A PRELIMINARY total of 56 entries have been received for Chepstow's showcase Coral Welsh Grand National on Friday, December 27, including Abergavenny trainer Sam Thomas’ 2021 winner Iwilldoit, and last year’s emphatic champion Nassalam.

Saturday's Christmas Party Raceday was called off thanks to Storm Darragh, but racecourse bosses, owners, trainers, jockeys and fans will be hoping for better luck at the National festive meet.

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.

Seven-year-old Nassalam trained by Gatwick's Gary and Josh Moore blew the £150,000 race apart last year when he left his rivals wallowing in the mud to win by an astonishing 34L.

Jockey Caoilin Quinn and stable hand Gina Gibson celebrate after Nassalam cantered to 2023 Coral Welsh Grand National victory
Jockey Caoilin Quinn and stable hand Gina Gibson celebrate after Nassalam cantered to 2023 Coral Welsh Grand National victory (Chepstow Racecourse)

And if he runs, he could become the first back-to-back winner of the marathon 3 mile 6.5 furlong contest since Bonanza Boy in 1989.

Other previous winners of Wales’ most famous race who feature among the entries are the Nicky Martin-trained The Two Amigos, who won in 2022 under Welsh conditional jockey David Prichard, and who would be participating in his fourth Coral Welsh National.

Iwilldoit – the 2021 Welsh winner and third last time, trained by 2008 Gold Cup-winning jockey Thomas at his Cardiff yard – is also entered and rated at 20-1 having not raced since February.

But the Welshman's leading contender is Jubilee Express, the winner of the last of his four chases at Haydock in March, and rated as a 14-1 chance for the festive gallop.

Good Risk At All was also due to run in Chepstow's trial at the weekend, which would have been his first start since disappointing when odds-on favourite in a handicap chase on Welsh National day last season, and is priced at 25-1.

Gordon Elliott has yet to record a win in this race on his already glittering CV as a trainer, but has made seven entries in a bid to change that.

They include the likes of recent Troytown Chase winner Stuzzikini, Grade 1 scorer Delta Work and Minella Crooner who holds smart pieces of form to his name.

Paul Nicholls is a dual winning Welsh National trainer though, having landed it in successive years back in 2004 and 2005, and has made nine entries in this year’s race.

The standout name of those he has entered looks to be Stay Away Fay, who looked a highly promising chaser prior to being set some stiff tasks in the second half of last season.

Elsewhere, Trelawne displayed his strong staying qualities to see off a talented field at Haydock last month and is one of the more intriguing entries.

His trainer Kim Bailey first won the Welsh National back in 1994 with Master Oats.

Val Dancer and Broadway Boy are also progressive young chasers from top yards who would be interesting contenders if confirmed for this race.

The former regained the winning thread on his seasonal reappearance at Carlisle, while the latter was far from disgraced on his comeback when third in a competitive event at Cheltenham.

Two Amigo's 2022 win under Prichard was the fourth Welsh win in a row, fans having waited 54 years for a home success before Potters Corner landed in 2019, followed by Secret Reprieve in 2020 and Iwilldoit a year later.

Every raceday ticket comes with a ‘Wet Weather Guarantee’.

If a drop of rain drops at any point from gates opening to the last horse crossing the finishing line, every ticket holder can claim a free Grandstand ticket to selected fixtures, say the racecourse.