Welsh Grand National winner Potters Corner out of 2020 race - Aintree the target
- Published
Welsh jockey Jack Tudor, then aged 17, rode Potters Corner to victory in the 2019 Welsh National
Last year's winner Potters Corner will miss the Welsh Grand National in December as part of plans to run in next year's Grand National at Aintree.
The horse won the 2019 Chepstow race for Welsh trainer Christian Williams.
But the bay gelding part-owned by Wales rugby player Jonathan Davies will be aimed at the National at Aintree in 2021 instead of going to Chepstow.
"We have made no secret that the Aintree Grand National is our main focus for this season," said Williams.
With this year's Grand National called off because of the coronavirus pandemic, the trainer had to settle for victory in an animated Virtual National, which was watched by millions of television viewers.
Potters Corner was the first winner of the Welsh National to be trained in Wales since Norther in 1965.
The decision to miss the 27 December event was taken "after lengthy discussion" with Potters Corner's owners.
"Following his success in last year's race it was evident the stamina-sapping contest left its mark and it took a lengthy period of time to get Potters Corner back to his usual self," said Williams, who is based at Ogmore-by-Sea.
"To hopefully give him some longevity we've decided to go down the cross-country route so successfully navigated by Tiger Roll [2018 and 2019 Grand National] in previous years."
Potters Corner, third on his cross-country debut at Cheltenham earlier this month, is expected back at the track in the same discipline on 11 December with the intention of returning there for the Festival in March before Aintree looms in April.