Science and art agree: you need to be on a prominent racer in the Welsh National

There used to be two certainties at the start of the Welsh National: an operatic rendition of Land Of My Fathers and a much less elegant dash to the first fence down the back straight.

Riders acknowledge, in this instance, that a prominent position is important even over a marathon distance. The early clamour for position, which led to a high number of false starts in the Welsh National, was the driving force behind moving the start back by 240 yards before last year's race.

Now the runners will jump a fence before the first bend, giving riders a focus beyond sharp-elbowed early moves.