Venetia may have the Welsh National sorted as the crowds return to Chepstow

These are strange times indeed. At the time of writing there is good ground in the going description at Chepstow on the eve of the Coral Welsh Grand National. Given heavy rain is forecast in the hours leading up to the race, normal service could be resumed. Moreover, Venetia Williams trains the extremely tempting favourite, which seems extremely normal.

Not since 2019 has Wales's signature horserace been staged in front of a crowd, with Covid restrictions having still been in place 12 months ago. Those who resume a fine old tradition by flocking to Chepstow could well return home soaked. That, however, should be a price worth paying, for the day-two showpiece of ITV's Christmas Racing Festival looks set to remind us why it remains one of the sport's best-loved marathons.

Cast your eyes to Kempton and Leopardstown and you will see higher-rated, classier and undoubtedly quicker animals than those on show in the Welsh National, but while this is a running without animals to rival previous winners like Burrough Hill Lad, Carvill's Hill, Master Oats and Native River, it is nonetheless both fascinating and fiendishly difficult to solve – unless, that is, Quick Wave is as good as she looked at Sandown last time.