PUNTERS were left speechless as a simply “unbelievable” performance by Nassalam saw him win the Welsh Grand National by 34 LENGTHS.
Nassalam won the trial race earlier this month in effortless fashion and his backers once again had no doubt they were on a winner from the word go.
Gary Moore’s six-year-old was the best-handicapped horse in the race, but few would have thought he was that well handicapped.
Backed into 9-2 joint-favourite alongside in-form Fergal O’Brien’s Autonomous Cloud, Nassalam could always be seen travelling well under 3lb claimer Caolin Quinn.
He arguably travelled too well and after settling in mid-division, he tanked his way into the lead half way down the back straight for the final time.
The only doubt was whether his stamina would hold out and the pair answered the question in no uncertain terms.
Scooting 34 lengths clear of his rivals, only five of the 19 runners managed to get to the line in attritional conditions.
It was a day for Moore to saver, with the Horsham handler scooping up two other big races on an incredible day for the yard.
Punters couldn’t believe what they’d seen, with one saying: “the rest are still in Cardiff.”
Another said: “Gary Moore with the best hour of racing in his career so far.”
Salver was slashed into 16-1 (from 33) for the Triumph Hurdle after decimating his rivals to remain unbeaten in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle.
Moore’s runners simply loved the bottomless ground at Chepstow but the yard’s heroics extended over to Kempton too.
Editeur Du Gite was also very well handicapped and went back-to-back in the Desert Orchid despite lugging around top weight.
He looked a sitting duck to the smooth-travelling Elixir Du Nutz in the straight but Niall Houlihan and his partner kept finding.
Houlihan threw his mount at the last and he responded with a huge leap which sealed the deal – and help his rider lose him claim.
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