The 2020 winner of the race completed but was last of the five finishers; trainer Evan Williams has admitted the horse is unlikely to make the cut for the Aintree Grand National in April unless he wins another race
Thursday 30 December 2021 13:28, UK
Evan Williams will give Secret Reprieve time to recover before making any plans after he was last of the five finishers in his defence of the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Monday.
Williams felt Secret Reprieve badly needed the outing as the seven-year-old had not run since landing last season’s rearranged renewal in early January.
“He’s absolutely fine. He got very tired but everything is good,” said the Llancarfan trainer.
“I thought he ran like he desperately needed the run. I thought the trainer had left him looking rather well but he ran a very creditable race.
“We’ve got a run under our belts and I’d been so desperate to run him. It’s lovely when you get a run under their belts and we’ll see how he is in the next few weeks and go from there.”
PDC World Darts Championship: Draw, Schedule & Results
World Darts Championship LIVE! King, Soutar, Anderson & Wright headline
Papers: PL clubs target Barca’s Dembele on free transfer
Ref Watch: Should Chelsea have had penalty?
Man City’s squad depth is the difference
Can AJ become the world’s No 1 heavyweight?
Strict tattoo ban imposed on China’s star footballers
How the title race stands now…
Runs galore and record defeats – the paradox of Root’s 2021
Secret Reprieve just missed the cut for Randox Grand National last spring and he is likely to be given an entry though Williams feels, at this stage, he might miss out again.
“I’ll probably give him an entry in the Grand National. He’ll struggle to get into the National – he’ll get dropped for that – but he’s a long way short of the standard of getting into the race. We’ll play it by ear,” he added.