Haiti Couleurs was the toast of Chepstow after producing a magnificent front-running display to add the Coral Welsh Grand National to the Irish equivalent he won earlier in the year.Trained by Rebecca Curtis, the 5-1 chance was fittingly ridden by another home native in champion jockey Sean Bowen, who was picking up a welcome consolation just 24 hours after being agonisingly denied in the King George VI Chaseat Kempton aboard Banbridge.It was also a win that served a reminder of the Cheltenham Festival winner’s class, having disappointed in the Betfair Chase last month, but there is no doubt about his star quality now after shouldering 11st 13lb to a thoroughly impressive three-length success over Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith’s recent Sandown scorer O’Connell.Bowen told Sky Sports Racing: “What a racehorse and what a training performance to get him back from Haydock.That was just over a month ago and to get him back is just incredible.

“It means so much and these are the races you want to win and to do it on a Welsh-trained horse for a Welsh trainer is special.Becky actually used to babysit me a bit as a kid, so to do it for Becky is a bit like doing it for family, so that was amazing.“It’s unbelievable and it would have been nice to win the King George as well, but I’ll take this.”Paddy Power make the winner 14-1 from 20s for the Grand National and 22-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup."What a racehorse!"@Sean_Bowen_ delivered another masterful ride aboard Haiti Couleurs to land the @Coral Welsh Grand National and spoke to @MCYeeehaaa after crossing the line.

..pic.twitter.com/7MxPrcuMKeWell that turned out to be a classy day’s racing.

Mossy Fen Road started the afternoon off with a superlative round of jumping at Chepstow while horses such as Maestro Conti and Thistle Ask enhanced their reputations with classy victories.The run of Marine National, finishing a close second to Solness after a juddering mistake at Leopardstown, is well worth noting too.However, the Welsh National victory of Haiti Couleurs was the undoubted highlight and the talk of Cheltenham Gold Cup ambitions may not be too far off the mark given that the last horse to win the race under such a big weight burden was Native River who was subsequently third in that season’s Gold Cup before going on to win the Blue Riband of National Hunt racing the year after.Greg Wood’s report from Chepstow will be up shortly.Farewell from me and see you here next for the Cheltenham Festival!1 Williethebuilder (Toby McCain-Mitchell) 5-1 2 Trustintimes (Bryan Carver) 7-2 3 Wandering Ego (James Bowen) 7-2 6 ran Non Runner: 2WILLIETHEBUILDER wins the Ladbrokes "Get Rewarded With Ladbucks" Handicap Hurdle 👏 pic.

twitter,com/fW5gD0ms4SLadbrokes Handicap Hurdle (Kempton, 3,37pm) And they’re off … De Temps En Temps has the lead at halfway … Indemnity is close up with Wandering Ego … Williethebuilder is at the back … Wandering Ego takes the lead on the home turn … Indemnity has been shuffled back … Williethebuilder has come throuhg to jump the last in fiorst pace and kicks clear for a convincing win,CAN HE FIX IT? YES, HE CAN! 😉Williethebuilder wins the 3,37 Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle#ITVRacing | @CWilliamsRacing pic.

twitter,com/l9CeZc1wiY1 Lunar Discovery (Charlie Price) 7-2 2 Donnacha (James Davies) 7-2 3 Royal Jewel (Callum Pritchard) 8-1 7 ran Non Runner: 3Coral Handicap Chase (Chepstow, 3,25pm) And they’re off … Royal Jewel has led for a long way … with Western General also prominent … Ben Solo takes closer order … Lunar Discovery has a chance … Ben Solo unseats the rider and now Lunar Discovery has the lead and kicks clear for a smooth win from Donnacha in second and Royal Jewel third,What a leap at the last! 🤩Lunar Discovery runs out a ready winner of the last from @Chepstow_Racing for @RobbieLlew and Charlie Price,.

,pic,twitter,com/9PxBdBMrS7Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle (Kempton, 3,37pm) previewA tight finale to the Christmas Festival at Kempton where it may pay to side with Christian Williams’s Williethebuilder.

He was no match for a handicap blot from the in-form Ben Pauling yard at Doncaster in December but has a better chance than odds of around 11-2 might suggest with Toby McCain-Mitchell taking off a very useful 5lb.Indemnity, who has also been running up against some well-handicapped rivals, is the obvious danger, although Trustintimes is also going to attract plenty of support to extend his current winning streak to five races.SELECTION: WILLIETHEBUILDERLadbrokes Handicap Hurdle (Kempton, 3.37pm) bettingIndemnity – 13/8Wandering Ego – 11/4Trustintimes – 9/2Williethebuilder – 13/2De Temps En Temps – 9/1Washington – 25/1Nardaran – N/RFull betting via Oddschecker here.Coral Handicap Chase (Chepstow, 3.

