Kempton races: tips, racecards and preview for the King George meeting on Boxing Day
WHAT an absolute peach of a card Kempton hosts on Boxing Day.
On paper the main course King George is one of the best in recent years as Cyrname looks to cement his position as the most exciting horse in training.
Race 1 - 12.50 Get Your £1 Ladbrokes Free Bet Today Novices' Hurdle
A little novice hurdle to get the card underway, but for an event of this nature it's a strong heat and all the usual faces are represented.
It's been won by Altior, If The Cap Fits and Mister Fisher in recent years and normally throws up a number of proper animals.
It's hard to be sure where the star factor comes from this year and a few of the bigger players are a bit more exposed than you might hope.
That's not true for Colin Tizzard's Getaway Fred who has looked smart the last twice. He looks to have bundles of ability but was still very green when winning at Chepstow and looks a chaser in the making.
This sharp two miles wouldn't be his cup of tea but he can run well here and still be a smart horse down the line.
Ecco didn't beat much in his two novice wins before he was well put in his place at Cheltenham. He has a bit to prove still and I'd be against him giving away a penalty.
Paul Nicholls also runs Red Force One who I would prefer to the higher-rated Ecco. The more the ground dries up the better for him, he went nowhere in the mud at Ascot last time out and his second to Gumball gives him a big sniff.
The Gary Moore pair of Touchthesoul and Ballycloven Beat look to have a lot on their plate.
Nicky Henderson runs the 131-rated Fred, but it is stablemate VEGAS BLUE that catches the eye.
The booking of Nico De Boinville states she is the number one and she makes her hurdling bow here off the back of two impressive bumper wins.
She has bundles of speed and this looks the perfect chance to get her jumping career off to a flyer.
SELECTION: Vegas Blue
DANGER: Red Force One
Race 2 - 1.20 Ladbrokes "Where The Nation Plays" Chase (A Novices' Limited Handicap)
This is a red hot handicap as you'd expect for this meeting but I'm very, very sweet on the chances of SIMPLY THE BETTS who is a serious chaser for the future.
He's been minded very carefully and came good over fences at Chepstow before he backed that up at Newcastle in a bog last time out.
A mark of 140 is very fair and it would not surprise me if he took this on his way to a decent pot at the Festival.
It is far from a gimme though and Venetia Williams' Roll Again has to be considered a big danger after bolting up Ludlow last time out.
It's a quick turnaround though and the drop in trip wouldn't be a plus in my book. There's no doubt he is ahead of the handicapper under a penalty however.
More of a worry is Doctor Dex for Tom George. He won very cosily off a 10lbs lower mark at Ascot in November and was backed into the 13-8 jolly when second here last time out.
He should have been plenty closer that day and still pulled miles clear of the third. 136 could still be on the lenient side.
Mick Channon won this with Glen Forsa last year and he has Hold The Note in this in the same colours. It has obviously been a plan for a long while and a mark of 133 could easily be on the soft side for this lightly-raced five-year-old.
The market will be important in a race like this with so many lightly-raced handicappers. Money for something in a significant way could be telling.
Of those further down the betting On The Slopes looks a bit over-priced and shouldn't be ignored off the back of his second to Doctor Dex and third at Kempton.
SELECTION: Simply The Betts
DANGER: Hold The Note
Race 3 - 1.55 Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices' Chase (In Memory Of Nigel Clark) (Grade 1)
This Grade 1 lacks a real star on paper, but that's not to say one of these couldn't emerge from the rest to enter serious spring calculations.
SLATE HOUSE is the pre-race favourite and the one to side with in this three mile chase.
He has experience on his side and retains his novice status after a win at Huntingdon and a real eye-catching effort in the BetVictor Gold Cup.
His jumping can be a tad scratchy but he still came there swinging at Cheltenham and the motor is there for all to see.
This test will suit and the softer the ground the better for him.
Black Op does not cut it for me in this deep. His Stratford run was good, but this is a big step up and he was put in his place by Champ in no uncertain terms at Newbury.
Champ would likely be odds-on for this, but his form from last season is hardly convincing and he may need more of a test than this down the line.
The danger pair are the Paul Nicholls-trained Master Tommytucker and Danny Whizzbang.
Preference is for Master Tommytucker who beat a decent field here last time and steps up in trip considerably here.
He jumped well throughout and Nicholls has always spoke highly of him. He's lightly-raced and the eight-year-old tag does not bother me at all.
Danny Whizzbang also beat a decent field at Newbury, but that race fell apart and he appeals less than his stablemate.
The Mighty Don, Redzor and Jarveys Plate look a little out of their depth for differing reasons.
