By Gareth James

Leading Welsh trainer Sam Thomas was proud of his two horses’ efforts at the Coral Welsh Grand National even though Val Dancer emerged from the murk to seize victory.

Val Dancer tenaciously held off Thomas’ dual challenge of Jubilee Express and Iwilldoit at Chepstow to win a race that was only visible at certain stages due to thick fog.

Prepared by Mel Rowley, the 8/1 victor warmed up for this grueling test with a triumphant comeback at Carlisle last month and was among those tracking early pace-setter Amateur in the initial stages.

Well-fancied contenders, including Dan Skelton’s Galia Des Liteaux and the father-son duo Jonjo and AJ O’Neill’s entries, Iron Bridge and Monbeg Genius, began to move into contention as the field navigated the back straight for the second time.

You are going to have to trust us here!

Val Dancer wins the Coral Welsh Grand National #ITVRacing | @ChepstowRacing pic.twitter.com/5KF2upkXUg

— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 27, 2024

With many still in the fray, the runners disappeared into the furthest reaches of the course, obscured by fog.

As visibility remained poor, Val Dancer emerged at the forefront when the competitors came back into clear sight with five fences remaining. The seven-year-old was accompanied by Thomas’ 2021 champion, Iwilldoit.

Val Dancer and Iwilldoit locked horns in a fierce duel along Chepstow’s demanding, stamina-draining home stretch.

While Iwilldoit’s effort began to fade in the final strides, his stablemate, the 6/1 co-favorite Jubilee Express, stepped up to challenge the leader and pushed him all the way to the finish.

Under the guidance of Charlie Hammond, Val Dancer crossed the line a length and a half ahead of Jubilee Express, with Iwilldoit another length and a half adrift in third.

12 Highflyer-sourced winners over the first 2 day of Xmas but the one that stands out is the Welsh Grand National of VAL DANCER
Bought & part-owned by the indomitable @dminty13 and trained by longstanding supporters @RowleyPhil and @MelRowleyRacing he was a cracking buy for £60k https://t.co/6ZcR6FjTqZ

— Highflyer Bloodstock (@agentbloodstock) December 27, 2024

Monbeg Genius emerged as the best of the O’Neill-trained duo, finishing in fourth.

Although Cardiff-based Thomas narrowly missed securing victory in Wales’ premier race for the second time, he remained immensely proud of his two placed runners.

He said: “All credit to the winner and Charlie Deutsch told me he was the horse to beat when we were talking about the race last week, he thought Val Dancer was the perfect horse for the race. Full credit to the Rowley team and we’ll be back again.

“It’s a really good race for us and we enjoy coming here. We were so close, but there’s nothing to complain about and we’re just delighted and proud of the horses and proud of the team at home.”

Iwilldoit has been a cornerstone of Thomas’ budding training career, delivering some of his most memorable days, while there are high hopes Jubilee Express will follow in his stablemate’s footsteps to excel in elite staying handicaps.

Sam Thomas Hopes “Special Horse” Can Provide Glory Again At Welsh Grand National https://t.co/jEGR3y4NQi via @Dai_Sport_

— Dai Sport (@Dai_Sport_) December 27, 2024

Thomas added: “When you keep going with those sort of horses, they tell you when they are ready to retire and Iwilldoit just loves the game.

“You can’t run him too often and he’s going to want a good break again now but when they want to do it like that, there’s no reason not to carry on.

“We’ll have to look and see with Jubilee Express, but those staying races look tailor-made for him and I dare say if the ground had been a bit softer like it normally is it would have helped him. I’m delighted and he’s like a hunter at home he’s so laid back.

“The plan did not work out at all and we were meant to have a prep run but for one reason or another it just didn’t happen. Huge credit to him and he’ll improve a ton for that race.”

The win not only marked Rowley’s first success at Chepstow but also delivered the Shropshire-based trainer the most significant triumph of her burgeoning career.

“He’s really toughed it out!”@chammond1996 looks back on one of the biggest winners of his career aboard Val Dancer in the Coral Welsh Grand National… pic.twitter.com/HUAzlyJlnY

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 27, 2024

She told Sky Sports Racing: “I can’t put it into words and for our little yard in Shropshire, days like this we watch on the telly, we’re not part of it. It’s unbelievable, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry to be honest.

“We were watching on the rail, but it was a bit like joining the dots as you couldn’t see very much. When we saw him come out of the gloom and he was still there and in contention I thought ‘oh my god’. He’s not run over this distance before but we were fairly confident he would keep going.

“Charlie Deutsch rode him the last day, but had to be elsewhere today, so the other Charlie took up the reins and they had a long chat. Charlie Deutsch told Charlie Hammond what to do and he did it to perfection, it was fantastic.”