Whether you consider it the last Grand National of the calendar year or the first of the new jumps season, the Welsh National is always a terrific race that attracts a fine collection of the top chasers.
Taking place every year on December 27th at Chepstow Racecourse, other than when delayed or postponed because of the weather, the race is run over 3m6½f with 23 fences to be jumped.
In 2024, only 15 runners took to the course in what was an incredibly foggy day and on soft ground, meaning only those who love a good slog in the mud were likely to prevail.
So much so that only nine completed the race, with Val Dancer as the ultimate winner.
With sports betting odds of 8-1, Val Dancer is trained by Mel Rowley. Charlie Hammond rode him as he clinched the prestigious race with a determined performance, holding off strong competition from local favourites.
How The Race Unfolded
Dense fog at Chepstow Racecourse created challenging viewing conditions for both spectators and television audiences. As the race progressed, Amateur took an early lead, establishing a commanding position in the back straight.
The visibility issues meant that much of the early racing action was obscured, with horses appearing and disappearing into the fog.
Val Dancer maintained a prominent position throughout, moving into contention as the field approached the final stages.
The decisive moment came with five fences remaining, as Val Dancer took the lead and engaged in an intense battle with the 2021 winner, Iwilldoit.
The conclusion proved dramatic as Val Dancer and Iwilldoit duelled up the stamina-sapping Chepstow straight.
While Iwilldoit’s challenge began to fade, his stablemate Jubilee Express emerged as the main threat.
Val Dancer showed remarkable determination to maintain the lead, eventually winning by a length and a half.
Success For Connections
The victory marked a significant milestone for trainer Mel Rowley, representing her biggest success to date and her first winner at the South Wales venue.
Charlie Hammond executed a perfect riding strategy, following advice from Charlie Deutsch, who had previously ridden Val Dancer.
Speaking after the race, Rowley said: “I’m in disbelief.
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, this is what dreams are made of – at least it is for us.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this, we’re a small yard from sleepy Shropshire. We make the best of the horses we’ve got and we’ve got lovely ones for great owners but to come and do this is so special. We’ve always seen this on the TV but now we’re here.
“It was hopeless to watch, it’s just like joining the dots when they’re out the back. We just hoped he’d be there or thereabouts when they came out of the gloom.”
“The Grand National wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility now.”
Winning connections took home £85,425 for first place. Trainer Sam Thomas, who achieved remarkable results with both his runners, Jubilee Express and Iwilldoit, finishing second and third, respectively, took home £32,055 for second place and £16,050 for third.
Full Finishing Order
- 1. Val Dancer (8-1)
- 2. Jubilee Express (6-1 joint-favorite)
- 3. Iwilldoit (10-1)
- 4. Monbeg Genius (10-1)
- 5. Galia Des Liteaux (8-1)
- 6. Your Own Story (20-1)
- 7. Evies Vladimir (10-1)
- 8. Atlanta Brave (15-2)
- 9. Classic Concorde (50-1)
Several horses failed to complete the course, including Amateur, who pulled up five out from home.
The Newest One, No Hubs No Hoobs, and Fontaine Collonges all pulled up on the home straight with Where It All Began and Iron Bridge bowing out earlier in the proceedings after a couple of mistakes.
For trainers and connections watching the race, the fog created significant uncertainty about their horses’ positions and performances.
Many could only properly assess their runners’ efforts when the field emerged from the fog in the closing stages.
This was particularly evident when Where It All Began, who had made significant progress through the field, disappeared into the fog only to later be pulled up after a mistake at a crucial fence.
What Now For Val Dancer?
The big question now is where will Val Dancer go next? As mentioned above, Mel Rowley has hinted at the Grand National.
The Welsh 2023 winner, Nassalam, went to Aintree in 2024 after his victory and while he didn’t win, he did complete the course, finishing in 18th place.
We have to go a little further back to find the last horse who ran in both Nationals, and that was Raz De Maree, currently trained by Gavin Cromwell but who, earlier in his career, was trained by the late Dessie Hughes.
He first went to Aintree in 2014, where he finished in 8th place. He then ran in the 2016 Welsh Grand National, where he finished in 2nd place, before heading back to Aintree again in April 2017, where he unseated.
Chepstow beckoned again a few months later when the race was rescheduled from December 2017 to January 2018, and this time, Raz the Maree was victorious, giving connections a much-deserved win.
So why do so few Welsh winners take their chances at Aintree? More importantly, why are they generally not as successful?
This is largely down to the conditions. Those who excel in Wales tend to prefer much heavier going, and usually, by the time the Aintree National rolls around, the spring weather has dried out the ground, making it unsuitable for those who like the ground on the softer side.
And, without diminishing the quality of runners at Chepstow, they tend to have much lower official ratings, so competition may be a lot tougher at Liverpool.
For example, Val Dancer has a rating of 126 versus the 159 of I Am Maximus, the 2024 Grand National winner.
In fact, no horse with a rating below 146 even made the cut for Aintree, so trainer Rowley is going to have to try and get another couple of wins in or hope the handicapper is feeling generous if she hopes to send Val Dancer to the big one in April.
For no, though, the small Shropshire yard can rightly bask in the glory and success that winning a Welsh Grand National brings and think about Aintree another day.
