Double Trouble, The Biggest Successes of Welsh Racehorses

There are plenty of great Welsh horses to get excited about at the moment, but perhaps none have captured the hearts of quite as many as Dream Alliance and Iwilldoit.

Whether you’re a horse racing aficionado, or you take merely a passing interest in Welsh sport, getting to know the stories of these two plucky thoroughbreds is a must. Though one is now safely retired in Somerset, the other is still in tip-top shape and looking to steal a few more wins away.

Dream Alliance

Dream Alliance’s story represents a true underdog tale, featuring a team of 23 people who desperately wanted to have a part in the racing world, but couldn’t do it alone.

So it was that Janet Vokes, a barmaid at a local pub acquired a bad-tempered mare named Rewbell for a couple of hundred pounds. After breeding her with Bien Bien, a stallion who was only standing his first year at stud, a foal was born in 2001. Having summoned up a £10 per week fee from amongst pub locals, Janet made savings to keep the young horse fit, healthy and well until it could begin its racing training.

Dream Alliance lived in the Vokes’ allotment for his first three years, but when the time came to progress, he moved to the yard of the renowned trainer, Philip Hobbs. By this point, the syndicate of 23 people had raised enough money to ensure that his race training could go ahead.

It took a while for Dream Alliance to start paying back the syndicate. It wasn’t until 2006 that Dream Alliance won for the first time, in a touchingly close-to-home race at Chepstow. He won the Perth Gold Cup in 2007, but in 2008 tragedy struck in a preparatory race for the Grand National when he slipped and sliced a tendon.

Normally this could be a fatal accident for a horse, but a pioneering stem cell treatment was performed, saving Dream Alliance’s life. He spent more than a year in rehabilitation, and finally made it back to racing for 2009, when he was entered into the Welsh Grand National.

Although the whole alliance hoped he would get around the course safely, it was a dream come true when he won under Tom O’Brien. He was set to run in the Grand National the following year and was expected to place well, but sadly didn’t finish the race and has instead gone on to have a long happy retirement.

Racing TV has compiled a list of Grand National free bets so although you can’t necessarily bet on Welsh horses, there is already a fine selection of English, Irish and French horses that have been confirmed for the prestigious race.

Iwilldoit

When it comes to huge Welsh successes that are still in training, it doesn’t get much better than Iwilldoit, a 9-year-old gelding trained by Welsh ex-jockey, Sam Thomas.

Thomas was once associated with Denman, a great horse upon whom he won the Gold Cup. However, after retiring from riding, it was Thomas’ goal to become a great trainer.

He’s trained Iwilldoit since the beginning of his career, immediately recognising this rangey bay gelding as the potential superstar he has turned out to be.

Like Dream Alliance, Iwilldoit is owned by a syndicate who bought him as a yearling.

It took four starts before Iwilldoit scored his first win and further sixteen races before he was entered into his first Class One race. It was this race – The Welsh Grand National – that catapulted him to fame.

2021’s Welsh National was a particularly gruelling challenge, with many seasoned horses not completing the lengthy race. In the end, only Highland Hunter. Truckers Lodge, Achille and 6-1 favourite Secret Reprieve finished along with Iwilldoit, despite 20 horses starting the race.

Iwilldoit won under Stan Shepphard by an impressive 9 lengths, to tears of joy from trainer, jockey and all connections.