25pm) previewThe original selection, Toss Of A Coin, is a non-runner here and that could open the way for Rebecca Curtis’s Ben Solo to register his second course-and-distance win of the season.There is little to choose between the six-year-old and Nigel Hawke’s Donnacha on the book but Jamie Brace’s 5lb claim could just tip the balance in his favour.SELECTION: BEN SOLOCoral Handicap Chase (Chepstow, 3.25pm) bettingBen Solo – 7/4Donnacha – 7/2Lunar Discovery – 7/2Galop De Chasse – 7/1Royal Jewel – 12/1Dr T J Eckleburg – 18/1Western General – 18/1Toss Of A Coin – N/RFull betting via Oddschecker here.1 Viroflay (Miss Olive Nicholls) 5-1 2 Bective Abbey (R T Dunne) 9-1 3 Kap Vert (Sean Houlihan) 3-1 Fav 7 ranViroflay loves it here and lands the £50,000 @Ladbrokes "Big Football Bet Builder Boosts" Handicap Chase for father and daughter duo Paul and Olive Nicholls 👏 @PFNicholls pic.

twitter.com/4SfRdg5tTQHaiti Couleurs was the toast of Chepstow after producing a magnificent front-running display to add the Coral Welsh Grand National to the Irish equivalent he won earlier in the year.Trained by Rebecca Curtis, the 5-1 chance was fittingly ridden by another home native in champion jockey Sean Bowen, who was picking up a welcome consolation just 24 hours after being agonisingly denied in the King George VI Chaseat Kempton aboard Banbridge.It was also a win that served a reminder of the Cheltenham Festival winner’s class, having disappointed in the Betfair Chase last month, but there is no doubt about his star quality now after shouldering 11st 13lb to a thoroughly impressive three-length success over Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith’s recent Sandown scorer O’Connell.Bowen told Sky Sports Racing: “What a racehorse and what a training performance to get him back from Haydock.

That was just over a month ago and to get him back is just incredible.“It means so much and these are the races you want to win and to do it on a Welsh-trained horse for a Welsh trainer is special.Becky actually used to babysit me a bit as a kid, so to do it for Becky is a bit like doing it for family, so that was amazing.“It’s unbelievable and it would have been nice to win the King George as well, but I’ll take this.”Paddy Power make the winner 14-1 from 20s for the Grand National and 22-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"What a racehorse!"@Sean_Bowen_ delivered another masterful ride aboard Haiti Couleurs to land the @Coral Welsh Grand National and spoke to @MCYeeehaaa after crossing the line...pic.twitter.

com/7MxPrcuMKe1 Haiti Couleurs (S Bowen) 5-1 2 O’Connell (Danny McMenamin) 9-1 3 Deafening Silence (Tristan Durrell) 28-1 4 Livin On Luco (Callum Pritchard) 14-1 17 ran Also: 9-2 Fav Jubilee Express Non Runners: 3,4WHAT.A.PERFORMANCE 🤩Haiti Couleurs takes the Welsh Grand National! 👑#ITVRacing | @rebcurtis | @Sean_Bowen_ pic.twitter.com/qOMJTX4zeNCoral Welsh Grand National (Chepstow, 2.

50pm)And they’re off … Uncle Bert make a mistake at the first … Monbeg Genius leads … and they have two circuits to go … 23 fences in total to jump in this famous race … Hung Jury and Git Maker are struggling already … Haiti Couleurs now is pushed up to take the lead by Sean Bowen … Tanganiyka is towards the back … a circuit to go and Haiti Couleurs leads … with Monbeg Genius just behind … Deafening Silence is prominent … Jubilee Express makes a mistake and is starting to go backwards … Rock My Way is making ground … Livin on Luco is there with every chance … Haiti Couleurs goes for home … Deafening Silence is the challenger … O’Connell is coming fast.… Haiti Couleurs holds on under welshman Sean Bowen! What a great ride!!"He's back to his very, very best!"@rebcurtis reacts to winning the Coral Welsh Grand National with Haiti Couleurs...pic.

