THE Coral Welsh Grand National seems to have a new favourite every week, and the David Pipe-trained Ramses De Teillee put himself to the top of lots of people’s lists on Saturday with a win in the Coral Welsh Grand National Trial at Chepstow Racecourse.

Wales’ richest race, the Coral Welsh Grand National, takes place on Thursday 27th December. At this stage there are 59 horses entered, this will get whittled down via two more stages of ‘scratching’ to a field of 20 on 27th December.

Last week Sizing Tennessee shot to the top of the Welsh National betting after his big race win in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury. However, it emerged this week that he is unlikely to run at Chepstow. Trainer Colin Tizzard says the 10 year old is ‘a bit creaky’ after his exertions and will need a longer gap between his races.

The new big race favourite Ramses De Teillee, who put himself into the spotlight with a very good staying performance on the heavy ground on Saturday, is becoming something of a course specialist since this was his third win at Chepstow.

The grey 6 year old is trained by David Pipe, son of the legendary trainer Martin Pipe. A Pipe winner would be apt this year, 30 years since Martin Pipe trained the famous Bonanza Boy to win the first of his two Welsh Nationals.

In the Pipe heyday, Martin trained the winner of the Welsh National five times in six years. The horses were Bonanza Boy (twice), Carvill’s Hill, Run For Free and Riverside Boy, and they were all sent off favourite or joint-favourite.

In 1988 Bonanza Boy carried 11st 10lb to see off Run And Skip by 12 lengths, with 1987 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero The Thinker another 25 lengths back in third. In 1989 he defied 11st 11lb to come home 15 lengths clear of subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Cool Ground.

A marvellous career also saw Bonanza Boy take the 1989 Racing Post Chase at Kempton Park and the 1991 Midlands National at Uttoxeter. He was also fourth to Desert Orchid in the 1989 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

David Pipe hasn’t reached the heights of his famous father but did train Comply or Die to win the Aintree Grand National. He had a great weekend, his Vieux Lion Rouge ran an excellent race at Aintree over the Grand National fences in the Becher Chase on Saturday to finish second, and he also still holds a Welsh National entry.

The next stage of entries, when we’ll narrow the field down much further, will take place on 21st December. We’re due a dry spell in the weather over the next few weeks, which is great news. There are various entry ticket and hospitality options for the big day, details can be found on the racecourse website www.chepstow-racecourse.co.uk.