A whopping 76 races will take place on Boxing Day in the UK & Ireland with the highlight of the day being the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. Our in-house tipster Steve Chambers has delved through the form and picked out his best bets for Thursday 26th December, 2024 here…
12:45pm Kempton – Ladbrokes Best Odds Guaranteed On Racing Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
Highly tried over hurdles, FIRST STREET is having another crack at fences in the opening race at Kempton Park on Thursday afternoon and if he can replicate his hurdles form over the larger obstacles then the mark of 130 looks extremely attractive. Winless in over two years, Nicky Henderson’s charge has often found himself finishing down the field in Graded contests, but a return to fences gives him a chance. He’s 5lbs lower than when he was last seen over fences, but he shaped with promise over hurdles last time out at Kempton when fourth behind Rubaud and if he can build on that effort then he should take all the beating.
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1:05pm Aintree- William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle
Unbeaten hurdler POTTERS CHARM can maintain that 100% record and duly grab a first Grade 1 prize when he lines up in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree at 1:05pm. A runaway 11-length winner over Valgrand at Cheltenham in Grade 2 company last month, the hugely exciting five-year-old can enhance his reputation with victory in Thursday’s contest on Merseyside. It’s interesting that the Nigel Twiston-Davies team elect to step him down in trip from 2m 5f for this 2m contest, but he shaped like he had some eye-catching speed when pulling well clear of Valgrand last time out and he can land this prize with aplomb in a race that looks devoid of strength in depth.
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Thu 19 Dec 20241:35pm Wetherby – William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase
An impressive winner at Aintree on Grand National day last April, CRUZ CONTROL has failed to recapture that form this season, but the Tom Lacey-trained seven-year-old can bounce back to winning ways and land victory in the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at 1:35pm at Wetherby. Seen having a spin over hurdles at Aintree last time out, he will enjoy the return to the chasing sphere and the step back up to three miles should also see him improve. He failed off his current mark of 140 in a hot race at the Punchestown Festival, but these are much calmer waters and he can get the better of Tahmuras and Some Scope, who look the main dangers.
2:30pm Kempton – Ladbrokes King George VI Chase
A hugely competitive King George VI Chase will see a superb field of 11 head to the 3m start and Grey Dawning for Dan Skelton will be looking to build on a fine run in the Betfair Chase last time out and stamp his name in the Cheltenham Gold Cup picture. French raider Il Est Francais was a facile winner at this meeting last year, but was disappointing on his last outing and needs to bounce back on his return to British shores.
However, the one to side with is SPILLANE’S TOWER, who put up a huge career best when second to Fact To File in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown and the Jimmy Mangan-trained raider can relish the step up in trip here and storm to victory. Doing all his best work in the closing stages, the improving six-year-old, who ended last season with a Grade 1 win at the Punchestown Festival, managed to get in front Galopin Des Champs which is the best form on offer here. He will need to stay in touch through the early part of the contest, but in the second half of the race he can simply outclass his rivals and land the prize for Ireland.
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