Hi Reader

The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt Chase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of about 3 miles and 6½ furlongs, and during its running there are twenty-three fences to be jumped. It is a handicap race, and it is scheduled to take place each year on 27 December.

Among the winners were Burrough Hill Lad in 1983, who went on to land the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup less than three months later. Trainer Jenny Pitman had the previous season saddled Corbière to win the Welsh and Aintree Nationals. In the late 80s and early 90s, the race was dominated by Somerset trainer Martin Pipe. Bonanza Boy achieved consecutive successes in 1988 and 1989, and in 1991 the giant Carvill's Hill became one of the easiest winners in the history of the race.

More recent winners of both the Welsh and the Aintree Grand National are Bindaree and Silver Birch. The 2010 winner, Synchronised, went on to win the 2012 Cheltenham Gold Cup. The 2016 winner Native River, ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson, went on to win the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The race will be worth £170,000 in prize money in 2025.

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Big Saturday Race Preview And Tips

All our Big Saturday Race Previews & Tips are published online at https://lp.betalchemist.com/

Following the result of the race, there are made availble to the public. Too late to back the winner or change the result at that time!

Ok, let's crack on with today's preview and tips.

Back James Owen Recruit in Welsh National

The ground is good to soft with nineteen runners for the 2025 Welsh Grand National. We take on the well fancied favourite with an improving horse off a low weight.

James Owen looks to have improved Dom of Mary since this 9yo arrived last summer. He ran a good opening race of the season at Kelso before powering home at Newcastle to reel in Zertakt. The runner up franked the form by winning at Cheltenham earlier this month. A four-pound hike by the handicapper is more than fair and the harder they go today in the Welsh National the better.

The ground is unusually good to soft rather that the regular heavy on Welsh National day. Richie McLernon rides again and will have had a very light Christmas dinner to get down to his minimum weight of 10-2 for this ride. James Owen’s stable is enjoying a breakthrough year with 74 winners so far which is well ahead of last seasons total of 60 winners. A Welsh National win with Dom of Mary would highlight his skills big time.

Julilee Express for locally based trainer Sam Thomas is an obvious big danger and the current favourite. This horse finished with a wet sail to get second place behind Val Dancer last year. He has more experiece over fences this time round and won the Welsh National trial well a few weeks ago at Chepstow.

Hauti Couleurs is the class horse of the race but needs to overcome a poor run in the Betfair Chase. Rebecca Curtis found he had a back issue follow that race so if back to rude health he could take stopping even with almost top weight.

Chepstow 2:50

0.5 point each way Dom Of Mary 14/1 generally, 5 places.

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Happy Christmas,

Nicky

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2024 Past Results

2024 finished on a winner thanks to the well named "Win Some Lose Some".

Last year was a winning and profitable year for followers for the Big Saturday Race Prewiew & Tips column.

A profit of +19.55 points won.

There was 10 winners & 18 placed from a total of 80 tips.

A tidy profit of £977.50 to £50 per point stakes or maybe £391 to £20 per point stakes.

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Big Saturday Races Past Results

A full listing of all our Big Saturday Feature Race selections and results can be found by clicking the button below.

Usually, there are two selections in the big field handicaps.

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View Big Saturday Race Past Results​

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Latest Big Saturday Race Winner was Saddadd at 4/1

2025 running total -50.28 points or -£1006 to to £10 ew stakes.​

2024 total +19.55 points profit or +£391 to £10 ew stakes.​

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Since the Big Saturday Race Preview column began in 2014 the service is showing profits of +115 points

or £2,300 to £10 each way stakes.

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