twitter.com/0i9icreHUJCoral Welsh Grand National (Chepstow, 2.50pm) previewThere is a long list of live possibilities for the feature race of the day, which is as it should be, but Jubilee Express, from the in-form Sam Thomas stable, now looks very likely to set off as the favourite to give his trainer a second win in his “local” National in the last five seasons.He is bidding to become the fourth winner of the track’s Grand National Trial in early December to go on to success in the big race itself in the last five years, while Collectors Item, the runner-up in the Trial, is also in with a big chance to go one better (and is handicapped to beat Jubilee Express on a strict reading of the form).Mr Vango, sadly, is a late non-runner due to the unusually fast ground for the time of year, but Rock My Way, an 11-length winner at Ascot last month, and Uncle Bert, successful at Aintree on his return to action, are live contenders too for Joe Tizzard and Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies respectively, and Haiti Couleurs, O’Connell and Git Maker also need to be factored in to punters’ thinking.

I’ll be having a bit each-way on Collectors Item, whose stable seems to be emerging from a difficult time with a virus and can be expected to improve for what was a commendable seasonal debut in the circumstances,SELECTION: COLLECTORS ITEMCoral Welsh Grand National (Chepstow, 2,50pm) bettingJubilee Express – 4/1Rock My Way – 6/1Uncle Bert – 6/1Haiti Couleurs – 7/1Git Maker – 17/2Oconnell – 9/1Dom Of Mary – 12/1Collectors Item – 12/1Livin On Luco – 18/1Deafening Silence – 20/122/1 barNassalam – N/RMr Vango – N/RFull betting via Oddschecker hereLadbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (Kempton, 2,30pm)And they’re off …Gabriel’s Getaway has unseated the jockey at the first fence … Calgary Tiger leads with a circuit to go … Ryan’s Rocket now unseats his rider … and Thistle Ask has taken the lead and kicked well clear … he is ten lengths clear on the home turn … this should be smooth for him now … and indeed that’s a very easy win for Thistle Ask!One of the stories of the season,Thistle Ask makes it four from four this term after starting out from a mark of 115.

He bolts up off 146 in the £100,000 @Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase! @DSkeltonRacing pic,twitter,com/n1PmrwwoMk1 King Of The Lake (Chad Bament) 14-1 2 Royal Rambler (G Sheehan) 11-4 Fav 3 Keable (Callum Pritchard) 8-1 10 ranJoin Coral ‘Bet 10 Get 50’ Handicap Hurdle (Chepstow, 2,10pm) And they’re off … Classic Concorde leads with a circuit to go and has led from the start … the gamble Crebilly is towards the back but there’s a long way to go … Keable is taking closer order … and Doctor Kildare is there but is in the “waiting room” at halfway … Crebilly is being driven along now … Royal Rambler comes through with a strong move … now he’s being tackled by King Of The Lake … these two have it between them … King Of The Lake is stronger and has the lead crossing the line,It's a double on the day for @holworthyfarm!King Of The Lake puts in a determined effort to deny the well-backed Royal Rambler in a gripping duel up the @Chepstow_Racing straight.

,,pic,twitter,com/THNZcKrJpuLadbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (Kempton, 2.

30pm) previewDan Skelton had a relatively quiet time of it on Boxing Day by his high standards but has an obvious chance to add a very useful £57k to his championship challenge here with Thistle Ask.The eight-year-old has already done his bit for the stable with three wins in October and November, but he was out of the handicap for the last of those, in the Haldon Gold Cup, which offers plenty of hope that a 10lb rise in the ratings won’t be enough to stop his streak.Sans Bruit and Ryan’s Rocket may be the ones to give him most to do.SELECTION: THISTLE ASKLadbrokes Desert Orchid Handicap Chase (Kempton, 2.30pm) bettingRyans Rocket – 2/1Thistle Ask – 9/4Saint Segal – 4/1Gabriels Getaway – 9/1Sans Bruit – 11/1Boothill – 20/1Calgary Tiger – 200/1Full betting via Oddschecker here.

1 Mambonumberfive (Ben Jones) 85-40 2 Hansard (H Cobden) 14-1 3 Mirabad (Harry Skelton) 15-2 5 ranFROM LAST TO FIRST! 🤯 Mambonumberfive did it the hard way, starting in last place but taking the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase! 🥇#ITVRacing | @benpauling1 | @BenJone04644251 pic.twitter.com/P6rCAhVaoZWayward Lad Novices Chase (Grade 2) (Kempton, 1.55pm) And they’re off … Alnilam has already made a bad mistake in the early stages but has joined Mirabad at the head of affairs … fair to say that Mirabad is jumping the cleaner at present but there’s a way to go … Mambonumberfive is last and also makes a mistake … Mirabad goes for home … and now Mambonumberfive comes from last to first … kicks clear, jumps the last well and storms away for a smooth victory! There’s only one thing for it … as the track commentator said as the winner passed the post: “Ladies and gentlemen here’s Mambo No 5”Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase (Grade 2) (Kempton, 1.55pm) previewA strong-looking renewal of this Grade Two contest in which Lump Sum heads the market for the Sam Thomas (who also has a strong contender for the Welsh Grand National in Jubilee Express).

