The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase 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 (3 miles 6 furlongs and 130 yards, or 6,154 metres), 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.

The race was first run in 1895, and it originally took place at Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. It remained at this venue until the closure of the course in 1939. After World War II it was transferred to Newport Racecourse in 1948, and it was then moved to its present venue in 1949. Dick Francis, the famous jockey turned author, rode the first Chepstow winner of the race, Fighting Line. David Nicholson, later a successful racehorse trainer, rode three successive Welsh National winners in 1959, 1960 and 1961.

Originally run on Easter Tuesday, it was moved to February in 1969 with the aim of attracting better horses, albeit with the increased risk of bad weather forcing its cancellation. It has been sponsored by bookmakers Coral from 1973 and is now the longest running sponsorship in jump racing. The race was given Grade 3 status when the National Hunt Pattern was revised in 1989 and was re-classified as a Premier Handicap from the 2022 running when Grade 3 status was renamed by the British Horseracing Authority.

It was moved to late December in 1979, after that year's original fixture was abandoned due to snow. The meeting is now held the day after Boxing Day and since then the class of runners has improved further, making it an informative guide to future races such as the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The race distance was extended from 3 miles 5 furlongs and 110 yards to its present distance in 2019, to allow a longer run to the first bend; this also meant that field now jumps 23 fences rather than the previous 22.

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.Lee, Brian. 2002. The Welsh Grand National. Chepstow racecourse website

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.

Winners since 1948 Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer1948 Bora's Cottage 10 10-02 Eddie Reavey Ryan Price1949 Fighting Line 10 10-09 Dick Francis Ken Cundell1950 Gallery 12 10-08 Alf Mullins William "Rip" Bissill1951 Skyreholme 8 10-13 Arthur Thompson Neville Crump1952 Dinton Lass 10 10-00 Alf Mullins J Roberts1953 Stalbridge Rock 10 11-03 Bob McCreery Harry Dufosee1954 Blow Horn 10 10-06 John Hunter T Jarvis1955 Monaleen 10 09-07 Paddy Fitzgerald H T Smith1956 Crudwell 10 11-06 Dick Francis Frank Cundell1957 Creeola II 9 10-05 Michael Scudamore Fred Rimell1958 Oscar Wilde 8 09-13 Brian Lawrence Bill Wightman1959 Limonali 8 10-02 David Nicholson Edward Morel1960 Clover Bud 10 10-10 David Nicholson G Llewellin1961 Limonali 10 11-12 David Nicholson I Lewis1962 Forty Secrets 8 10-11 Josh Gifford Earl Jones1963 Motel 9 10-06 Paddy Cowley W Lowe1964 Rainbow Battle 8 10-00 Paddy Broderick Arthur Stephenson1965 Norther 8 11-00 Terry Biddlecombe D Jenkins1966 Kilburn 8 11-02 Tim Norman Chris Nesfield1967 Happy Spring 11 10-04 Ken White Stan Wright1968 Glenn 7 10-04 Eddie Harty Fred Rimell1969 Abandoned because of snow 1970 French Excuse 8 10-09 Terry Biddlecombe Fred Rimell1971 Royal Toss 9 10-12 Paddy Cowley Tim Handel1972 Charlie H 10 11-03 Johnny Haine Bob Turnell1973 Deblin's Green 10 09-12 Nigel Wakley George Yardley1974 Pattered 8 10-02 Ken White Earl Jones1975Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course 1976 Rag Trade 10 11-02 John Burke Fred Rimell1977Abandoned because of waterlogged state of course 1978 Abandoned because of snow 1979 Peter Scot 8 10-02 Paul Barton David Gandolfo 1980 Narvik 7 10-11 John Francome Neville Crump 1981 Peaty Sandy 7 10-03 Geordie Dun Helen Hamilton 1982 Corbiere 7 10-10 Ben de Haan Jenny Pitman 1983 Burrough Hill Lad 7 10-09 John Francome Jenny Pitman 1984 Righthand Man 7 11-05 Graham Bradley Monica Dickinson 1985 Run and Skip 7 10-08 Peter Scudamore John Spearing 1986 Stearsby 7 11-05 Graham Bradley Jenny Pitman 1987 Playschool 10 10-11 Paul Nicholls David Barons 1988 Bonanza Boy 7 10-01 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1989 Bonanza Boy 8 11-11 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1990 Cool Ground 8 10-00 Luke Harvey Reg Akehurst 1991 Carvill's Hill 9 11-12 Peter Scudamore Martin Pipe 1992 Run for Free 8 10-09 Mark Perrett Martin Pipe 1993 Riverside Boy 10 10-00 Richard Dunwoody Martin Pipe 1994 Master Oats 8 11-06 Norman Williamson Kim Bailey1995Abandoned because of frost 1996Abandoned because of frost 1997 Earth Summit 9 10-13 Tom Jenks Nigel Twiston-Davies 1998 Kendal Cavalier 8 10-00 Barry Fenton Nigel Hawke 1999 Edmond 7 10-00 Richard Johnson Henry Daly 2000 Jocks Cross 9 10-04 Brian Crowley Venetia Williams 2001 Supreme Glory 8 10-00 Leighton Aspell Pat Murphy 2002 Mini Sensation 9 10-04 Tony Dobbin Jonjo O'Neill 2003 Bindaree 9 10-09 Carl Llewellyn Nigel Twiston-Davies 2004 Silver Birch 7 10-05 Ruby Walsh Paul Nicholls 2005 L'Aventure 6 10-04 Leighton Aspell Paul Nicholls 2006 Halcon Genelardais 6 11-03 Wayne Hutchinson Alan King 2007 Miko de Beauchene 7 10-05 Andrew Thornton Robert Alner 2008 Notre Pere 7 11-00 Andrew Lynch Jim Dreaper 2009 Dream Alliance 8 10-08 Tom O'Brien Philip Hobbs 2010 Synchronised 8 11-06 Tony McCoy Jonjo O'Neill 2011 Le Beau Bai 8 10-01 Charlie Poste Richard Lee 2012 Monbeg Dude 8 10-01 Paul Carberry Michael Scudamore 2013 Mountainous 8 10-00 Paul Moloney Richard Lee 2014 Emperor's Choice 7 10-08 Aidan Coleman Venetia Williams 2015 Mountainous 11 10-06 Jamie Moore Kerry Lee 2016 Native River 6 11-12 Richard Johnson Colin Tizzard 2017 Raz De Maree 13 10-10 James Bowen Gavin Cromwell 2018 Elegant Escape 6 11-08 Tom O'Brien Colin Tizzard 2019 Potters Corner 9 10-04 Jack Tudor Christian Williams 2020 Secret Reprieve 7 10-01 Adam Wedge Evan Williams 2021 Iwilldoit 8 10-00 Stan Sheppard Sam Thomas 2022 The Two Amigos 10 10-01 David Prichard Nicky Martin 2023 Nassalam 6 11-03 Caoilin Quinn Gary Moore 2024 Val Dancer 7 10-06 Charlie Hammond Mel Rowley 2025 Haiti Couleurs 8 11-13 Sean Bowen Rebecca Curtis

See also Scottish Grand National Ulster Grand Naitonal Irish Grand National Horseracing in Great Britain List of British National Hunt races

References

Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

pedigreequery.com – Welsh National – Chepstow.

External links Race Recordings (1980–2009) youtube.com