THE excitement is building for the £150,000 Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse next Wednesday, with King’s Caple trainer Venetia Williams targetting a third win in the prestige race, with two horses in the 20-strong field.

The Wye Valley trainer’s yard is surfing a wave of success, with amateur jockey Lucy Turner becoming the first woman to win the Becher Chase over Aintree’s Grand National fences three weeks ago, saddling Chambard to a comprehensive victory

Venetia, who famously guided Mon Mome to the 2009 Grand National, first won the Welsh National with Jocks Cross in 2000, followed by success with Emperor’s Choice in 2014.

And entered this time are her Aintree star Chambard, plus Didero Vallis.

The last few days has seen yet more success for the Wyeside yard, with 11-year-old Cepage rolling back the years to win the £50,000 veterans chase at Cheltenham on Friday, three years and six races since his last success.

Hold That Taught maintained winning ways in the premier race at Bangor, while Tanganyika contributed to a fab Friday treble winning the £25,000 handicap hurdle.

And grey Heva Rose battled back to win Saturday’s Hereford Mares Chase Series Final for a fifth consecutive success in the course’s premier race.

Meanwhile, some 12,000 racegoers are expected to attend the biggest horse race in Wales, which dates back 128 years and was first run at the Wye Valley course in 1949.

Last year saw the fourth Welsh win in a row having previously waited 54 years for a home success, with conditional jockey David Prichard keeping his nerve to land the biggest win of his career on 16-1 shot The Two Amigos before announcing his retirement.

Welsh-trained horses won the previous three Nationals – Potters Corner in 2019, Secret Reprieve in 2020 and Iwilldoit in 2021.

The latter is trained by Monmouthshire’s Sam Thomas, who launched his career as a jockey at Venetia’s yard and went on to win the 2008 Gold Cup on Denman, with the horse entered for another tilt at the title.

Iwilldoit secured a gallant second over the hurdles on his return to action at Aintree last month. And it would be an emotional win for the jockey-turned-trainer, who was involved in a horror helicopter crash in North Wales in November 2022 with Iwilldoit owner Dai Walters, who suffered life-threatening injuries but has battled back.

Last year’s race was held in memory of Kim Gingell, sister of trainer Joe Tizzard, whose horse The Big Breakaway came second last year and who would love to go one better next week.

His father took the crown with Native River and Elegant Escape, and The Big Breakaway is again among the favourites, who are headed by Monbeg Genius, one of three entries for Jonjo O’Neill, who has won this famous race twice before.

The Coral Welsh Grand National comes under starters orders at 2.50pm. For tickets see www.chepstow-racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/coral-welsh-grand-national