Strong winds and regular, torrential showers meant demanding conditions for horses and racegoers alike, but there were no complaints from the connections of Nassalam as the mud-lover strode 34 lengths clear in the Coral Welsh Grand National to complete a remarkable afternoon for Gary Moore’s stable in Sussex.
The yard had already registered a Grade Two double in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle and the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton when Caoilin Quinn and Nassalam set off as a 9-2 joint-favourite for the biggest race of the Welsh racing year. Like all but the two jockeys on the front-running Amateur and Complete Unknown, Quinn’s white silks were a muddy brown within a few furlongs of the three-and-three-quarter mile trip, but the conditional rider was settled in a perfect position just behind the leaders and was still cruising a few minutes later as he eased past Amateur and into the lead with about a mile to run.
