Williams double-handed with stayers set to slog it out in marathon contest

A race run over the Welsh National trip in which the early favourite was the lightly weighted youngster Dock Road, who has run four fine races for Robbie Llewellyn since joining him from Ben Pauling this season.

However, he looked to be coming to the end of his tether when unseating two out over 3m5f at Fakenham three starts ago and these conditions are going to ask even more of him. 

He also remains 0-8 over fences and is running against a stack of horses with no issues at the trip or on the ground, while some are very handily treated on old form.

Venetia Williams is double-handed with Achille and Don Herbager, and the former is now 26lb lower than when fourth in last season's Welsh National to Iwilldoit.

It's fair to say he hasn't done much since, but deep ground suits and he's only had that once this season when possibly needing the run on his return.

Don Herbager is younger and in better form and is now only 5lb higher than when running away with a Bangor handicap over a similar trip 13 months ago.

Topweight Checkitout didn't shape badly in a first-time visor last month, and he's now 16lb lower than when third in last season's Becher Chase at Aintree, while it's not even a year ago that Domaine De L'Isle ran in the Grand National of a mark of 144 and he's now down to 117.

Given the likely slog, the temptation is to side with one of Venetia's, and with Don Herbager's two previous Chepstow runs being poor, the veteran Achille is given the nod to cash in on a very attractive mark now he gets his ground again.
Analysis by Paul Kealy

What they say

Sam Twiston-Davies, rider of Checkitout
We're hoping to see better from him as he's been disappointing this season. He responded well to the visor last time and it's a weaker race over further, so hopefully there are a lot of positives. He needs to show he's still got it, though.

Sean Curran, trainer of Domaine De L'Isle
I've been disappointed with him this season and can't put my finger on it as he's been checked over from head to toe. I'm more hopeful than confident. He's got older and his legs aren't going as fast.

Domaine De L'isle: has tumbled down the weights since losing his formCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Venetia Williams, trainer of Achille and Don Herbager
Achille hasn't managed to live up to his last good run, which was here in the Welsh National last season. Anno Domini has been catching up with him a bit, but he's dropped in the weights and we're hoping he might be able to be competitive again at the same track and trip. He's had blinkers on before and was actually running a good race in them for the first time in last season's Midlands National when unfortunately his stirrup leather broke. Don Herbager's best form has always been over the longer distances. He ran reasonably at Wetherby last time on ground that was a bit lively for him, so hopefully this will be a bit more to his liking.

Robbie Llewellyn, trainer of Dock Road
He's been super consistent. It's his first time with blinkers on for us as he's a little bit of a lazy horse, but I'm hoping with the step up in trip around Chepstow, he should get into a nice rhythm and should stay. He was running well when he unseated two out at Fakenham over three miles-five and I thought that was probably the best he's travelled, so I'd be fairly confident he'll stay.
Reporting by Andrew Dietz

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