Nuit to miss Welsh National and wait until Cheltenham

Gallant Nuit, a leading fancy for the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow on December 27, will miss the big race having sustained an injury when pulled up in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on
Saturday, a setback that will not heal in time for him to be fit enough to do himself justice in the South-Wales feature contest, writes Elliot Slater.

Ferdy Murphy’s six-year-old had been as short as 10/1 second favourite with a number of irish horse racing tips
for the three-and-three-quarter-mile stamina test, but after being examined by the stable vet was found to have struck into his heel and sustained significant bruising, an injury that will keep him on the sidelines for too long to be readied in time for Chepstow.

The French-bred Comte du Bourg gelding has improved significantly over the last 18 months since being stepped up in distance to three miles and beyond, and numbers a victory over subsequent Grand National hero
Don’t Push It in the Grade 3 Servo Trophy Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last November, amongst his best efforts. He arguably surpassed that form when running a blinder last year at the Cheltenham Festival to finish third to Ballabriggs in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup, staying-on strongly despite being hampered, to be beaten a little over a length in a desperate finish.

Murphy plans to bring Gallant Nuit back for the same race at the Festival in March, whilst a crack at the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April is by no means out of the question with the David Parry-owned horse being on general offer at 33/1 for the world’s greatest steeplechase. Murphy is also aiming last year’s Grand National fourth Big Fella Thanks at a repeat bid for the race, for which he is amongst the ante-post market leaders at 20/1 with racing tips for today.