Can favourite Secret Reprieve end Evan Williams' wait for Welsh National glory?

3.10 ChepstowCoral Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase (Grade 3) | 3m6½f | 5yo+ | ITV4/Sky

While racing fans have been made to hold on for a fortnight for the rearranged Welsh National, Secret Reprieve and Prime Venture will be out to put an end to a much longer wait for trainer Evan Williams.

With Chepstow's feature meeting taking place behind closed doors there will be no repeat of the ecstatic scenes when Potters Corner scored for his namesake Christian Williams last season, in the process becoming the first Welsh-trained winner for 54 years.

Evan Williams had previously gone as close as any to ending that drought and admits a win in the race is high on his list of career goals.

"Our record in the Grand National and the Welsh National is very similar," said Williams. "I've been placed second, third and fourth in both races. It could be a case that I'll never crack them, but as long as there's breath in my body I'll keep trying because they are both races that mean an awful lot to me.

Prospects improving for Welsh National but Chepstow to inspect again

Evan Williams' record in the Welsh National: three places from 11 runners

2nd Firebird Flyer (January 2016)
3rd Cappa Bleu (2011)
4th Prime Venture (2019)

"They epitomise what I think is great in jump racing: big handicaps, with plenty of good horses that are proper stayers and proper old-fashioned warriors. I get up in the morning for horses like this and I would dearly love to win the race."

Prime Venture bids to improve on his fourth-placed effort in December 2019, but it is Secret Reprieve – a 12-length winner of the trial race over three miles last month and set to carry the featherweight of 10st 1lb – who has captured the betting public's attention and is no bigger than 4-1 to land the prize.

Saturday tipping and analysis:

Pricewise: Tom Segal thinks last year's race might be the key to cracking Welsh National (Members' Club)

Saturday Sizzlers: Paul Kealy has a strong set of bets for Kempton with three cracking plays (Members' Club)

Big-race Trends: look for unexposed types with right-handed form in Lanzarote (Members' Club)

Paul Kealy's must-have banker at Chepstow on Saturday

The Punt Daily: Tom Collins' free horse racing tips on Saturday afternoon

Saturday's free racing tips: our tipping experts with the day's best bets

"He is very inexperienced, particularly in big fields and in races like the Welsh National which are notoriously competitive, so it will be very difficult," said Williams. "The massive positive is the track and I don't think I can overestimate how important it is to handle Chepstow. You often find that horses go back and win there and that's not a coincidence.

"It suits some and not others. He has a lovely racing weight and he's off a mark I think we're more than capable of winning. From 134 I don't think the handicapper overreacted by putting him up to 142.

"They're the positives. The question marks are his inexperience and whether he will stay the trip. He has to run in a Welsh National and we'll take a punt. If it works out that would be brilliant and we can always go down a different route later."

Prime Venture appears to reserve his best for Chepstow and has a string of excellent efforts to his name at the track, although his wide-margin success in a three-runner race at Sedgefield in November was a first win over fences in 13 attempts.

Williams said: "He's up 4lb [compared to the 2019 Welsh National] so he has to be in better form than last year, but I think he is. I think the win helped him and he's one of those horses that loves these types of races if he's on a going day."

Saturday previews and analysis:

Members' Club: stay at home, keep warm and enjoy a feast of fantastic racing on ITV4

Members' Club: strong team at happy hunting ground a good pointer to Nicky Henderson's fortunes

Paul Nicholls on his Welsh National pair – plus key quotes from other trainers

Members' Club: picking the right profile: what does it take to win the Welsh Grand National?

Paul Kealy thinks the Finale Juvenile Hurdle is Nassalam's race to lose

'Very exciting' Protektorat out to show Grade 1 pedigree in rescheduled Dipper

McFabulous: a non-stayer or just another who failed to live up to the hype?

Which of Imperial Aura's rivals can give him the Grade 1 test he needs?

Graeme Rodway thinks Paul Nicholls has found a valuable edge for the Lanzarote

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