FESTIVAL BUILDS ON WELSH GLORIES

FIRST there was a champion jockey. Plus a daring raid across the Irish Sea to land one of the biggest prizes in Europe. Now there's a festival.

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Make no bones about it, horse racing in Wales is on the up.

Wales could do with its share of stories of sporting success on the biggest stages, and National Hunt racing is fulfilling its brief in that regard.

The three-day Dragonbet-sponsored festival which has been announced at Chepstow, the country’s premier course, is poised to maintain that upward trajectory. Interest will be piqued as the meeting launches the core part of the jumps season which runs from October to April. It sees the return to the track of one of the country’s headline races. Then throw in terrestrial television coverage on a major channel. And record levels of prize money.

Although no official figures have been released, it has been suggested as much as £600,000 in prize money could be handed out across the three days.

That's quite the deal.

It's the sort of money that will have the top training establishments taking notice. Financial rewards of that nature naturally attract the powerhouses of the sport, the likes of Nicky Henderson, Dan Skelton and Paul Nicholls.