Sam Thomas hat-trick just what the Doctor ordered?

William Dobbie Published: 5 hours ago

The National Hunt season is back and the Welsh Champion Hurdle is one of the first major handicaps of the campaign.

Taking place just one race before the feature Persian War -- the opening Graded race of the season -- no less than 17 will head to post for an extremely competitive renewal of the race.

Trainer Sam Thomas, jockey Dylan Johnston and owner Dai Walters are bidding to win an unprecedented hat-trick after Lump Sum and Celtic Dino passed the post in first in 2024 & 2025 respectively.

Download the App

Horse Racing

View Latest Odds

The trio saddle Doctor Blue (13/2) in a bid to land a trio of winners. A fairly unexposed six-year-old, he very much fits the bill of their previous victors, although he does have to bounce back from a poor effort at the back end of last season where he was beaten some 30-lengths at Newbury. Given wind surgery over the summer, connections will be hoping that he can return to the form that saw him finish runner-up in a Grade 2 on hurdling debut last October.

This has tended to go the way of a progressive type in recent years and Captain Hugo (7/2) is definitely heading the right way. Winner of the bet365 Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso last season, he followed that up with a good second in the Scottish Champion Hurdle on ground that wouldn't have suited. He's only 6lbs higher than his winning mark at Kelso and could go in again off 135.

Champion trainer Dan Skelton has already reached the top, but is showing no sign of slowing down. He's chasing down Martin Pipe's record for the most winners in a single season and his best chance here looks to be Le Beau Madrik (11/2). If you forgive him a blowout in the bet365 Premier Novices' Hurdle at the beginning of the season then he as been brilliant over obstacles thus far.

Not one to leave things to chance, Skelton is also represented by Kateira (14/1), Knickerbockerglory (16/1) and Listentoyourheart (18/1), with more than £26,000 heading to the winner.

Gibbs Island (7/1) is another not without a chance, especially with ground conditions as they are. Bred for the Flat, the son of Iffraaj loves fast ground and a mark of 132 looks well within his reach. The five-year-old landed a valuable handicap on this very card last season and if he returns in similar form then he could find himself in the winners' enclosure.