Wild West Wind impresses in Welsh Grand National trial win

As dress rehearsals go Wild West Wind put in a fence-perfect performance in the trial for the Coral Welsh Grand National on December 27 – and it was not lost on the race sponsor, who halved his price to 10-1.

Starting his second season over fences with some strong staying form in his novice book, Wild West Wind was entitled to get tired and did so to falsify his superiority over game old-timer Alfie Spinner, who rallied for second.

There is another three-quarters of a mile to run just after Christmas but the Tom George-trained chaser ran and jumped his rivals ragged under Ciaran Gethings, much to the surprise of his owner Simon Clarke.