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Kitty’s Light Set to Be Wales’s Leading Hope in Grand National

Posted by Rhys Gregory April 8, 2024

Only one Welsh-trained horse in history has won the Grand National at Aintree and that was Kirkland in 1905. Kitty’s Light goes into the latest renewal of the world’s most famous steeplechase with an excellent chance of ending that wait for a second success for Wales.

Trained by Christian Williams in Ogmore Castle, South Wales, the eight-year-old chaser won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in 2023. He has shown a liking for the marathon distances in the sport, so the race at Aintree is expected to suit him.

Bottom End of Weights

Kitty’s Light is set to carry one of the lowest weight allocations in this year’s Grand National as he has been assigned 10st 6lb. That will ensure he receives weight from the majority of his rivals in the race.

Williams’ runner is 12/1 in the latest Grand National odds from Paddy Power. He has just four horses ahead of him in the outright betting, including last year’s winner Corach Rambler.

Kitty’s Light has been one of the leading Grand National betting tips this year ever since Williams made it clear this was his primary target for the campaign. He finished seventh on his latest appearance in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. That run will have ensured he is fully fit heading into the biggest challenge of his career so far.

Williams Has Developed a Reputation with Staying Chases

The Welsh trainer has had a lot of success in the leading staying handicap chases in recent years. He has won the Welsh Grand National, Midlands Grand National, Eider Chase and other prestigious contests.

Williams, who rode in the Grand National as a jockey, is now bidding for victory in the biggest race on the National Hunt calendar. His best finish came in 2005 when he was runner-up on board Royal Auclair. He will be hoping he can now go one place better in the race as a trainer.

If victorious this year, Williams will join a small group of trainers to win the English, Scottish and Welsh versions of the Grand National.

Challengers To Kitty’s Light

Corach Rambler returns to Aintree as the defending champion. He won the 2024 Randox Grand National by just over two lengths in 2023 ahead of Vanillier, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Noble Yeats respectively. The Scottish-based horse will become just the third repeat winner of the race in the last 50 years should he prove victorious.

There is also set to be a strong contingent from Ireland in this year’s race. I Am Maximus will represent Willie Mullins, a man who dominated the Cheltenham Festival a month earlier, with big wins coming in the Champion Hurdle and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Panda Boy is another chaser who is set to make the trip across the Irish Sea for the rich handicap contest. Like Kitty’s Light, he too is at the bottom end of the weights. He was fifth in the Irish Grand National in 2023 and since then he has consistently performed well in races over 3m.

The maximum field of 34 runners, including Kitty’s Light, will line up in the Grand National on Saturday, 13th of April in what will be the 176th renewal of the Aintree showpiece event.

Rhys Gregory
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Editor of Wales247.co.uk