Native River continues Tizzard's golden winter

London : Native River made light of topweight to defend his Welsh National crown on Tuesday and post another memorable win in a golden winter for trainer Colin Tizzard.

Fresh from saddling Thistlecrack and Cue Card, the first two home in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Monday, Tizzard's Native River produced a heroic front running performance at Chepstow.

Sent off 11-4 favourite, last year's winner became the first horse to win the Welsh marathon under topweight since Carvill's Hill in 1991.

Ridden by champion jockey Richard Johnson the six-year-old, who was following up his win in last month's Hennessy, jumped into the Gold Cup picture with bookmakers cutting his odds for the Cheltenham showpiece to 8-1 with some firms.

The market for chasing's blue riband is headed by the outstanding Thistlecrack who 24 hours earlier had become the first ever novice to land a King George.

"He's a lovely stayer," Tizzard told Channel 4 after watching Native river hold off 33-1 shot Raz De Maree.

"In any other season without Thistlecrack and Cue Card he'd be anyone's champion."

Johnson added: "The Gold Cup is about top class chasers who stay really well, like Native River, it was a hell of a performance."