Miko victory just the tonic for Alner

MIKO DE BEAUCHENE gave his trainer Robert Alner the best possible compensation for a Christmas spent in hospital as he grabbed the Coral Welsh National in the final strides.

It was hard not to feel sorry for the runner-up Halcon Genelardais, the winner last year, who was a head away from completing the double despite top weight of 11st 12lb.

But in the grander scheme of things there was only one correct result, with Alner still on a ventilator at Frenchay Hospital just the other side of the Bristol Channel from Chepstow.