BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner Tony McCoy has revealed his next ambition is to win the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow Racecourse.

And he could very well be riding the current favourite if the showpiece race of the year at the home of Welsh racing beats the big freeze on Monday, December 27, Synchronised is the market leader with sponsors Coral bookmakers for the £100,000 race.

The seven-year-old racehorse is owned by Irish businessman J P McManus and trained by Jonjo O'Neill – the same as McCoy's winning ride Don't Push It in last spring's Aintree Grand National.

McCoy, who was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday with almost 300,000 votes, said: "I'd like to win a Welsh National. I've been lucky enough to win the other Nationals but I've not ridden in too many at Chepstow."

Synchronised is one of 32 horses left in the Coral Welsh National. A maximum of 20 will take part in the three and three quarter mile race on Monday.

They include last year's winning horse Dream Alliance, which was bred just 30 miles from Chepstow and is owned by a 22-strong syndicate from Cefn Fforest.

Hills Of Aran could also represent Wales – the horse is stabled with trainer Keith Goldsworthy in Pembrokeshire.

There are still several Irish-trained horses in the running, while the top weight Silver By Nature will represent Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell in the race.

But Chepstow chiefs have admitted this week that the meeting is in serious doubt due to the snow and freezing weather and it could be postponed for the first time since 1996.

A giant protective fleece is covering the two-mile track as organisers franticly bid to ensure the meeting can go ahead.

Race officials say the course is under a "couple of inches of snow" and admit the forecast is not favourable.

Track boss Richard Holland said: "We'll look at it on a day-by-day basis."

Although there is no official inspection planned at the moment, general manager Holland is concerned.

Chepstow ground staff have taken the unprecedented step of covering the entire 30-acre, two-mile course with a "fleece" to protect the ground against frost.

Last year's Welsh National required four on-the-day inspections due to ground frost before Dream Alliance won the three-mile-five-furlong marathon.

"Frost covers are not a panacea against cold weather," said Keith Ottesen, clerk of the Chepstow course.

"However, if temperatures go down overnight to minus three or minus four degrees, then they give us a chance of getting a fixture on.

"Colder than that over a sustained period and it can be difficult."

"There is fleece protection across the entire track," added Holland. "The snow on top of the covers has created a blanket and has kept the frost out of the ground. So underneath the fleece, the ground is pretty good.

"But having a fleece across both tracks is a lot of fleece with a lot of snow lying across it – so to lift that would be virtually impossible and would take a huge army of men and a great deal of time to remove."

The first race is scheduled to begin at 12.25pm. Gates open at 9.55am, and visitors are recommended to come as early as possible. Tickets are available on the day.