Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith suffer defeat in Welsh National but earn redemption at Catterick

The winner of last season’s Lincolnshire and this year’s London Nationals, O'Connell - trained by the in-form pairing of Joel Parkinson and Sue Smith - was always travelling well in the early stages of the three miles and six furlongs contest.

The Curtis inmate, shouldering 11st 13lbs, cut out the running up front under champion jockey Sean Bowen before the High Eldwick-trained chestnut carrying a much lighter 10st 9lbs, launched his bid five out for Danny McMenamin.

As the other contenders fell away, O’Connell, given a fine ride by his jockey, pressed the leader down the home straight and got close near the last.

But the Welsh-trained Haiti Couleurs refused to lie down and recorded an impressive home success for champion jockey Bowen and trainer Curtis in front of a delighted home crowd.

It was tough on the Yorkshire team, who had had Boxing Day winners with Konfusion at Wetherby and Prairie Wolf at Aintree, but was another eye-catching display.

Their X account, @JPandSSracing, tweeted: “So proud of O’Connell. A tremendous run to finish 2nd in the Welsh Grand National showed his class and determination all way brilliant ride by Danny McMenamin. winning the London National and the Lincolnshire last season, what a fantastic horse he is, still our champion.”

But Parkinson and Smith bounced back at Catterick on Sunday when Valence D’Aumont, with Danny McMenamin on board, won the feature Sky Bet Club Handicap Chase.

At Wetherby, Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore’s Traprain Law (4-1) took the feature William Hill Castleford Handicap Chase on the second day of the track’s Christmas meeting, finishing strongly after taking over two out.

Nicky Richards’ odds-on favourite Doyen Du Bar was three lengths adrift in second with last year’s winner, Harper’s Brook (8-1), third for Dan Skelton and Harry Atkins.

Adrian Keatley’s Indian River (5-6 fav), ridden by Brian Hughes, followed up his win at Catterick by just holding on to deny Michael and David Easterby’s Lights Go Down (7-2) and Jamie Hamilton by half a length, in the two-mile William Hill Each Way Extra Daily Juvenile Hurdle.

There was a sensational finish to the William Hill Racing Bet Builder Novices' Limited Handicap Chase, where the aforementioned Hamilton produced a brilliant ride on Mark Walford’s Chasingouthteblues (4-1) to land the odds.

Walford had been quietly confident of the horse’s chances in the build-up but his charge looked to have too much to do in the closing stages after being hampered by a faller. But he responded to his rider’s urgings in the final stages to power home and get up on the line to deny Paddy Neville’s Frisby (9-2) by a neck.

Doncaster stages its Winter Family Funday today, including the Listed feature Sky Sports Racing Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares' Chase.