3m6½f Coral Welsh Grand National Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) (Run In Memory Of Kim Gingell) (GBB) (Class 1) (4yo+)
Super Survivor has been heavily supported for the Welsh National ever since Monbeg Genious was ruled out for Jonjo O’Neill. He has some useful credentials on paper and won on this card last year demontrating a love for the course, but he seems awfully short for a horse as inexperienced as him.
I prefer two horses that got the better of him in a Novices Handicap Chase back in Uttoxeter in March in AUTONOMOUS CLOUD and IRON BRIDGE. Both second season chasers shold relish this test of stamina on the soft underfoot conditions and both have proven to be stout stayers.
Autonomous Cloud is a sound jumper and finished second at Chepstow over hurdles. He has just had the five chase starts and although he is worse off at the weights against both Super Survivor and Iron Bridge, he could still be firmly on the upgrade as a staying chaser.
Iron Bridge is also relatively unexposed over longer trips and has only had 9 career starts. Jonjo has angled him towards this race and he should enjoy this test. Iron Bridge’s jumping can sometimes take a little time to warm-up in his races and his last start isn’t necessarily the most encouraging having pulled up over 2m 4f, but he may have badly needed the trip and can strip much fitter here for a trainer that likes to target his horses at races quite some distance in advance.
1pt win Autonomous Cloud @7/1, 14:50 Chepstow, Wednesday
1pt win Iron Bridge @10/1, 14:50 Chepstow, Wednesday