He was third behind the potentially top-class Lulamba in the Grade One Henry VIII Novice Chase at Sandown in December – a race in which Alnilam was pulled up after a bad mistake at a key stage – while Mirabad, a chase debut winner for Dan Skelton mid-race – also looked worthy of a step straight into Graded company.At the prices, though, I’ll take a chance on Alnilam, who will outrun his odds of around 6-1 in October.SELECTION: ALNILAMWayward Lad Novice Chase (Grade 2) (Kempton, 1.55pm) bettingLump Sum – 6/4Mambonumberfive – 2/1Alnilam – 7/1Mirabad – 9/1Hansard – 10/1Full betting via Oddschecker here.Join Coral ‘Bet 10 Get 50’ Handicap Hurdle (Chepstow, 2.

10pm) previewA trappy little handicap hurdle with eight plausible winners in a field of 10 runners, but Ambion View’s form at Exeter in November looks a little stronger after the third home ran out an easy winner next time up and he is marginally preferred to Royal Rambler and Doctor Kildare.SELECTION: AMBION VIEWJoin Coral ‘Bet 10 Get 50’ Handicap Hurdle (Chepstow, 2.10pm) bettingRoyal Rambler – 3/1Crebilly – 7/2Ambion View – 11/2Patriotik – 15/2Keable – 17/2Doctor Kildare – 9/1Santos Blue – 12/1King Of The Lake – 12/1Ramo – 40/1Classic Concorde – 80/1Full betting via Oddschecker here.1 Tenter Le Tout (G Sheehan) 15-2 2 Klycot (J M Quinlan) 16-1 3 Kaldoun Des Rocs (Tristan Durrell) 9-1 5 ran Also: 10-11 Fav Macktoad 4th Non Runner: 5Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Chepstow, 1.40pm) And they’re off … Sonic Pioneer leads … and favourite Macktoad has not jumped well in the early stages and looks in a bit of trouble at halfway … Macktoad moves into fourth on the home turn and is chasing Klycot the new leader … Tenter Le Tout has now gone into the lead approaching the last and jumps the last well for an easy victory.

Mr Vango, the popular and well-fancied runner in the Welsh Grand National, will not run at Chepstow.The going ios too fast for Sarah Bradstock’s gelding …Race 6 @Chepstow_Racing Non-RunnerNo 3 MR VANGO (IRE)- Going1 Star Walking (H Cobden) 7-2 Fav 2 Holly Hartingo (C Gethings) 14-1 3 Porter In The Park (Cameron Johnstone-Baker) 9-1 10 ranCoral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Chepstow, 1.40pm)And they’re off … Holly Hartingo just in the lead in the early stages … Porter In The Park has made a couple of mistakes … a circuit to go and Musique De Fee has taken over but looked a little reluctant to go out for another trip around Kempton (who can blame him given the warmth of the stables)! … Musique De Fee struggling a bit and Gaye Legacy tailing off … Miss Cynthia is making ground … I’vemadeupmymind is coming with a challenge … Holly Hartingo has held them off but very late and Star Walking comes late … and it’s a photo-finish.Star Walking has got it!Extraordinary race at Leopardstown! Marine National beaten by Solness (just) in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase but made a chance-stopping mistake early and surely would have won but for that.One to catch up on!!Drama involving Marine Nationale early on at @LeopardstownRC pic.

twitter.com/fIUZTFvckoCoral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Chepstow, 1.40pm) previewA race that lost its Grade One status back in 2022 but it remains a traditional target for plenty of trainers when they have a potentially decent juvenile hurdler and this year’s race is a cracker.Manlaga, Macktoad, Sonic Pioneer and Tenter Le Tout are all unbeaten over hurdles and Kaldoun Des Rocs is potentially capable of much better form than he showed at Sandown last time.Nicky Henderson’s Manlaga is the interesting dark horse, making his debut after a (presumably) big-money sale to JP McManus, but I’ll stick with the proven form of Macktoad, who looked very useful on his British debut at Sandown earlier this month