Chrismas Day has come and gone and I trust you enjoyed a great day! We sure got to see a good race yesterday in the King George Chase VI Chase at Kempton. Constitutional Hill is a freak of a horse in the kindest way. He won the Christmas hurdle as he liked and is just a special racehorse. That was yesterday so we return to the present with a look at the Welsh National at Chepstow this afternoon. It's a staple of the Christmas race week with 18 runners lining up for the 2022 renewal.
Quick Wave is deserving favourite following her rout of the opposition in the London National at Sandown three weeks ago. She jumps well and likes to be on the front end which is a positive around Chepstow. There is rain forecast throughout the afternoon which is no concern as Quick Wave has won on heavy in the past. This big mare is lightly raced but unexposed and gets to run here 5lbs well in on her future handicap mark carrying only a penalty of 4lbs for her latest win. Charlie Deutsch will hope for better luck having lost contact with L’homme Presse when set for second place today in the King George at Kempton.
Paul Nicholls subsequently mentioned that Truckers Lodge needed the race badly when unplaced at Haydock in November. I guess this race which he has run so well in over the past few years has been the plan with the handicapper dropping him 4lbs to a mark of 141 good news. Paul has booked 7lb claimer Freddie Gingell to ride in a race named in honour of his mother who passed away recently. What a story this would be if Truckers Lodge could win and he is handicapped to run a big race on a course he loves. There is rain forecast from around noon and the more of it that arrives the better for Truckers Lodge who is an out and out stayer. He looks well overpriced representing the champion trainer carrying 10-13 having lumped big weights for the past few years.
There are plenty of dangers such as the unexposed Ask Me Early who has never raced 3m1f as well as Irish raider The Big Dog who seems to have sorted out his jumping this season winning the Munster National and Troytown Chase in Ireland lately.
Chepstow 2:50
0.5 point each way Quick Wave 4/1 Skybet 7 places else 4/1 William Hill 6 places.
0.5 point each way Truckers Lodge 14/1 Skybet 7 places else 14/1 William Hill, Paddy Power & Betfair SB, all paying 6 places.
Best of Luck, Nicky