The Grade 1 Finale Juvenile Hurdle run on Welsh National day is one of few big graded races to have alluded Paul Nicholls and he again provided the second horse home in the 2012 renewal.
Trainer John Ferguson notched his first career Grade 1 and jockey Denis O’Regan his sixth as Ruacana benefited from the last hurdle fall of Swnymor. Ferguson said:
“He was finishing well but I’m far from certain he would have won but for the leader falling.We thought he’d like soft ground, but everybody was telling me that Chepstow heavy is different from heavy elsewhere. This race was the plan and I don’t know where we go from here.”
The Nicholls horse Caid De Berlais was probably a fortunate second with Nicky Henderon’s Megalypos badly hampered by the fall. He has had a remarkable sequence of reversal in thsi race. Sam Winner was a defeated favourite in 2010, Sang Bleu wsa overturned at evens in 2009, and 5-2 shot Pepite De Soleil defeated in 2008 . In 2007 Tatenen was runner up while back in 2005 he again filled second spot with 11-10 favourite Turko while a susbsequent multiple Grade 1 winner over fences -Twist Magic- finished fifth that day. Maybe he should ask his better half for advise – his partner Georgie Browne trained the 2004 winner Phar Bleu !
Finale Juvenile Hurdle Video 2012
Finale Juvenile Hurdle Winner 2002-2011
| Year | Form | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | OR | SP | FAV | MP |
| 2011 | 121 | Hollow Tree | Timmy Murphy | Donald McCain | 133 | 13-8 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | 311 | Marsh Warbler | Fearghal Davis | Brian Ellison | 139 | 8-1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2009 | 72 | Me Voici | Daryl Jacob | Nick Williams | 0 | 10-1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2008 | 12 | Walkon | Robert Thornton | Alan King | 138 | 7-2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3112 | Franchoek | Richard Johnson | Alan King | 137 | 7-4 | 1,4 | 1 |
| 2006 | 212 | Good Bye Simon | Mick Fitzgerald | Thierry Doumen | 0 | 9-4 | 5 | 2 |
| 2005 | 331 | Blue Shark | Mick Fitzgerald | N J Henderson | 0 | 7-1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2004 | 5321 | Phar Bleu | Tony McCoy | Georgie Browne | 0 | 9-1 | 9 | 3 |
| 2003 | 44342- | Sunray | Andrew Thornton | Evan Williams | 105 | 40-1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2002 | 2122 | Nas Na Riogh | Marcus Foley | N J Henderson | 5-1 | PU | 3 |
Trainer John Ferguson notched his first career Grade 1 and jockey Denis O’Regan his sixth as Ruacana benefited from the last hurdle fall of Swnymor. Ferguson said:
“He was finishing well but I’m far from certain he would have won but for the leader falling.We thought he’d like soft ground, but everybody was telling me that Chepstow heavy is different from heavy elsewhere. This race was the plan and I don’t know where we go from here.”
The Nicholls horse Caid De Berlais was probably a fortunate second with Nicky Henderon’s Megalypos badly hampered by the fall. He has had a remarkable sequence of reversal in thsi race. Sam Winner was a defeated favourite in 2010, Sang Bleu wsa overturned at evens in 2009, and 5-2 shot Pepite De Soleil defeated in 2008 . In 2007 Tatenen was runner up while back in 2005 he again filled second spot with 11-10 favourite Turko while a susbsequent multiple Grade 1 winner over fences -Twist Magic- finished fifth that day. Maybe he should ask his better half for advise – his partner Georgie Browne trained the 2004 winner Phar Bleu !
Finale Juvenile Hurdle Video 2012
Finale Juvenile Hurdle Winner 2002-2011
| Year | Form | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | OR | SP | FAV | MP |
| 2011 | 121 | Hollow Tree | Timmy Murphy | Donald McCain | 133 | 13-8 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | 311 | Marsh Warbler | Fearghal Davis | Brian Ellison | 139 | 8-1 | 4 | 3 |
| 2009 | 72 | Me Voici | Daryl Jacob | Nick Williams | 0 | 10-1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2008 | 12 | Walkon | Robert Thornton | Alan King | 138 | 7-2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2007 | 3112 | Franchoek | Richard Johnson | Alan King | 137 | 7-4 | 1,4 | 1 |
| 2006 | 212 | Good Bye Simon | Mick Fitzgerald | Thierry Doumen | 0 | 9-4 | 5 | 2 |
| 2005 | 331 | Blue Shark | Mick Fitzgerald | N J Henderson | 0 | 7-1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2004 | 5321 | Phar Bleu | Tony McCoy | Georgie Browne | 0 | 9-1 | 9 | 3 |
| 2003 | 44342- | Sunray | Andrew Thornton | Evan Williams | 105 | 40-1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2002 | 2122 | Nas Na Riogh | Marcus Foley | N J Henderson | 5-1 | PU | 3 |
