Williams 'guessing' favourite Secret Reprieve will last Welsh National trip

Evan Williams is unsure whether ante-post favourite Secret Reprieve will stay the marathon trip in the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Sunday.

Williams is hopeful rather than confident the six-year-old will see out the 3m6f stamina test which is set to be run in attritional conditions, with the ground currently heavy and more wet weather expected in the coming days.

After winning the race's trial over three miles earlier this month, Secret Reprieve's odds tumbled to 7-2 favouritism despite having had only five starts over fences, but Williams is willing to give him the chance in such a competitive race around a track where he thrives.

Welsh National card

"It's a big ask, but you've got to give these things a go," he said. "Course form is the most important thing where the Welsh National is concerned; he's won his maiden hurdle and over fences there.

"As for the distance, I don't know if he'll stay. I'm guessing and I've got no evidence he will; we're rolling the dice.

"My instinct is he wouldn't be in the race if I didn't think he'd stay and he's handled the track twice, that's the biggest plus you can get."

Secret Reprieve's inexperience does not concern Williams, who bids to become the second Welsh trainer in a row to land the prize after Potters Corner's memorable victory for fellow Glamorgan handler Christian Williams last year.

"You need to be unexposed and he's a very short price because he deserves to be," Williams added in a Great British Racing call.

"It's a gamble running in the race with so little experience, but only once in his life he'll get into this race off his weight. He has to go do it on Sunday and it'll be a big test."

The trainer will also be represented in the contest by last year's fourth Prime Venture, who got off the mark over fences at the 13th attempt last time at Sedgefield.

"He comes into this in far better form than last year. He's always had talent, but he's got more zip about him," he said. "The logical place to go was back here and there's room to feel that he can be very competitive. We know what Prime Venture is: a good, tough, honest horse."

The Llancarfan trainer has yet to win the race, but was second with Firebird Flyer in 2015, while Cappa Bleu was third in 2011.

Kim Gingell: Welsh National will be run in her memory this yearCredit: Edward Whitaker

This year's Welsh Grand National will be run in memory of Kim Gingell – daughter of trainer Colin Tizzard, who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year – and while Williams would love to win, he will also be cheering on Tizzard's representative Christmas In April.

He added: "I want to win and fly the flag for Wales because I've made an awful habit of being placed in these big races, but would you begrudge a horse from the Tizzards winning it by a short-head? Absolutely not.

"Sometimes there are bigger things than horses running around a boggy field in Monmouthshire. If we can bring them a bit of joy, that would be fantastic."

This year's race title has been changed officially to the Coral Welsh Grand National [run in memory of Kim Gingell] and Tizzard said: “It’s lovely that Coral and Chepstow are running the race in Kim’s memory. We’ve had some fantastic days at Chepstow on Welsh National day with Kim; it's a very fitting way to remember her.”

Simon Clare, speaking on behalf of Coral, added: “Kim’s incredible work ethic behind the scenes was matched by her love of celebrating the team’s successes, and the memory of her leading the singing at Chepstow with owner John Romans after Elegant Escape won the 2018 Welsh Grand National will stay with us forever.

"We couldn’t think of anything more fitting than to run this year’s Coral Welsh Grand National in memory of Kim and are very grateful to the Tizzard family for giving us their blessing to do so.”

Read more:

Setback for Chepstow with no owners able to attend Welsh National meeting

Burke to miss key Welsh National ride but hoping for New Year's Day return

Proud and grateful Evan Williams among winners at Welsh Racing Awards

Ultimate Daily - our daily newsletters from Racing Post's experts, exclusive to the inbox of Ultimate Members' Club subscribers. To receive the newsletter subscribe at racingpost.com/members-club