As horse racing fans gear up for the busy festive period many will be asking when is the Welsh Grand National 2024 this year? The big Chepstow race is one of the Christmas highlights on the jumps calendar and certainly the biggest day each season for the Welsh track.
The Welsh Grand National 2024 Will Be Run On Friday 27th December
If you are planning on going to the Welsh Grand National 2024, then you’ll need to block out Friday 27th December from your calendar.
The Chepstow race, which has been sponsored by one of the leading horse racing betting sites in the UK – Coral, since 1973, is the feature race on the seven-race card and will be run at 2:50pm.
On the day, the fixture also includes the Grade 2 Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at 1:40pm. Which is a horse racing prize the Gary Moore yard have won twice since 2021.
There will be 16 Welsh Grand National runners heading to post for the 2024 race.
Welsh Grand National 2024 Date and Race Details
📅Date: Friday 27th December 2024
⌚Time: 2:50pm
🏇Racecourse: Chepstow
🔄Trip: 3m 6 1/2f
💷Winning Purse: £85,425
📺 TV: ITV / Sky Sports Racing
Welsh Grand National 2024 Meeting Races – The Full Running Order, Race Names and Times
See below the Chepstow race names and times for Welsh National day 2024 – with four races being shown LIVE on ITV Racing.
- 12:00 – Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Hurdle (Class 3) (4yo+) 2m SKY
- 12:30 – Coral Handicap Hurdle (Class 4) (3yo+) 2m SKY
- 1:05 – Coral Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Chase (Class 2) 2m 3 1/2f SKY/ITV
- 1:40 – Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 2) (Class 1) (3yo) 2m SKY/ITV
- 2:10 – Coral Racing Club Join Free Handicap Hurdle (Class 2) (4yo+) 2m 7 1/2f SKY/ITV
- 2:50 – Coral Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase (Class 1) (4yo+) 3m 6 1/2f SKY/ITV
- 3:25 – Coral New Bet-In-Race With Coral Handicap Chase (Class 4) (4yo+) 2m SKY
What Trip Is The Welsh Grand National Run Over?
The Welsh Grand National is run over a trip of 3m 6 1/2f – so with the race often also run on soft/heavy ground stamina is a must-have for any horse wanting to win.
See below how the trip of the Chepstow race compares to the other big Nationals.
Race |
Distance |
Welsh Grand National | 3m 6 1/2f |
Irish Grand National | 3m 5f |
Scottish Grand National | 4m |
Aintree Grand National | 4m 2 1/2f |
Have Any Winners Gone onto Win The Aintree Grand National?
The 2023 Welsh Grand National winner Nassalam could only manage 18th in the Aintree version later that season.
But, when was the last horse to win both races?
Step forward Silver Birch, who won the Welsh National in 2004 and added the Aintree National three years later in 2007.
Bindaree also won both races – this Nigel Twiston-Davies chaser took the Welsh in 2003 a year after he’d won the Grand National at Aintree in 2002.
Prior to that it was another Twiston-Davies horse – Earth Summit, who did the double. Winning at Chepstow in 1997 and Aintree in 1998.
However, during the 1982-83 season, the Jenny Pitman-trained Corbiere won both races in the same campaign, with jockey Ben de Haan doing the steering in both races.
WATCH: Nassalam Winning The 2023 Renewal
12 months ago, in 2023, the Gary Moore-trained Nassalam ran the field ragged – winning by 34 lengths (watch below), with Iron Bridge way back in second.
The horse went onto run in the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup but was pulled up.
While Nassalam also ran in the 2024 Grand National – finishing 18th (of 32 runners) behind the winner I Am Maximus.
Nassalam, who loves soft and heavy ground, could be a runner again in 2024 as he holds and entry. Now aged 7, this Dream Well gelding will be looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since Bonanza Boy in 1988 and 1989.