STAR PREVIEW Mon: Boxing Day Racing

Season’s greetings to one and all reading this – hopefully your Christmas was a safe and happy one! For many people the real joy of Christmas is the brilliant racing that we get to enjoy over the next week, starting with an absolute bonanza of racing including Grade 1 events at three different tracks. There are an incredible 77 races today – this preview will focus on the best of the action whilst hopefully finding a few winners too.

Racing from: Kempton (King George VI Chase and Christmas Hurdle)
Leopardstown (featuring the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase)
Limerick (featuring the Faugheen Novice Chase)
Wetherby (featuring the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase)

Live on ITV1 HD & ITV Hub from 12.30pm
Live on Racing TV (including special channel for Ireland)
Sky Sports Racing from 10.00am

Kempton

We’ve got a cracking renewal of the King George (3.40) with five Grade 1 winners in attendance, including three of the most promising young chasers in Britain. The market has settled on L’Homme Presse as favourite and based on his extraordinary improvement over the last year that looks to be the right choice. A revelation on his chasing debut at Exeter, he would follow up that success with wide margin wins at Ascot, Cheltenham and Sandown before running out a dominant winner of the Brown Advisory over Ahoy Senor in March.

He was over the top when below form at Aintree, but made a deeply impressive reappearance when defying a mark of 164 to land the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle, beating a progressive horse who’s previously landed a Premier Handicap in style. That should have him spot on for this assignment, and neither the ground (winner on good to soft and rain expected to hit Kempton), nor the course (winner over shorter trips) are a worry.

The betting suggests that his chief rival is Bravemansgame, a major talent who beat Ahoy Senor impressively in the Kauto Star here last year before flopping at Aintree (impressive at Newbury in-between) and won the Charlie Hall with ease (beat Eldorado Allen) although Ahoy Senor’s disappointment there took some of the shine off that performance. Beating him will be a tall order, especially around this course and distance, although his collateral form is arguably weaker than that of L’Homme Presse (even if there’s not much in it) and the favourite is arguably the stronger finisher of the pair.

Envoi Allen returned back to something like his best when landing the Down Royal Champion Chase in November, overcoming a sloppy round of jumping to beat three of the best staying chasers in Ireland. If he can back up that performance here then he’ll be seriously involved but he’s yet to string together two high class performances since joining Henry de Bromhead.

Hitman – a six-year-old who’s in his third season over fences – is a fascinating contender as he steps up to 3m for the first time, having secured a nice confidence booster at Haydock last time. He’s not that far away from the best of these (rated 160) and if he’s a big improver or the step upto 3 miles then he’d have a fair each/way chance.

It’s sporting of Ahoy Senor’s connections to come here, but his jumping has let him down on many occasions and Kempton did not suit him at all last year. Royale Pagaille is a course and distance winner who will love any rain, but this is a mighty ask on his comeback and he’s been no better than second in a Grade 1 (when beaten 22 lengths behind A Plus Tard).

Eldorado Allen produced a fine display to beat Royale Pagaille at Newbury (2m7f, good to soft) in February but had no answer to Bravemansgame (albeit conceding 3lbs) at Wetherby and was a well beaten second in the Betfair at Haydock.

Frodon was right back to his best to land the Badger Ales Trophy but couldn’t live with Protektorat or Eldorado Allen in the Betfair Chase and Millers Bank looks short of what’s needed at this level.

The superstar attraction on the card is Constitution Hill, who’s expected to win the Christmas Hurdle (1.55) as easily as he did the Fighting Fifth. Dual winner Epatante is once again second favourite and the pair should finish 1-2 again whilst Secau Royale is expected to be third ahead of Metier and Highway One O Two.

We have a fascinating renewal of the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (1.20) with McFabulous leading the betting after his faultless defeat of Thyme Hill and Mortlach at Newbury. He can be expected to go close again whilst Galia Des Liteaux was incredibly impressive when making a winning start over fences in Listed company, but Gelino Bello is the selection.

He found his best form in the spring, winning the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle in fine style at Aintree after beating the 132 rated Peking Rose by nine lengths at Newbury, and he’s 2-2 over fences, albeit in two match races. The lack of chasing experience is a worry, but that can be said for his two rivals and he looks overpriced.

The rescheduled Long Walk Hurdle (12.45) adds even more to the card and looks a cracking contest with old rivals Champ and Paisley Park facing new contenders Miranda, Goshen and Not So Sleepy.

There’s not much to separate the major players at their best – there was just a neck between Champ and Paisley Park when they had a titanic tussle at Newbury in the Long Walk Hurdle – and if Goshen and Miranda brought their best to the table and there wouldn’t be much between them (and Not So Sleepy, a strong stayer on the flat).

Add tactical uncertainty – along with the potential for this to be on a testing surface – and it looks to be a watching contest.

Rubaud has impressed in two wins this year since his wind operation but the ground (already soft, more rain coming) is a worry given how well he went over the good ground in two impressive Taunton wins. If the surface is decent then he’s capable of giving weight away to Iberico Lord and Father Of Jazz, although it would be unwise to discount Throne Hall and Rare Edition – albeit with both having won on good ground so far.

