Racing Recap
Boxing Day – Friday 26th December
Idaho Sun
downs the short-priced
Mydaddypaddy
in the Formby Grade 1 in a race that saw four hurdles omitted due to low sun. Not the best from Aintree, and we see it too often when important novice hurdler races become glorified bumpers, but Idaho Sun had solid form in the book and he won really well, holding off the challenge of the former Supreme favourite. Mydaddypaddy seemingly not finding for pressure first time off the bridle. Harry Fry definitely has a nice horse here and, to be fair, I wouldn’t give up on Mydaddypaddy either. Whether either can truly make their presence felt in a Supreme, time will tell, but at this point there may well be a couple much better.
Leopardstown 12:35 Maiden Hurdle
El Cairos
was about to absolutely bolt up here on his first start for Gordon Elliott since joining from the Maxwell sale before he took a tumble after the last. He looks electric fast and is now favourite for the Supreme despite the fall. With only a couple of standouts for the race, I can see why he’s favourite.
Doctor Du Mesnil
was disappointed behind and couldn’t get up to win after the favourite fell; he probably wants further, but Willie Mullins isn’t in the best form, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see a lot of his horses, including this one, take big steps forward come the DRF and the spring.
Leopardstown 1:10 Juvenile Hurdle
We may have seen a huge player here for the Triumph Hurdle in the form of
Narciso Has
for Willie Mullins and JP McManus. This horse was a very solid second on debut to a race-fit Mange Tout in a Grade 3 and he’s taken a big step forward again here, bolting up in this grade. He is now priced around 9/2–5/1 favourite for the Triumph at the Cheltenham Festival and I can definitely see why. He will be very hard to beat.
Leopardstown 2:20 Racing Post Novices’ Chase
Romeo Coolio
won again here, beating July Flower and Irish Panther. All I will say is he once again just doesn’t look like an Arkle horse to me. I think he needs to be up in trip and, with no Turners anymore at the Cheltenham Festival, I would have him take his chance in a Brown Advisory up at 3m. He jumps so well and has the engine for it. Elliott’s comments after the race would also point to this being his likely target unless it came up really soft. Either way, he’s a proper chaser. As big as 12/1 for the Arkle and 10/1 for the Browns.
Kempton 1:20 Kauto Star Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)
Willie Mullins hasn’t been in the best form over the Christmas period, but
Kitzbuhel
put up a huge performance here and looks a massively improved horse for a fence. He’s definitely put himself in the frame for a Brown Advisory after this. He’s beaten off a good field, with the likes of
Wendigo
and
Salver
well beaten, and this horse jumped and travelled really well from the front. Around 8/1 for the Brown Advisory in March looks a fair price at this stage.
Kempton 1:55 Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1)
Sir Gino
is back. This was a brilliant performance off the back of his issues and 364 days off the track. He’s beaten a multiple Grade 1 winner in
Golden Ace
easily from the front and had some nice horses miles behind. Comments from Nico after about how they couldn’t go quick enough for him say it all. This horse is every bit a top-level performer and back over hurdles he will take all the beating. Now a short-price favourite for the Champion Hurdle, I’d say it will take a ridiculously good horse to beat Sir Gino, and I don’t think there is one out there good enough, even with any allowances.
Kempton 2:30 King George VI Chase (Grade 1)
What a race this turned out to be, with The Jukebox Man taking a narrow victory, just edging out Gaelic Warrior and Banbridge, with Jango Baie in fourth. They didn’t go much of a pace and the race turned into a bit of a sprint, which wouldn’t have been ideal for a couple of these, but The Jukebox Man didn’t miss a beat jumping-wise and deserved the win. In terms of a Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, I’d be looking at the likes of Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie from this race personally, as I think both will be more suited by that test than this one.
Saturday 27th December
Kempton 12:45 Juvenile Hurdle
Maestro Conti
for the Skeltons looks a talented juvenile based on this debut. He set off in front and didn’t see a rival, and he’s done it easily as well. We already know connections think the world of this horse and he’ll most definitely take his chance in the Triumph come the spring.
Kempton 1:55 Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase
Mambonumberfive
has won again here with another brilliant performance. He was held up in last place before making a race-winning move after they turned for home and looked like he was just dropped into the race, travelling all over a good field, with the likes of
Lump Sum
and
Alnilam
well beaten. This horse is now 3 from 3 over fences and still only a four-year-old with a ridiculously high ceiling. I’d say he’s likely Arkle-bound after this performance.
Kempton 2:30 Desert Orchid Handicap Chase
Thistle Ask
has bolted up again here and the improvement in this horse since joining the Skelton team is ridiculous. Starting off a mark of 115, he’s just won by 10 lengths off a mark of 146 and is now a Grade 2 winner. He’s off a mark of 158, which is 43lb higher than his stable debut, and will be looking at Grade 1 company now, which is brilliant to see. He wouldn’t look out of place in a Champion Chase the way he’s going.
