Wales' Grand National hopes
Four trainers from Wales are hoping their horses can come away with good results at this year's Grand National. Here, we take a look at the runners.
Four trainers from Wales are hoping their horses can come away with good results at this year's Grand National. Here, we take a look at the runners.
Pembrokeshire trainer Rebecca Curtis says her 14/1 runner in Saturday's Grand National, Tea For Three, won't have any trouble at Aintree.
The nine-year-old gelding will start as many people's fancy for the showpiece of the jump racing calendar after an impressive showing at the Welsh National in January, in which he was edged into second place by Monbeg Dude.
Curtis is one of four Welsh trainers hoping to come away from Aintree with their biggest win to date. That is no more true than Cowbridge trainer Evan Williams who's apparent knack over the four and a half mile course could again see him at the front of the field with 11/1 shot Cappa Bleu.
The 11 year old finished fourth in last years race behind 33-1 outsider Neptune Collange and an impressive 2013 means he could well give Evans his greatest chance of a win to date, after four straight years of having runners placed.
Cappa Bleu and Tea For Three look to be the most likely local horses to figure at the business end of the race but two other Welsh trainers have hopes that their runners can offer up another Aintree fairytale from further down the bookies prices.
Haverfordwest based Peter Bowen has two of his stable making their way to Aintree: Always Waining and Mumbles Head will start as long shots though with early prices seeing them as far out as 40/1 and 66/1 respectively.
Tim Vaughn will round off the Welsh entries in the 2013 Grand National, which this year sees significant changes to the make up of the course following the deaths of two horses last year at the notorious Beacher's Brook.
His only runner Saints is seen by many as a long shot though with some bookies have the seven-year-old at 50/1.
Rain clipping the far north through the evening but elsewhere staying dry with some sunny spells.
Public Health Wales figures show 25 more cases of the virus have also been confirmed.
Photos taken on Saturday morning show Roald Dahl Plass strewn with empty beer bottles and discarded canisters of laughing gas.