THE finish of the Grand National on Saturday was one of the most exciting I can remember, with the tiny Tiger Roll just holding on from a late surge by Pleasant Company.

The winner is a remarkable horse, he’s just eight but has already won at three Cheltenham Festivals in races as varied as the 2 mile Triumph Hurdle, the 4 mile National Hunt chase and the Cross Country Chase. His career earnings now stand at over £800,000. Not bad for a horse that was sold by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin organisation for just £10,000 when he wasn’t considered good enough for a flat racing career as a three year old!

Champion jockey and Chepstow racecourse’s ambassador Richard Johnson surprisingly did not have a ride in the National (I’d certainly want him on my horse in a big race!) but he rode two other winners during the three day Aintree meeting. Lalor was an emotional grade 1 winner of the Betway Top Novices' Hurdle for trainer Kayley Woollacott, who took over the training licence when her husband Richard Woollacott took his own life earlier this year.

Richard’s second winner of the meeting came on Thomas Patrick in the Betway Handicap Chase over 3 miles and a furlong. The pair won a novice chase at Chepstow’s meeting on 2nd February and have subsequently won at Newbury too. The Coral Welsh Grand National could be a target for this soft ground-loving stayer in the future. This horse is trained in Ledbury, Herefordshire by rising star trainer Tom Lacey. It was Lacey’s second winner of the Aintree festival after Jester Jet, he was also successful at Chepstow’s meeting on Saturday with Kimberlite Candy.

The Aintree meeting started well for followers of Chepstow form. The first race, a grade 1 novices chase over 2 ½ miles, went to Colin Tizzard’s Finian’s Oscar. This horse was a top novice hurdler last year, and he won his first novice chase at Chepstow at our October Jump Season Opener meeting before losing his form and his confidence. This win saw him back to his best to continue Colin Tizzard’s good end to a tricky season.

The following race was the 4 year old hurdle and Nicky Henderson’s We Have A Dream was a spectacular winner. The horse unfortunately missed Cheltenham, and this was his first outing since taking the Coral Future Champions Finale Hurdle at Chepstow on Welsh National day at Christmas. That day he had a tough battle with Gary Moore’s Sussex Ranger, but on Thursday he was a class apart from his rivals, finishing 7 lengths ahead of another Chepstow winner, Gumball ridden by Richard Johnson. We Have A Dream is now a Champion Hurdle contender for next season.

On Saturday the Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase was for the speedy novice chasers over 2 miles. This went to the Paul Nicholls trained Diego du Charmil, a winner at Chepstow’s Jump Season Opener meeting in 2016. It was something of a surprise result because the Irish trained Petit Mouchoir was expected to win but pleasing to us at Chepstow nonetheless!

We are offering customers the chance to spend an evening in the company of our ambassador Richard Johnson at Chepstow Racecourse on Thursday 7th June. The event will be hosted by Jonathan Powell and guests will hear from Richard about his long and successful career and his association with Welsh National and Gold Cup winner Native River. There will be a Q&A session, a racing quiz and photo opportunities with Richard. Tickets cost £25.00 per person and include a reserved shared table for the evening and a one-course dinner followed by tea, coffee and welsh cakes.