by Strong winds and frequent torrential showers meant demanding conditions for horses and racegoers alike, but there were no complaints from Nassalam’s connections as the mud lover ran a clear 34 lengths in the Coral Welsh Grand National to complete a great evening for the Gary Moore stable. in Sussex.
The Grade Two double yard has already entered the Finale Juvenile Hurdle and the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton when Caolin Quinn and Nassalam start as 9-2 co-runners for the biggest race of the Welsh racing year. Like all but the two jockeys on the front-running Amateur and Complete Unknown, Quinn’s white silks were muddy brown within a few furlongs of the three-and-three-quarter-mile trip, but the conditioned rider was set in a perfect straight position. behind the leaders and was still cruising a few minutes later as he eased past Amateur and into the lead with about a mile to run.
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There were echoes of Carvill’s Hill’s stunning triumph in 1991 as he relentlessly pushed Nassalam up the home straight, becoming increasingly clear of his fans with each advance. Iron Bridge, at 8-1, crossed the line in second, with Iwilldoit, the winner two years ago, back in third.
With Gary Moore opting to be at Kempton, his son and stable jockey Jamie, who is currently wearing a neck brace as he recovers from injuries sustained in a fall at Lingfield in November, was in the winner’s enclosure here to welcome the first head of the yard. the winner of the race.
“Obviously the distance is a great fit for him,” Moore said. “It was a fantastic performance and we will now go to the Grand National. Last season, he wasn’t getting these conditions, but he has a bit of soft ground this year and has come back to himself. It’s definitely better on soft ground, although they put a lot more water on it at Aintree than they used to.”
Moore’s younger brother Josh announced his retirement from the saddle earlier this year following a fall at Haydock in the autumn of 2022, and Moore ruled out the possibility of being back in the saddle in time to ride Nassalam in Aintree. “I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” he said. “I’m still out for at least three months. Caolin is a very good rider, for me we have the two best conditions in the country with him and Houli [Niall Houlihan].”
Quinn was completing a double after riding Salver to an equally easy success in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle. His task was eased when Burdett Road, the pre-post choice for the Club, was not won due to the diminishing ground, but it was still a promising performance and it is enough to see that their odds for Victory have been reduced to around 16-1.
Meanwhile Houlihan was aboard Editor Du Gite, winner of Kempton’s Desert Orchid Chase for the second year running. It was an emotional victory for the nine-year-old’s part-owner Trevor Jacobs, who was in hospital for the Editeur Du Gite victory 12 months ago after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome but was able to welcome his horse back to the winner. fencing in person on Wednesday.
“Last year, I was in a hospital bed screaming because I couldn’t move,” Jacobs said. “All the bells were ringing in the intensive care bed because everyone thought I was having a heart attack, and I was shouting and bawling. They couldn’t believe it, but that was my first big winner.”
Two Grade One races were on the card for the second day of the Christmas meeting at Lepertown, but arguably the most impressive performance of the evening was Marine Nationale’s impressive start over fences in the two-mile novice pursuit.
Six-year-old Barry Connell is now a firm representative for the Arkle Race at Cheltenham in March, and his trainer is thinking further ahead. “He’s the fastest horse I’ve ever had,” Connell told Racing TV. “If we were to push for a Flat race at some point, he’d probably be a graded horse on the Flat.
Leicester 12.14 Tedley 12.49 Saint Davy 1.24 London Swing 1.59 Lost Tee 2.34 Strange Clouds 3.09 Invincible Nine 3.43 Gardener
Catrig 12.30 Track 1.05 New Order 1.40 Guillaume 2.15 Parkin Fine 2.50 Elleon 3.23 Hello Yourself
Newcastle 3.30 Blue India 4.00 Cosmos Raj 4.30 Inverlochy 5.00 August 5.30 Jahidin (nap) 6.00 Filly One 6.30 Professor Tickle (nb) 7.00 Secret Road
“I want to win the Champion Chase with him, that’s where we’re going. It’s my favorite race, everybody would love to have a Gold Cup horse but when I was a kid going to Cheltenham, Badsworth Boy, Viking Flagship, all those horses. That’s what pulse racing really gets, a horse going full speed. It’s a little bit away, but that’s the long-term aim.”
Willie Mullins, who will be in the saddle of last season’s Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, in Thursday’s Savills Chase at Lepertown, had his first Grade One of the meeting when Dinoblue took the two-mile chase the card, and Gordon Elliott’s Caldwell Potter is on offer at around 8-1 for the Supreme Novice Hurdle after a six-and-a-half-length success in the Grade One Hurdle Champions Futurity Quarter-Final.
