Nicholls hoping Truckers Lodge can give Freddie Gingell poignant Welsh National winner
There would be no more popular winner of the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on Tuesday than Truckers Lodge.
Third in the prestigious marathon chase 12 months ago, the Paul Nicholls-trained 10-year-old will be ridden by Freddie Gingell in a race that is run in memory of his late mother, Kim Gingell.
“This race has always been the plan, and the more rain before the race the better it will suit him,” Nicholls told Sky Sports Racing.
Truckers Lodge ran off a mark of 150 last year and is rated 141 on this occasion.
Nicholls added: “Freddie is taking 7lb off that which will be handy, the race is named after his mother and what a story that would be if he could run well for him.”
Truckers Lodge is not the only horse that would be a poignant victor, as Kim Gingell’s brother Joe Tizzard saddles The Big Breakaway.
The Chepstow feature has twice gone to the Tizzard family from the last six runnings, courtesy of Native River in 2016 and Elegant Escape two years later.
Third to Monkfish in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021, The Big Breakaway has not had that much racing since but ran a fine race on his reappearance to be second at Haydock in November.
Tizzard, who now holds the licence at Venn Farm after taking over from his father, Colin, said: “He seems in beautiful form at home and I’m really pleased with him. This has been the target for him and he seemed to build in confidence throughout the race at Haydock the other day and was unlucky not to win.
“The bit of rain we’ve had will mean it is lovely ground for him and I think the tempo of the race will suit him.
“We struggled with sore shins with him last year and this year he has got over that and he’s always been a horse we have held in high regard, so hopefully he will now pay us back for our patience.”
Welsh-trained contenders have taken the last three renewals and a leading chance for the home team this year is The Galloping Bear, who is trained by Ben Clarke.
He has the look of an ideal type for this race and enjoyed a recent spin over hurdles at Carlisle, which was a first outing for 281 days.
He will once again be ridden by Ben Jones, who said: “He went up to Carlisle for a little prep run just to clear the old cobwebs away. We were very happy with his run as he’s not a hurdler at all.
“He’s a proper workmanlike ride, you have to ask for every little bit out of him. Even when he grinds it out and wins nicely in the end, he’s always got a little bit left under the bonnet.
“The more you ask the more he keeps giving and that’s why we don’t mind the weights going up. It’s not that we want to carry more weight, it’s that we want the other horses to carry more weight to make it a proper staying test.
“He’s carried top-weight around Lingfield on heavy ground, he just bounced out in front, galloped all the way and made it look easy.”
Ask Me Early is another having a second run after a lengthy break and there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his third at Bangor.
“We were delighted with his comeback run at Bangor and obviously the form has worked out well, with the winner (Le Milos) doing particularly well at Newbury (winning the Coral Gold Cup),” said trainer Harry Fry.
“He’s come out of that in good form and come forward for it as we’d hope and expect.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact we’ve been targeting this race. We didn’t get to run in it last year, but we’re on course to go there this year.
“From the first day he came into the yard we wondered whether we had a racehorse or a hunter on our hands as he only has one gear! Thankfully that gear lasts a very long time – he just seems to be relentless.
“He’s got a good record at the track and the more rain the better for him. It’s a hugely competitive race, but we’re going there with high hopes that he can be competitive.”
Venetia Williams’ Quick Wave is also a major fancy, and is a proven stayer who won the three-mile-five-furlong London National at Sandown when last seen.
Peter Fahey’s The Big Dog carries a live chance for the Irish but must shoulder top-weight as he looks to continue the winning streak that has seen him land the Munster National and the Troytown Chase this season.
