Welsh Grand National tips and predictions: Super Survivor our selection
Jump racing holds sway across the UK and Ireland on Wednesday with the big meeting taking place at Chepstow, where 20 runners go to post in the feature race, the Welsh Grand National at 2.50pm.
As well as Chepstow (12noon-3.55pm), there are National Hunt cards at Leopardstown (12.05-3.35), Limerick (12.19-3.47) and Kempton (12.45-3.40), plus Flat racing at Wolverhampton (5.00-8.30).
However, our tips focus on the big race in Wales, where we fancy Super Survivor to give jockey Gavin Sheehan a big-race double after his victory on Hewick in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Welsh Grand National, Chepstow, Wednesday December 27, 2.50pm
- The Big Breakaway @ 14/1
Welsh Grand National tips
- Selection Super Survivor @ 13/2 with bet365
- Next best Complete Unknown @ 9/1 with bet365
Already used the bet365 bonus code? Take a look at more great bookmaker offers and the best betting sites.
Horse racing tips: Chepstow 2.50
SUPER SURVIVOR appears to have been trained with this 3m 6½f marathon in mind and comes into the race on a nice mark, following a promising prep run on his seasonal return last time.
Trainer Jamie Snowden will have been thinking about this race since Super Survivor ran away with a novice handicap chase here on this day last year and has run the seven-year-old only twice since to protect his mark.
It has worked because the selection comes here off a rating just 5lb higher than for that win, while there was a lot to like about his seasonal reappearance at Lingfield.
He was beaten only two lengths into second by his stablemate, Git Maker, who had the run of the race in front, and Super Survivor would probably have found the ground that day quicker than ideal. The fact he didn’t win is a positive anyway as he avoided a penalty for this target and he kept on well.
He is lightly raced for his age, comes into the race unexposed and is open to plenty of improvement for a trainer and jockey who can do little wrong and who have already plundered the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury this season. A big run looks certain.
Selection Super Survivor @ 13/2 with bet365
Horse racing tips: Chepstow 2.50
It’s always worth having a saver in a big race like this because with 20 runners going to post anything and everything can happen. COMPLETE UNKNOWN fits the bill perfectly.
Paul Nicholls has long said that this seven-year-old needs soft ground to be seen at his best and that didn’t happen for him when he went off 4-1 favourite for the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury last time. He definitely found conditions too lively and could manage only a 24-length 10th of the 20 runners.
That run can be ignored and conditions should be much more suitable here. Chepstow gets testing at the best of times and plenty of rain is forecast to hit the track before the start of the big race.
Complete Unknown showed his liking for an easy surface on his seasonal reappearance when beating Might I in an intermediate chase on heavy going at Newton Abbot and the pick of his novice form includes a second behind the Gold Cup bound Gerri Colombe in a Grade 1 contest at Aintree in April.
He looked like a strong stayer as a novice and, provided he gets the trip, looks certain to run well.
Selection Complete Unknown @ 9/1 with bet365
Looking for more horse racing picks for today’s action?
Find horse racing selections for every race, provided by Telegraph Sport’s champion tipster.