SELECTION: Slate House
DANGER: Master Tommytucker
Race 4 - 2.30 Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1)
Another Grade 1 looms and thankfully it looks set to be more competitive for punters than in recent years.
There's obviously no Buveur D'Air, but Nicky Henderson still looks to have the race in his grip with the top three in the betting.
Hot favourite Fusil Raffles has been a talking horse for a good while and now's the time to deliver.
He has a lot to prove but Henderson has never hidden how much he likes this animal and how much he had in the locker when winning at Wincanton.
He will likely step up on that effort, but needs to in a big way. I just can't be with him at short odds.
Stablemate and last year's winner VERDANA BLUE looks a stonking bet and the more the ground dries the better.
She is as slick as they come over hurdles and her last three hurdles runs are by far and away the best form in this.
She gets weight from horses she is rated better than and the sharp nature of Kempton is right up her street.
Next in line is Epatante. She comes into this thoroughly unexposed and was impressive at Newbury last time out.
But she only beat horses rated in the 130s there and this is by far and aware a stiffer task. I think she'll need a tad further down the line too. She's an exciting horse, but not quite a Champion Hurdler.
This was clearly not the plan for Getaway Trump and his novice form has taken a few kicks along the way anyhow. It would be a surprise if he took this and he is skinny enough.
One at a bigger price that appeals is the admirable Silver Streak who continues to improve and has less to prove than many of these.
He jumps well, travels sweetly and won't be ducking out of a battle late on. He looks a decent each-way bet.
Elixir De Nutz is also over-priced and could be dangerous on the lead. Kempton should certainly suit and those in behind will have to be on the ball.
SELECTION: Verdana Blue
EACH-WAY SHOUT: Silver Streak
Race 5 - 3.05 Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (Grade 1)
Only six were declared in the end for the Boxing Day showpiece, but what a field it is.
The top two set the clear standard and are both hugely exciting for different reasons heading forwards.
CYRNAME has come of age of late and is a tremendously talented horse that jumped Altior into the ground last time out.
There were a few doubts about the trip circling but three miles around Kempton should be no issue in my book.
There also isn't much competition on the front end and Harry Cobden is superb at judging the pace in hot races like this. He has plenty in his favour and the ground should be spot on.
The handicapper has him as the best chaser in Britain and it is now hard to argue with that. He has grown up as a horse and it will take a proper horse to take him down.
But in Lostintranslation he has a proper horse to beat. Colin Tizzard's star brushed aside Bristol De Mai in the Betfair Chase last time out. That takes some doing.
He is some horse and very good over his fences. This is a different test again though and he won't have as much time out the back as he did at Haydock to lob around.
It would be no surprise to see him upset the Paul Nicholls-trained favourite but I just side with Cyrname in this battle.
Last year's winner Clan Des Obeaux has looked a big price in the run up to the Grade 1, but with only six declared that each-way option is obviously a lot less appealing now.
He can't be ruled out and will come forward from his comeback run where he blew up but he will need to improve plenty and arguably improve on his win at Kempton last season.
Footpad has hinted he is back to the levels of his novice chase season and that makes him a serious player in this.
There are questions to answer though over the trip and that is probably why he is the price he is when you throw in his patchy form from last season too.
But the one that tempts me at big odds is old favourite Thistlecrack who is looking to follow in Kauto Star's footsteps and win the Boxing Day feature as an 11-year-old.
He won this as a novice in 2016 and second last year. The old motor is still in there - as shown by his second to Paisley Park - and if oiled to perfection could well cause an emotional upset for Team Tizzard.
SELECTION: Cyrname
BIG-PRICED SHOUT: Thistlecrack
Race 6 - 3.40 Ladbrokes Football "Acca-Boosty" Handicap Hurdle
This is about as trappy as it gets and punters won't be wanting to spend any winners with confidence in the lucky last.
It has to be a race to have a swing at a couple at bigger odds and top of my Christmas list is OSCARSMAN for Suzy Smith.
He's only five and got off the mark last time at Plumpton. He gets in here off of 117 and Nico De Boinville is booked to ride.
The form of the Plumpton win has taken a knock with the second getting beat since. But that was almost too bad to be true and in this wide-open race he is tempting at double figures off 10'8.
The other swing of the bat is Neverbeen To Paris for Harry Whittington - again at a big price.
He stays at this trip which suits plenty better and his last win came over this course and distance. Talented claimer Connor Brace is in the hotseat and his form behind Boreham Bill meant he was sent off favourite for a hot handicap at Cheltenham two runs ago.
He's been overlooked off the back of recent efforts but if he bounces back to the form he showed at the back end of last season and early this season he is wildly over-priced.