The feature meeting of Chepstow’s season had to be given the green light to proceed after race one was run. Val Dancer led home Sam Thomas-trained pair Jubilee Express and Iwilldoit
The feature meeting of Chepstow’s season had to be given the green light to proceed after race one was run. Val Dancer led home Sam Thomas-trained pair Jubilee Express and Iwilldoit The feature meeting of Chepstow’s season had to be given the green light to proceed after race one was run. Val Dancer led home Sam Thomas-trained pair Jubilee Express and Iwilldoit
Val Dancer and super-sub Charlie Hammond emerged from the gloom to win the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow.
Efforts to watch 3m6½f of sporting action in Wales were severely hampered by thick fog which failed to lift from the big race venue.
It robbed fans of witnessing a titanic tussle between the 8-1 scorer, trained by Melanie Rowley and 2021 titleholder Iwilldoit. Visible again with around 100 yards to run, both were closed down by Jubilee Express who rallied strongly for a silver medal.
Rowley, who has just 40 horses and jockey Charlie Hammond, called up late for the ride, were cheering their biggest result.
“I am completely in disbelief, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!” said Rowley, an ex-point-to-point handler with a rules licence since 2020-21.
“We have never been involved in anything like this before and only watched it on the telly. I hoped when he came out of the fog he would still be thereabouts, but it was so exciting to see him still in front.”
Val Dancer fended off the runner-up and Iwilldoit, two horses prepared by Welshman Sam Thomas, by equal margins of a length-and-a-half.
Hammond, 28, was given the nod as the horse’s intended rider Charlie Deutsch was on duty at Kempton for his boss Venetia Williams.
The triumphant sportsman gripped the race trophy tightly, after a Grade One near-miss at Aintree on Boxing Day.
“It is very heavy but I don’t mind that!” he said. “This is my biggest win by a long way.
“I thought we were beat two out and he went again. Deutschy said to me we would have a real chance and he was right.”
The card proceeded after an inspection was held at the conclusion of its opening two-mile novices’ hurdle, taken by favourite Julius Des Pictons.
But many were unsatisfied with how the conditions affected the fixture, both on-course and those watching on TV.
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“The coverage from Chepstow is mad. I’ve got absolutely no clue what’s going on,” one person wrote on social media.
And another person added: “It’s a spectator sport and if you can’t see anything there is no point.”
Extra resources were committed by the track to assist veterinary and medical teams, while an additional judge was based at the winning line to confirm results.
“Having considered the evidence, the stewards were satisfied that racing could continue but would further monitor the weather throughout the afternoon,” a report from the British Horseracing Authority stated.
Mirror – Sport