3 minute read
The Galloping Bear can give what is sure to be an enthusiastic crowd something to cheer by becoming the fourth successive home-trained winner of the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.
Potters Corner, Secret Reprieve and last year Iwilldoit have all ensured the Red Dragon has flown with pride in recent years – and the Ben Clarke-trained The Galloping Bear has all the credentials of making it four in a row for Wales.
It is usually quite easy to make a shortlist for the race as the conditions are inevitably very testing so only a handful will be suited by the stamina test over three miles and five furlongs.
However, with the dry autumn there is a chance it will not be as heavy as normal, which will bring the classier operators to the fore.
The Galloping Bear, despite being nine, is surely still well treated off 140 when taking into account he was a ready winner of the Haydock Grand National Trial off the same mark in February.
That victory was then rescinded after suspected cross-contamination in the yard saw him test positive for a trace of a muscle treatment that contained a prohibited raceday substance.
The authorities agreed Clarke had no knowledge of The Galloping Bear having been administered the substance, but the horse was still disqualified. Nevertheless, he showed that day has has all the qualities required in a Welsh National winner.
He ran as well as could be expected over hurdles on his only previous start this season when third and has been trained for the race.
Scriptwriter looks another smart youngster for Milton Harris and can win the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle.
Harris tasted Grade One glory with Knight Salute last season and while this race has lost its top-level status this season, Scriptwriter looks well up to tackling that sort of company in future.
He has won both his races over obstacles to date, despite the odd mistake, but that only means there is plenty of scope for improvement.
Classy on the Flat, he was rated 102 for Aidan O'Brien and the more he jumps the better he will get.
Edwardstone looks hard to oppose in the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.
Alan King's patience was rewarded in waiting for the right ground and having missed the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham he went to the Tingle Creek first time out where he was very impressive.
With Greaneteen and Shishkin behind him, it would be a brave shout to say he is not the best two-mile chaser in Britain currently, with the only horse who could also lay claim to that being Nube Negra, and the two meet here.
Kempton is probably in the favour of Nube Negra, but Edwardstone seems to have a rock-solid profile and is taken to go in again.
Dan Skelton may have to settle for minor honours with Nube Negra, but his Lac De Constance will take all the beating in the Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase.
Unbeaten in three outings over hurdles, the grey looked a natural over fences when making a winning debut at this venue last month.
Ben Pauling's Your Darling has always promised to be decent and might now be ready to deliver.
Very impressive first time out this season, he can follow up in the Ladbrokes Play '1-2-Free' On Football Handicap Chase despite a 10lb rise.
Sandy Thomson's Bass Rock looks the best bet at Wetherby in the William Hill Extra Places Daily Novices' Limited Handicap Chase.
A useful handicap hurdler, he absolutely bolted up on his chasing debut at Carlisle in a decent event and has the potential of making up into a graded performer. He gets to run off just 139 in this.
Chacun Pour Soi usually runs very well at Leopardstown and if he is to win a Grade One this season it will be in the Paddy's Rewards Club Chase.
It looks as if it will be a Grade One double for Willie Mullins as Facile Vega is unopposable in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.
Donkey Years may prove to be the pick of the huge JP McManus team in the €200,000 Paddy Power Chase.
SELECTIONS:
CHEPSTOW: 12.00 Half Dozen, 12.30 Secret Plan, 1.05 Fugitif, 1.40 Scriptwriter, 2.10 Green Book, 2.50 THE GALLOPING BEAR (NAP), 3.25 Young Buck, 3.55 Isaac Des Obeaux.
KEMPTON: 12.45 Him Malaya, 1.20 Lac De Constance, 1.55 Coquelicot, 2.30 Edwardstone, 3.09 Your Darling, 3.40 Kandoo Kid.
LEOPARDSTOWN: 12.05 Ascending, 12.35 Dysart Dynamo, 1.10 Chacun Pour Soi, 1.45 Facile Vega, 2.20 Watch House Cross, 3.00 Donkey Years, 3.35 Fact To File.
LIMERICK: 12.19 Drumbear, 12.54 Grange Island, 1.29 Jungle Prose, 2.04 Shecouldbeanything, 2.39 Whiskey Lullaby, 3.15 Derridae, 3.49 Largy Hill.
WETHERBY: 11.50 Kingsfort Hill, 12.25 Herewegohoney, 1.00 Royal Mogul, 1.35 Bass Rock, 2.15 Jipekaa Machin, 2.45 Eclair D'Ainay, 3.20 Waspy.
WOLVERHAMPTON: 4.30 Dark Shot, 5.00 Apache Star, 5.30 Baahill, 6.00 Champagne City, 6.30 Overactive, 7.00 Excel Power, 7.30 Capital Theory, 8.00 Kim Wexler.
DOUBLE: The Galloping Bear and Bass Rock.
