THE CHRISTMAS CLASHES FESTIVE CRACKERS

Robbie Wilders looks at the big late December races and thinks he has found a value bet for the King George

THERE cannot be many better moments to be a jump racing fan than over the festive period when we have a raft of Grade 1 horses ready to dazzle, and a wide range of betting opportunities.

With three bank holidays and many offices shutting down for the year, Christmas provides the perfect opportunity to detox from the rigours of everyday life by spending time with loved ones and soaking up some top-class live sport.

Late December is renowned for a fast-and-furious football programme but, if anything, racing’s stacked itinerary betters that.

We have overlapping flagship meetings at Kempton and Leopardstown, and the biggest race in Wales also providing further sporting theatre.

Christmas is a time for giving, and ideally giving a beating to the bookies.

There is so much to look forward to before the clock strikes midnight on New

Year’s Eve, and five feature races merit the closest inspection amid the festivities.

KEY RACES Christmas Hurdle Kempton, December 26

This race is all about Nicky Henderson. The Seven

Barrows trainer has saddled six winners and two seconds over the past decade, including dual scorer Epatante, who managed to regain her crown last season after faltering at odds of 1-5 in 2020.

The British two-mile hurdling division was crying out for an injection of life, however, as the three horses who followed the Henderson mare home in the five-runner event last term were rated in the 140s. Luckily, we appear to have a special one in the shape of Constitution Hill, who could provide the trainer with the most enviable of hands in the Christmas Hurdle if that is the plan.

Keep an eye on the outcome of November’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. Epatante completed the double last term and followed in the footsteps of stablemates Buveur D’Air (2017) and My Tent Or Yours (2013).

Kempton is one of the flattest tracks in Britain and drains quickly, so this race is typically a real test of speed on decent ground for the time of year. It is a fair course and class should come to the fore, with six winning favourites from the last eight runnings and four of those at odds-on.

King George VI Chase Kempton, December 26

The King George VI Chase is probably the biggest jumps race in Britain aside from the four flagship events at the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National at Aintree, and Paul Nicholls has emphatically been the man to follow.

The Ditcheat trainer has landed 12 runnings since 1997, but his bid for a fourth successive King George last season was thwarted by Willie Mullins as Tornado Flyer downed his dual winner Clan Des Obeaux.

It was still a decent enough result for Nicholls, though, as he also saddled the third and fourth to take home a large portion of the prizemoney.

Clan Des Obeaux is unlikely to be there to try and regain his crown after suffering a setback. Hopefully he’ll be back in the spring though.

However, Nicholls has a readymade replacement in Bravemansgame.

A deeply impressive winner of the

Grade 1 Kauto

Star

Novices’ Chase earlier on the card last term, Bravemansgame is well suited by an easy three miles on decent ground and rates the likeliest British winner, although if Mullins has picked up a taste for the King George and decides to unleash Allaho they are all playing for second place.

Given the relative speed test that Kempton can provide, it is no surprise that seven of the last ten winners have landed Grade 1 chases between 2m4f and 2m6f.

Welsh Grand National

Chepstow, December 28

The Welsh went 54 years without success in their most famous race but Christian Williams ended the hoodoo in 2019 with Potters Corner, and it has been like

the London buses since.

Secret Reprieve bagged a first success for Evan Williams in 2020, and Iwilldoit supplied the biggest victory of Sam Thomas’s training career in 2021.

But can the Welsh bring up the four-timer?

Christian Williams has quickly become the man to follow in staying handicap chases, and after the runaway success of Win My Wings in the Eider in February, the trainer saddled the first two home in the Coral Trophy at Kempton just 22 minutes later.

Only one firm has priced up the Welsh National at the time of writing, but that bookmaker is taking no chances with Williams-trained pair Win My Wings and Kitty’s Light heading the early betting.

Lower-weighted runners have prospered in this, with eight of the last ten carrying 10st 10lb or less, but class still counts for something.

Native River and Elegant Escape managed to defy marks of 155 and 151 when conceding lumps of weight for the Colin Tizzard team in 2016 and 2018, and each of those staying stars warmed up for Chepstow in what is now called the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in November. That contest can act as a leading trial for this gruelling examination.

Savills Chase Leopardstown, December 28

Ireland’s answer to the King George is the highlight of a brilliant four-day meeting at Leopardstown and regularly attracts multiple Grade 1 winners.

The close proximity between the two three-mile races creates the concern that the quality of the Savills Chase could be diluted, but that has not been the case with an average field of 11 in the last five runnings, and Gold Cup heroes Bobs Worth and A Plus Tard on the recent roll of honour.

A Plus Tard would be seeking a hat-trick in the

Savills had Rachael Blackmore timed her challenge differently last season, as the Henry de Bromhead-trained eight-yearold was caught in the final strides by Galvin.

The highest-rated chaser in training needs to go leftsynonymous handed, and we will surely see him here once more after he bids to retain his Betfair Chase crown at Haydock in November.

The only horse capable of mixing it with a peak A Plus Tard is probably top-class novice Galopin Des Champs, who loves Leopardstown. That could be a match-up to savour this season.

The value of a prep run is key here as each of the last 21 winners had race-fitness on their side, and as a recognised Gold Cup trial proven stamina is crucial.

Matheson Hurdle Leopardstown, December 29

There are similar comparisons to draw between Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle and the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Both Grade 1s are run over two miles and naturally analysts examine both races in an attempt to decipher whether it is the British or Irish who hold the upper hand in the division.

November’s Morgiana Hurdle is likely to have a major say on the outcome of this top-level prize as seven winners since 2010 ran at Punchestown and six won.

The Matheson is with the Willie Mullins-trained Sharjah, who became the first horse to land four consecutive runnings last year to equal the four victories gained by past greats Hurricane Fly and Istabraq.

Sharjah’s campaign will likely be geared around bidding for a historic fifth triumph in the race, although naturally he is susceptible to a high-class youngster coming through the ranks.

Like Kempton, Leopardstown is well known for draining quickly and the hurdles course is quite sharp. Raw speed is the most important attribute when attempting to pinpoint the winner and that is why the rapid Sharjah has fared so well.