Kempton Park on Boxing Day featuring a competitive renewal of the King George VI Chase, an enthralling Christmas Hurdle with Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth taking each other on plus a high-class Kauto Star Novices’ Chase makes Kempton the place to be.
The King George VI Chase sees my selection Spillane’s Tower heading the market, with Il Est Francais the brilliant winner of the Kauto Star last year, who hasn’t had the smoothest campaign after being pulled up with a burst blood vessel on his most recent run is attracting market support with positive reports coming from the yard.
Grey Dawning second in the Grade 1 at Haydock in testing conditions to Royale Pagaille looks sure to be suited by a return to Kempton and Royal Pagaille’s stablemate, the lightly raced L’ Homme Presse is making his first appearance since finishing fourth to Galopin Des Champs in March and cannot be ruled out from a stable in tremendous form. Corbetts Cross may find the ground too quick, whilst my each way selection Envoi Allen looks right back to his best. An enthralling renewal.
The Christmas Hurdle is an exciting match between Constitution Hill Unibet 5/4 for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson and Lossiemouth Unibet 4/5 who looks a serious Unibet Champion Hurdle contender.
Constitution Hill is looking for a three-timer in the Christmas Hurdle and this will be his first appearance since taking the 2023 renewal, whilst the mare Lossiemouth showed a real turn of foot to take the Hatton’s Grace over two miles four furlongs at the start of the month. A Grade 1 I’m looking forward to watching.
Enjoy whether at a racecourse on Boxing Day or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
See you at Kempton and Merry Christmas.
Cheers!
The Wine Tipster
1.20 Kempton – Kauto Star Novices’ Chase Grade 1 (3m)
The Jukebox Man is one of my Unibet Ten to Follow this season after very nearly winning the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle Grade 1 at the Cheltenham Festival following an enterprising ride and then he finished second to Dancing City in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle Grade 1 at Aintree.
He was always going to make an exciting novice chaser, and he showed exactly that at Newbury last month when beating Massaccio, who reopposes, in a quality renewal of the John Francome Novices’ Chase, after a wonderful display of bold jumping.
Perhaps the only question to ask regarding The Jukebox Man’s chance here is whether he will be as effective going right-handed as left, something he has yet to try under Rules, but he did win his point-to-point on a right-handed track and whilst that doesn’t make it a given he will, it’s a fair indicator he should be fine.
He looked like he would come on for the run at Newbury and if he jumps as well as he did that day he can hold off his main rival the exciting Hyland.
Unibet Evens
1.35 Wetherby – Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase (3m)
Sine Nomine won the hunter chase at the Cheltenham Festival with a late challenge near the line when staying on well after not getting a clear run at two out. She had travelled smoothly throughout and was looking the likely winner turning for home. There was talk of the mare heading to the Scottish National after that her festival success, which didn’t materialise and Sine Nomine wasn’t seen until the end of November at Market Rasen in a mares’ chase listed race when unseating five out when still going well.
Sine Nomine jumped the last four fences riderless and she had never fallen or unseated before. The mare looks to be on a good mark of 133 and this prolific point-to-point winner has a good chance.
Unibet 6/1 each way
2.30 Kempton – King George VI Chase Grade 1 (3m)
Spillane’s Tower (nap) was supplemented for the King George VI after splitting Fact to File and Galopin Des Champs in a brilliant renewal of the John Durkan at Punchestown last month. This six-year-old ran a belter considering he was expected to need the run, and he looks highly progressive.
If you want further evidence of how good he is then rewatch his success at Punchestown in the Grade 1 Champion Novice Chase when beating Monty’s Star.
At this stage of writing on Monday afternoon the ground could be good, yet there should be plenty of moisture as to make it not too quick, as Spillane’s Tower has won on yielding (good to soft) so this will be fine if there are any concerns in the Spillane’s Tower camp. This exciting prospect has a very strong chance.
Unibet 7/2 win
Envoi Allen might be rising 11 years of age, and you can argue he is up against it with the younger generation; however he collected his ninth Grade 1 victory in the Kauto Star Champion Chase when beating the 2023 King George winner Hewick at Down Royal last month on good to yielding when looking right back to his best. Envoi Allen’s speed late on is worth watching the racing replay for and although he might have not delivered in this race two years ago, he is clearly enjoying his racing once again and with his class has to be in the mix in an open King George VI Chase.
Unibet 14/1 each way
3.40 Kempton – Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f)
Doddiethegreat for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson could lead home a 1-2-3 for the yard with stablemates East Indian Express and In The Air also in the race.
Doddiethegreat returns to hurdling after not jumping smoothly on chasing debut last month and he will certainly be seen to best effect at Kempton, having won on his novice hurdling debut in November 2021, with Unibet Ambassador Nico de Boinville in the plate as he has been for all Doddiethegreat’s rides bar one.
Doddiethegreat was first marked in my Unibet blog when fourth in the big handicap hurdle at Newbury in February when doing all his best work late on and then he didn’t run his race at the Cheltenham Festival over this distance.
He is much better than that, has won on good ground and this eight-year-old is having only his tenth career start with more to come.
Unibet 7/2 win
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