Welsh Grand National

Mountainous edges Welsh National

ESPN staff

December 28, 2013

Hawkes Point tested Mountainous all the way but the latter came good in the final furlong © PA Photos

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Mountainous has won the Welsh Grand National, edging Hawkes Point and Tidal Bay in a tight finish at Chepstow.

Ridden by Paul Moloney, the 20/1 shot held off the challenge of Hawkes Point in the final furlong with 12-year-old veteran Tidal Bay cruising home in third.

Trainer Richard Lee was pleased with the result, but admitted he did not expect his charge to run as well as it did.

"I couldn't believe how well he was going and then Paul gave him a breather and he just ran to the finish," Lee told Channel Four Racing. "He's such a nice horse, I said when we brought him in as a five-year-old he was going to be a Welsh National winner one day."

Owner James Potter said: "I'm chuffed to bits, we're Welsh and it's brilliant to win the Welsh Grand National. It's an unbelievable day for us. Just the stamina he has, it's just been a brilliant day. I'm absolutely speechless."

Favourite Highland Lodge, which went off at 13/2, struggled on the heavy ground and faded late on despite leading for much of the race.

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