Leopardstown 12:37 Beginners’ Chase
Kargese
won her second start over fences and looked a lot better in herself this time, winning by 14 lengths. I’d be surprised if she didn’t end up in a Mares’ Chase over the Arkle at this stage.
Leopardstown 1:12 Rewards Club Chase (Grade 1)
Solness
downed
Marine Nationale
and
Majborough
with a brilliant front-running performance. Marine Nationale made a bad error early on, which definitely didn’t help, and he’d still be a fair favourite for the Champion Chase at this point, but there are horses beginning to stack up against him. The ride on Majborough was a tough watch in all honesty; he was keen and never really got into a rhythm. Mark attempted to push through a late gap that just wasn’t there and that was his race over. It all needs to fall together perfectly for him in March if he’s going to win. The two-mile Champion Chase division is certainly becoming interesting.
Leopardstown 1:47 Future Champions Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)
Skylight Hustle
was a good winner of this race, although the finish would have been interesting had
Talk The Talk
stayed up at the last, having been ahead before it. Both look to have big futures ahead of them and will be big players come March, most likely in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Although, with Elliott having the favourite, he may well step Skylight Hustle up in trip for a Turners, and he looks like he’d easily stay further.
Le Divin Enfant
and
Love Me Tender
for Mullins were both well beaten and will need to step forward massively to be in any Festival conversations.
Sunday 28th December
Leopardstown 1:55 Christmas Hurdle
Teahupoo
was a brilliant winner on his first visit to Leopardstown and he demolished
Ballyburn, who did not convince as a three-miler here. Teahupoo is definitely the one to beat in the Stayers’ Hurdle at this point, but one I’d take out of this race could well be last year’s winner
Bob Olinger. Similar to last year, he was held up and delivered late, and in terms of a reappearance he showed he’s still in good form. If it’s decent ground again in March, he’d be a huge player.
Leopardstown 2:30 Savills Chase (Grade 1)
Affordale Fury
has won this in what was another brilliant race. We can’t deny the winner was excellent, but the horse to focus on is
Galopin Des Champs, who ran a huge race on his seasonal reappearance after missing his usual starting point in the John Durkan. He came there with every chance and just got tired, losing to a race-fit rival. I’d imagine he’ll take all the beating at the DRF and, if he does win there, it will be all systems go to regain his Gold Cup crown. I’d love to see it, and 6/1 could look a silly price come March.
Inothewayurthinkin
was disappointing out the back and never looked happy. It’s frustrating to see how they run him throughout the season as a Gold Cup winner, but you wouldn’t be surprised to see massive improvement from him in the big spring races, either a Gold Cup or even a Grand National.
Monday 29th December
Leopardstown 1:22 Mares’ Hurdle
Wodhooh
won again under Jack Kennedy and battled well to see off Feet Of A Dancer, who is a good horse in her own right. Wodhooh is still the Cheltenham Festival Mares’ Hurdle favourite and, if a certain other mare doesn’t turn up, she definitely takes all the beating.
Leopardstown 2:32 December Hurdle (Grade 1)
Lossiemouth
wins her ninth Grade 1 and she really is a superstar mare, still only six years old. The question once again is Champion Hurdle or Mares’ Hurdle. Can she actually beat Sir Gino? In my view she can’t, and would always be better suited by a penalty kick over two and a half miles in the Mares’ Hurdle. Looking at this race,
Anzadam
got no run really, with Patrick Mullins unable to hold him back and him blowing his race taking off, while
Brighterdaysahead, conceding race fitness, got within a length of Lossiemouth. The way this race panned out just doesn’t scream Champion Hurdle winner to me. If Sir Gino gets to the Festival in one piece, I can easily see a late change from Lossiemouth. It’s not an ante-post race I’d get involved in with everything seemingly up in the air until the day, but it certainly adds to an exciting build-up. We know how little Willie Mullins minds sending a good mare to win again at the Festival rather than potentially getting beaten in another race. Let’s see what he does come March.
Ante post takeaways
Im going to add two selections to the ante post book for the CHeltenham Festival.
Stayers Hurdle - Bob Olinger 10/1 each way with
BetMGM
Gold Cup - Galopin Des Champs 6/1 each way with BetMGM
Both made really good reappearances and I think both need to be in the book for March, they've been there and done it and even at the ages will take all the beating if on song at the Festival.
Every week I will be analysing the weeks horse racing betting and comparing the latest betting odds and finding us the best value horse racing tips from the ante post markets. Identify potential horses from the weeks action that may go onto to make big impacts in the big spring festivals such as the 2026
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