Chepstow Racecourse including the Welsh Grand National

Chepstow Racecourse is one of the leading tracks in Great Britain, with this course owned by Arena Racing Company. Chepstow hosts the Welsh Grand National shortly after Christmas Day and this is the richest race in Wales which is usually run on heavy ground.

The course has a total distance of around two miles, with this being a left-hand course which is full of undulations. It has a finishing straight that is roughly five furlongs and there are eleven fences when it comes to a complete circuit.

Bet on the Welsh Grand National

The Welsh Grand National is a prestigious National Hunt race which takes place on 27th December, with this having been in operation since 1895. It has a long-term sponsorship deal in place with Coral, with the purse for the race above £150,000 in total.

Trainer Colin Tizzard has been successful in recent years, with Elegant Escape and Native River the winners in the Welsh National in 2016 and 2018 respectively. It’s a race which rewards stamina and horses often go on from this race to compete in the Grand National or the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

When it comes to this race, bookmakers will often create extra places for an encounter which features over 20 runners, with punters often able to get five or six places on the race. It’s not uncommon to find a winner that comes in at double figure odds.

On Welsh National day, there is also the exciting prospect of the Finale Juvenile Hurdle, with this being a Grade 1 encounter which has seen several notable winners. Defi Du Seuil was a winner in 2016, while Bristol De Mai triumphed two years earlier.

Enjoy Chase and Hurdle Action in October

There are several high-profile races in October when the National Hunt season really gets going. The Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle is a Grade 3 hurdle race which is run over two miles and three furlongs, with the race first being run in 1988 and it was an encounter that was on two occasions by Court Minstrel in 2015 and 2017.

The Smerdon Tree Services Novices' Chase is a two miles and three furlongs encounter that attracts several high-profile horses each year, with this race first being run in 2011 when Cue Card triumphed. Fingal Bay, Balder Success and Southfield Theatre have all subsequently won, with trainer Colin Tizzard having won this race on two occasions.

You can also bet on the Persian War Novices' Hurdle which is a Grade 2 National Hunt encounter, with this being run over two miles and four furlongs. The event is named after famous racehorse Persian War who won the Champion Hurdle on three occasions.