THE Coral-sponsored Welsh Grand National at Chepstow can be overshadowed in its usual slot on the day after St Stephen’s Day by other events in a frenetic festive period, which is a shame as it is a major test of not just jumping and stamina but also, at least some of the time, of ability.

It may be asking a bit much of the latest winner, Elegant Escape, to emulate past winners Synchronised and Native River, who went onto win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, or even the Grand National winners Bindaree and Silver Birch, but he is one of the race’s better winners for sure, and the stopwatch shows that he got anything but an easy time of things on the day.