I've been overwhelmed by the support I've had since Exeter – Adam Wedge

Adam Wedge started the year with an Exeter howler that left him close to tears but has been given the chance to make amends on Pobbles Bay in Saturday's Coral Welsh National after being buoyed by messages of support led by Gold Cup-winning trainer Michael Dickinson.

The rider was given a 21-day ban for mistakenly missing out a fence at Exeter on New Year's Day on an easy odds-on winner trained by Evan Williams, who keeps the faith with the 28-year-old on the well-backed Pobbles Bay.

Wedge has been comforted by the breadth of backing he has received since the mishap, including from one particularly surprising source.

Adam Wedge (right): hopes to make amends for his Exeter disaster in the Welsh Grand NationalCredit: Edward Whitaker

He said: "I've been overwhelmed by the support I've had since Exeter from all sorts of people, plenty of whom I couldn't have expected to hear from. It's been a real mixture and it's been very nice.

"I even had a call on Thursday from Michael Dickinson in America and that was a real shock as I'd never spoken to him in my life and I've no idea where he got my number from.

"People like that don't need to say anything but he rang out of the blue to sympathise. He didn't say he had done that sort of thing himself, but he reeled off a list of people he remembered doing similar things to make me feel better."

Wedge had another bit of bad luck when his two booked rides at Bangor on Thursday were among only three non-runners there all day, but he is now looking ahead rather than behind and is keen on the chance of Pobbles Bay, who was still available at 16-1 in places on Thursday when he was among several mud-lovers to shorten.

He said: "Pobbles Bay is relatively inexperienced over fences compared to most, but he's been very professional in everything he's done and he'll love the heavy ground and he loves Chepstow, as he showed when he won on Welsh National day last winter. We need everything to fall right, but it will be lovely if it does.

"His proven ability to handle both the track and ground will be big pluses on Saturday and he's won over three miles two furlongs over hurdles, so I don't think the trip will be a problem.

"It was a Listed race when he was beaten at Warwick after winning his first two chases and then he ran a lovely race at Aintree on his reappearance when he needed the pipe-opener for this, just being taken off his feet."

Wedge, who on his only previous ride in the Welsh National finished second to Mountainous on 25-1 chance Firebird Flyer, starts his ban on January 15. He said: "I might get away for a long weekend, but otherwise I'll just be keeping my head down and working away. I just have to accept it and it's not the end of the world."

Rock The Kasbah's participation is in doubt after this week's heavy rainCredit: Michael Steele

Thursday brought continued support for mud-lovers Mysteree, Wild West Wind and Chase The Spud, with Rock The Kasbah, who was a popular antepost selection for the race, scratched by Philip Hobbs. He could head for the Peter Marsh Chase.

The track was hit by a further 5mm of rain in the early hours of Thursday morning but the weather was kind through the day and the forecast has improved a little.

Clerk of the course Keith Ottesen said: "It's been dry and windy since the early-morning rain, which is no bad thing, and although we're expecting a bit more overnight and into Friday morning the forecasts are beginning to align on the lower side of what has been suggested. We're still holding on to it being dry through Friday night and into Saturday, and that's the clincher really."

Chepstow card and form

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