The Novices’ Limited Handicap (3.05) is as competitive as ever with all the big yards going had to head and Paul Nicholls may have the answer in Solo. He had no answer to Thunder Rock at Ascot last time but the winner that day is extremely promising (runs in the Wayward Lad on 27th December) and he’d been an impressive winner in a similar event at Sandown on his reappearance. He handles soft ground whilst Balco Costal, West Cork and Don Alvaro may be compromised if things get testing and Panic Attack is yet to beat males.

The closing handicap hurdle (3.40) is even more well contested but favourite backers look to have a strong shout with Grey Dawning, a soft and heavy ground bumper winner who’s shown plenty of ability over hurdles. He was second on debut when five lengths ahead of a Grade 2 runner up (winner was sent to same race, disappointed) and he since beat Paul Nicholls’ Lallygag, who has won his three other starts this season and is now rated 131. A mark of 123 looks fair for Grey Dawning on that basis and if he handles the hustle and bustle of the field then he’ll take plenty of beating.

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Leopardstown

A brilliant four days of action begins with the St Stephens Day card where the highlight of the day is the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase (2.20). Willie Mullins has won it in seven of the last 11 years, but Gordon Elliott could have the whip hand with Fil Dor taken to underline his Arkle claims. He was one of the best juvenile hurdlers of last season and looked a chasing natural when beating last year’s Champion Hurdle fourth Saint Roi in style on his chasing debut at Navan, jumping with aplomb before putting four lengths between the pair. There’s a 2lbs turnaround at the weights today but Fil Dor looked to have plenty in hand and he can confirm the form here.

Hollow Games – a high class performer over hurdles last season at a longer trip – made most when winning easily at Navan over this distance on his chasing debut and will pose a threat to the favourite here, although Fil Dor’s debut chasing success looks to be the stronger piece of form.

Midnight Run and Visionarian are two solid horses who need to find more based on their placed efforts in the Buck House Novice Chase at Punchestown in October.

Purists will enjoy the opening pair of maiden hurdles, which should give plenty of insight into the novice hurdling ranks. The opening All About Sunday Maiden Hurdle (12.00) is one of the most interesting contests of the day.

Ex French winner Parmenion and Ballydoyle hurdling debut High Definition are attracting all the early attention and whilst it’d be no surprise if either was good enough but Jetara reached a decent level in bumpers (took a Listed contest for Mares at Navan in November) and it would be no surprise if she was a better hurdler (out of a sister to Jzeki, a Champion Hurdle winner for the stable) and 15/2 would look big if she takes to this task.

Big runs from ex French Diverge and Privilege (second at this meeting last year) would be no surprise.

It will be fascinating to see how Dark Raven, an impressive dual bumper winner in 2021, returns after a 631-day absence in the Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle (12.35.. He has huge potential and the market confidence behind him will reassure backers, but he’s short in a very interesting race. Stablemate Viva Devito has reached a decent level already (albeit too keen at Fairyhouse on hurdling debut) whilst Doctor Bravo was an impressive winner of a Fairyhouse bumper whilst it’s notable that Houlanbatordechais was sent straight to the Cheltenham and Aintree bumpers after winning two AQPS bumpers in France.

The Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle (1.10) will tell us plenty about the Triumph picture and whilst Lossiemouth, an impressive winner of the Bar One Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse on her Irish debut (four of her rivals today behind), should take the beating here there’s enough opposition to put one off taking 5/6. Joseph O’Brien’s Nusret, Padraig Roche’s Cougar, and stablemate Gala Marceau are all fascinating contenders here whilst McTigue would be a good deal shorter if he hadn’t failed to give his running in the Grande Course de Haies at Auteuil.

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Limerick

The Guinness Faugheen Novice Chase (2.40) is the highlight where Gerri Colombe makes the step upto Grade 1 company. He’s impressed in everything he’s done during his career and is really promising, but he’s a short price on the bare form here and this looks a watching brief.

The 3yo Hurdle (12.25), maiden hurdle (12.58) and Conditions Hurdle (1.33) were the other races of interest for form students.

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Wetherby

There’s a good offering at Wetherby but the race to focus on is the Rowland Meyrick, which must be one of the best renewals of the race in rent memory. Shan Blue’s position as favourite is understandable based on the impression he left for much of last year’s Charlie Hall. He looked sure to hack up there but would need to be right back to that form to justify favouritism in such a hotly contested race and he was a well beaten second at Aintree when last seen off this mark.

The winner of this will probably be a Graded horse and Sounds Russian didn’t look too out of place when fourth in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree last time. The impressive winner Noble Yeats took last year’s National and now looks a Gold Cup contender, and he wasn’t far behind Grade 1 winners Dashel Drasher and Ahoy Senor. Beforehand he’d smashed the smart Aye Right at Kelso. A repeat of that run will have him in the thick of things here and he might be progressing still.

WILLIAM KEDJANYI

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RECOMMENDED BETS

BACK Gelino Bello 2 pts win in 1.20 Kempton at 9/4 with starsports.bet
BACK Sounds Russian 1 pt win in 1.35 Wetherby at 7/1 with starsports.bet
BACK Fil Dor 3 pts win in 2.20 Leopardstown at 5/6 with starsports.bet
BACK L’Homme Presse 4 pts win in 2.30 Kempton at 5/2 with starsports.bet
BACK Grey Dawning 2 pts win in 3.40 Kempton at 11/8 with starsports.bet

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PROFIT/LOSS (DEC 2022): LOSS -19.66 points
(Excluding ante-post recommendations CLICK HERE)

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