WEIGHT FOR IT

Raffles holds ticket if he can shoulder big burden

- By The Scout (Melissa Jones)

INTENSE RAFFLES (2.50) is fancied to pull off a record weight-carrying performance in the £170,000 Coral Welsh Grand National.

Limonali (1961), Carvill's Hill (1991) and Native River (2016) all raced to first place in Chepstow's marathon event saddled with 1st 12Ib.

But the Thomas Gibneytrained staying chaser can edge their achievements with an extra 2lb and Bryony Frost travelling over from France for the ride.

Intense Raffles landed the Irish version of this at Fairyhouse in 2024, which led to last year's campaign being centred around the English National.