Owner Romans admits to nerves as he waits on his pair of Christmas crackers

Christmas cannot come soon enough for John Romans because once the turkey has been eaten and the crackers pulled, the owner can look forward to two days when his runners will take headline roles at Kempton and Chepstow.

On Thursday Slate House is due to line up in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton, while Elegant Escape is set to represent Romans on Friday in the Coral Welsh Grand National, a race he won last year.

Both horses are at the head of the market for their respective races, and Romans admits there is some anxiety in the build up to the big contests. He said: “With me every race is a nerve-wracking experience but we’re lucky to be in that position, aren’t we?