30. | |
shy? Yes. He finds speaks quite hard work. Wonderful. I make a | :15:30. | :15:35. | |
mention of a great friend of ours, Richard Pitman who is waiting for | :15:35. | :15:39. | |
the call because he has offered to donate a kidney, he will have an | :15:39. | :15:44. | |
operation and give a kidney as soon as match is found, which is the | :15:44. | :15:51. | |
most extraordinary thing to say, "I'll do that." At his age, he is | :15:51. | :15:56. | |
getting himself fit. It goes to show, he is putting himself through | :15:56. | :16:01. | |
a rigorous fitness regime to get himself fit. He will never know who | :16:01. | :16:06. | |
it is. It is an extraordinary thing. Good luck. Let's reflect on a | :16:06. | :16:10. | |
magnificent day here at Chepstow, a great crowd, wonderful reception | :16:10. | :16:17. | |
for Le Beau Bai. For Richard Lea, because people really like him, for | :16:17. | :16:24. | |
Charlie Poste, and a lot of support for a whors ha -- for a horse who | :16:24. | :16:29. | |
has been placed in the race before. A great reaction from Richard? | :16:29. | :16:34. | |
is his 12th winner of the season. He has a good strike right. For | :16:34. | :16:37. | |
Charlie Poste, it is his ninth winner of the season. That kiss, I | :16:37. | :16:42. | |
am sure he will never forget either! He won't. It was in the end, | :16:42. | :16:49. | |
we knew it was going to be a slog, but great jumping from the two up | :16:49. | :16:54. | |
front? Yes. Giles Cross, I don't think he missed one. Denis has | :16:54. | :16:59. | |
given him a good ride. If I had been him, I might have sat a bit | :16:59. | :17:07. | |
longer on him. He will be gutted. want to clear up - this is from the | :17:07. | :17:11. | |
earlier race. Maurice Linehan he picked up a suspension, part of the | :17:11. | :17:15. | |
suspension was for going over the allowed number of strikes in the | :17:15. | :17:20. | |
race which was eight. He got another suspension - explain why? | :17:20. | :17:23. | |
He's picked up a ten-day ban for putting his stick down and they say | :17:23. | :17:27. | |
he hasn't ridden the horse out and won the race outright. I have | :17:27. | :17:31. | |
spoken to Maurice, he said that he put his stick down because he | :17:31. | :17:36. | |
realised he had gone over his quota and he said he's hit the line. Like, | :17:36. | :17:40. | |
he is flabbergasted. He is going to discuss it with his boss, I will | :17:40. | :17:43. | |
have a look at the tape and then we will make a decision. He has been | :17:44. | :17:47. | |
slapped for using it too much and slapped for not using it at the end. | :17:47. | :17:50. | |
There are still things to be cleared up in the view between | :17:50. | :17:54. | |
stewards and jockeys as to how best to ride horses. Overall, do you | :17:54. | :17:59. | |
think the whip rules have improved what you are seeing now? I'm not | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
sure. I don't know with - we had the number in a good while ago. | :18:03. | :18:09. | |
They have reintroduced it. I'm against it. I just think that what | :18:09. | :18:13. | |
it will - jockeys have to change the way they ride. They have to use | :18:13. | :18:17. | |
every other means before they go to the stick. The lads are starting to | :18:17. | :18:20. | |
adapt to that. They are getting there. It is not finished yet. | :18:20. | :18:25. | |
There is a bit more of the safety measures thing to be sorted out. | :18:25. | :18:28. | |
certainly saw a fabulous finish to the Welsh National and a great | :18:28. | :18:31. | |
afternoon of racing here at Chepstow. I do hope you have | :18:31. | :18:34. | |
enjoyed watching it. Many congratulations to Le Beau Bai. | :18:34. | :18:44. | |
:18:44. | :18:54. | ||
# You never know what you might find | :18:54. | :19:00. |